Sam tries out Goalies Inc. goalie school Part I

ABC 10’s Sam Ali makes a lot of really bad decisions in his life. The latest came when he decided to see how it feels like to play as a hockey goalie.

The results were predictable and amusing. Here is the first of a two–part series of his journey.

Since 2008, Jim Stanaway has been teaching kids how to play the goalie position. Stanaway was in Green Bay Wisconsin when he first started giving private lessons and he remembers those humble beginnings vividly.

“We had a sheet of synthetic ice in the back of a hockey store that we started doing lessons on. One person told another person. All of the sudden, I was doing 10 to 12 lessons a week with different kids in Green Bay. They all got together and asked if I wanted to get some ice time and a light bulb went off in my head,” Stanaway said.

Now he does 10 goalie camps across the Upper Peninsula, as well as in Minnesota and Wisconsin. So Sam decided to give it a shot. He hasn’t skated in almost eight years so the first thing I wanted to do was hit the ice.

Due to his very weak hands, he needed help getting my skates on. Then it was time to look like a newborn deer. “After seven hours,” jokes All, “I got the hang of skating but still couldn’t figure out one thing: how to stop.”

Next was everyone’s favorite part: putting on the pads.

First was the hockey pants, then the goalie pads, the neck shield, the chest protector, the Goalies Inc. jersey, both my gloves and finally his helmet.

“With all my gear on and barely being able to walk, I was ready to get on the ice and start my lesson.”

Tune in tomorrow for part two of the series where Sam has the task of stopping pucks from going in the net.

For more information about Goalies Inc. Hockey School, visit goaliesinc.com