Our Kids Play Goalie - Sami Jo Small on Goaltending, Grit, and Growth

In this week's episode of Our Kids Play Goalie, Lee Elias, Christy Casciano-Burns, and Mike Bonelli welcome a true icon in women’s hockey—Sami Jo Small, three-time Olympian, two-time gold medalist, and a lifelong advocate for inclusion, purpose, and team unity.

From being the only girl on the street in Winnipeg playing road hockey with her brother’s friends, to starting in net for Team Canada, Sami’s path wasn’t just unconventional—it was groundbreaking.

We explore:

• Her early days as “the girl goalie” and how inclusion, support, and street hockey shaped her identity.
• Why playing in boys’ leagues taught her resilience—and what we can all learn from being “different” on the team.
• What her parents got right about letting her play—and how small decisions from adults can shape a child’s future.
• Stanford, mechanical engineering, and club hockey on a men’s team—how she kept joy in the game without the pressure of being seen.
• How she made Team Canada almost by accident, thanks to a chance meeting, a bold leap of faith, and one coach who believed in her.
• How it felt to be told she wouldn’t start in the 2002 Olympic gold medal game—and how that moment shaped her understanding of roles, leadership, and humility.
• The myth of the “one goalie system” and how goalies can and should support each other.
• What it really means to be part of a championship team—and how we can teach this to our kids now, at every level of youth hockey.
• Why joy—not ambition—should drive a young athlete’s development.
• Her daughter’s decision to leave hockey and how Sami learned to support a completely different kind of journey.

This episode is a masterclass in humility, perspective, and purpose. Whether you’re raising a goalie, coaching one, or are one, Sami’s story will change the way you see the game—and the people in it.

📚 Also mentioned: The Role I Played by Sami Jo Small – a must-read memoir about elite sports, adversity, and identity.

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