USA Hockey Magazine

52 // JUNE/JULY 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM E N D BOA R DS G rowing up in Massachusetts, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a goalie. I loved the fact that the goalie played the whole game, and was always in the middle of the action. I remember pretending to be Gerry Cheever when we were play- ing in our driveway. That's where I developed my passion for the posi- tion, and the game. That passion only grew over time thanks to some great local coaches who made the game fun as I contin- ued to develop my skills. When you look back at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, you can see how much joy we had playing the game. We were a team that won collective- ly, and had fun doing it. I think that really inspired a lot of people. Just as there were pioneers who influenced us when we were growing up, I'm proud that we were able to influence future generations, wheth- er it was during our playing days or years later when the movie "Miracle" came out. Our victory in Lake Placid helped transform hockey from a regional sport to a national sport. More than that, it went from being a sport played by boys to one that young girls and women wanted to play. That's something I'm very proud of. So many other things have changed as well, especially when it comes to playing goalie. For one, the equipment has certainly changed the position. Another thing is how coaches teach young goalies these days. When I was young, the percep- tion used to be 'I'm a coach and don't know anything about goaltending so just go out there and stop the puck.' That has changed thanks to USA Hockey. They have done an incredi- ble job of creating symposiums and educational materials to help coach- es to really learn and provide value for young goalies, and young hockey players in general. The Game And The Goalie Position Have Changed Thanks To USA Hockey (Editor's Note: As USA Hockey celebrates its 80th anniversary we have asked some of the biggest names in the game, from administrators to players to hockey-loving celebrities, to share some of their thoughts about the growth of the game in the United States. This month we hear from Jim Craig, the iconic goaltender who backstopped the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team to a gold medal in Lake Placid, N.Y.) "Failure isn't fatal, but being afraid to fail is. Especially when you're a goalie." g By Jim Craig People often ask me how I developed the confidence to stare down those great Soviet players. I think all good goalies have a little swagger both on and off the ice. It's a confidence they have in them- selves. Failure isn't fatal, but being afraid to fail is. Especially when you're a goalie. You have to be able to enjoy the fact that you're a difference maker. That type of pressure is something that you either enjoy or you don't. It's also important to be athletic. If you look at that 1980 team, every guy on that squad played multiple sports. It was something that Herb Brooks was a big proponent of. Sports in general have become way too specialized. I don't think you should be playing hockey 12 months a year. When the season stops, you should be playing another sport to become more athletic. At some point, you'll have to decide where your passion lies and you have to pick one sport or another, but there's no need to rush into it. Over the course of my career there were so many coaches who played a huge role in my success. Two of them were Warren Strelow and Dave Peterson. They were amazing coaches, but more impor- tantly they were amazing people who did it for the love of the game. They were teachers at heart. I'm very proud to see that USA Hockey continues to honor their legacy. USA Hockey has always been about creating dreams for young men and women. Thanks to the legion of dedicated volunteers, just like the coaches that helped me every step of the way, young men and women can dream big as they learn life lessons that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. That's what's so special about USA Hockey. P

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