The obsession with stats began and ended in my own head though. My parents were never the type to put a lot of weight on statistics or start panicking if I slipped below a .900 save percentage when I was 10 and could barely reach the cross bar. Their matter-of-fact attitude toward stats in youth hockey is probably what helped balance out my obsession and allowed me to use stats as a tool to get better, rather than information I must measure skill by. My father would diligently count shots for me when I was young, and before my skates were even off, I’d say, “How many shots did I have?”, to which he’d have the answer after every single game.
Christmas 2007: I was 12, and I (my mother) bought dad a leather journal to carry to games and write in, a gift that was as much for him as it was for me. In case he was to lose this all too valuable collection of pages, on the inside of the cover I wrote his name, number, and our address; and on the first page, a poem my preteen self wrote, and against my better judgement, I’ve included at the bottom of the this page…
As the poem instructs, my father carried the notebook with him and kept track of shots, goals against, shot location, and other notes from the game he found important enough to jot down. Fast forward to 2021, and I have designed a journal for goalies that will let you track your entire season, the same way my dad did for me over a decade ago.
I created the notebook to provide you with the best possible stat-tracking and journaling for your season. Every page should be used for a different game, and the provided formulas will help you determine save percentage and ratio of quality chances faced. Rink layouts for each period allow you to track where shots are coming from and look back at the previous games to see the areas goals are squeaking through. The section that will help your development the most is the “POST-GAME JOURNAL”. This journal should be filled out after each game you play to track how you feel and what you could improve upon. Personal accountability is lacking in youth sports today, and players that hold themselves accountable, rather than rely on parents, coaches, and teammates to do it for them, will develop faster and catch the eye of more coaches and organizations as they get older.
Like I did with my Dad, give this notebook to someone you trust at the start of every game and be sure to look it over weekly during the season!
How to use your new journal:
Tallies in your head can be quite a mess,
So use a notebook, where remembering is less.
Write down shots, goals, and plays of the game,
Then bring it to practice where you do the same.
Have us practice the things that you saw unsound,
To help make it better the first time around.
Enjoy this notebook and carry it everywhere,
Don’t lose it, you’ll need it,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love you!!!! ACE
