Quick Hits: Camp Brusty, Gear Update

Oof, the blog looks so lonely without a post in so long. I'd apologize for the lack of updates but that seems pretentious. And also, I'm not that sorry, because I've been working on something pretty cool.

I'm partnering with Vancouver-based goalie coach Sean Murray and our very own Brusty to host a goalie camp here in Houston next summer, so I've been busy building a web site for it. Don't worry... only Sean and Brusty will be coaching, and I'm doing most everything else around organizing it.

Though I may be a student, which already has a fire lit under me. I'd been playing about 6 months when I went to watch this camp last summer and I remember thinking how I would have been the most hopeless person on the ice, including the littlest kid. Hopefully it wouldn't be that bad now, and particularly 10 months from now. I recall even the warm-ups looking exhausting. Haha. I'm screwed.

Anyway, I think it's going to be fun working with those guys, but also great for local goalies to either supplement the help we get from local coaches like Scott or, possibly for some goalies, it's all they get all year. Houston isn't exactly littered with people who understand goal well enough to coach it, so it's a fabulous opportunity to learn from guys who make their living with goaltending.

Plus they're both super foxy. So that's practically like a discount for the ladies.

I'll be pimping the web site and the camp for the next 10 months, so be ready to get sick of hearing about that.

Anyway...

Gear Update!

My chest protector finally got some work Saturday night at novice practice. Took a couple of good shots right in the boobs and felt nothing but a thump. Beauty! But my mask chin is still battling with the neck guard on the chesty. I'd cut it off of my old one, but it was old so I didn't really care. Now I'm not so sure. I have my Maltese, so it's not the craziest idea ever.

My skates, OTOH, get better and better and better all the time. I feel like my skating is more confident now, and I don't dread skating anymore. I even did some of the skating drills at practice Saturday night, which I used to do pretty much anything to avoid. Maybe I can finally start to play the puck with some confidence? That would be exceptional.

Plus, I don't have to go to the bench and take "foot breaks" during warm ups while my feet acclimate to the pain. And I don't have to hop from foot to foot while play is at the other end to try and alleviate the pain. How the fuck did I go so long in those skates?? If I hadn't sold them in Minnesota, I'd take 'em out back and burn 'em.

I'm hoping my new pads are a similar revelation. They can't get here soon enough. But it's only been a week since I ordered them, so it's at least another 2 before I get them, possibly 3 or 4 weeks depending on shipping. Hurry, Don Simmons!

Back at SLICE for drop-in for the first time in a month tonight. I've been playing pretty slow players in that time, so I'm going to have to rev up. Hopefully my team will give me a good warm up so I'm not quite so cold to the speed.

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Crash Kings are audible Stetson. I can't explain it. I just know I can't get enough of them lately.