Ice Hockey has become a fast-growing sport across the United Kingdom. However, the current lack of available ice rinks is causing an issue for anyone eager to get on the ice and practice. It is no secret that the more you skate and practice your hockey maneuvers the more you grow as a player.
Jordan Lawday, pro ice hockey goalie for the Basingstoke Bison and owner of Lawday Goaltending, created the first-ever goalie-specific training facility in the UK using Glice synthetic ice for his rink.
Jordan’s season got cut short due to COVID, which left him unable to train or coach while all rinks were closed. He decided to make the smart investment into Glice, allowing him to practice and teach from home. This move made him able to stay in top form while also coach other goalies throughout the pandemic.
Jordan started by ordering three Glice commercial panels, each measuring 6.4ft x 3.1ft. While Glice offers both commercial and home rinks, he said he went with the commercial panels to install them over the uneven grass in his backyard. He was incredibly pleased with the results which immediately allowed for great ice-like skating after installation.
After a couple of months, Jordan decided to expand his rink from three panels into a full-blown training facility to accommodate the increasing number of goalies interested in practicing maneuvers and getting a chance to skate more on the ice. Jordan planned to build the United Kingdom’s first goalie-specific training facility where goalies could come and work on their skills without having the expense of renting a full ice pad.
He started by clearing out the space and building the wooden frame.
Finally, after weeks of measuring, cutting, and building, he finished “The Goalie Barn”, excited to open it to his trainees. He added five additional Glice panels, giving players ample room to do their thing. He added special touches to the home-built barn, painting it to make it feel more like home for the goalies who daily came to train.
Over the last year, the Goalie Barn has been a terrific installation, providing everything LawdayBl intended. It allowed goalies the chance to get the same ice-like training without the crazy high costs of paying for the use of a traditional ice rink. The Goalie Barn became such a success, Jordan realized he needed to expand to accommodate all the needs of his growing clients. He began searching for a larger facility to create a 2.0 version of his Goalie Barn. The extra space would allow his clients more space, allowing a more extensive selection of drills and manoeuvrers.
After months of searching, Jordan found the perfect solution – an old barn he renovated into his new training facility. The facility is 45ft x 16ft and uses Glice commercial sheets and the Glice leisure dasher boards. He also built stalls for the goalies and players that give the feel are of a pro dressing room. He even applied a cool logo on the roof and installed rubber mats to protect blades before stepping onto the Glice.
Jordan did a great job transforming the barn into the fantastic facility it is today. Look at the final result!
