Grow the Game®

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on reddit
Share on whatsapp

Goalies Tips – The Art of Protecting the Net

Goalies Tips - The Art of Protecting the NetIn the classic book on strategy, “The Art of War”, Sun Tzu states:

“All warfare is based on deception – when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near…appear where you are not expected.”

Tzu must have a fan out in Hampton, N.H. because 17 year old Trevor Leahy has taken “The Art of War” to the rink.  Leahy, a goalie on his High School team, created revolutionary camouflague pads that are disguised to look like the netting of the goal.

Trevor Leahy Lacrosse Camouflague PadCamo goalie gear: Is this the next big thing for lacrosse?

The results so far? Two shutouts and tons of media coverage.

More on the story from Boston.com:

Using computer skills (Leahy) learned in a graphic design class at the private school in South Hamilton, Leahy sketched out new leg pads that blend into the goal netting behind him. He wanted pads, a trapper, and a blocker that are white with a raised double-stitched design, just like the goal. He applied for a design patent and had them custom-made by a Canada-based pad maker.

So far, Leahy has logged two shutouts with the pads. In practice, two of Pingree’s top scorers say, the illusion is particularly effective when there’s a scramble in front of the net and they need to shoot quickly.

“When you’re in close and you don’t have a lot of time to think, it does catch your eye, and you do shoot toward it sometimes,” said Matt MacDonald, a cocaptain from Byfield.

Lacrosse goalies and hockey goalies are cut from the same cloth.  It takes a special kind of insanity to see objects flying at 90 mph and think “I really want to jump in front of that thing!”.

Can this camouflage strategy make its way from the rink to the lacrosse field? Never count out crazy goalies…they’ll try anything.

(via Deadspin)