Athletes usually begin thinking about veering off into coaching as their playing days are nearing an end. Madisyn Ryan is well ahead of the game.
A 17-year-old senior at Crossroads Christian High School in Corona, California, Madisyn is a promising goaltender who has committed to play women’s college hockey at the University of Maine. At the same time, the incredibly well-spoken teen is a budding entrepreneur who has started an online business providing goalie instruction.
“When I grow up, I want to be just like her,” one of Madisyn’s personal coaches, Stephanie Yates, told The Epoch Times, only half-joking.
Even while living and going to school in California and playing this season for a 19-and-under travel team based in Florida, Madisyn has managed to add an unusual entry to her personal portfolio. Having worked with younger goalies for a few years, Madisyn needed to find another approach when travel demands made in-person sessions unrealistic.
“I was thinking like, ‘Man, there has to be a way to be able to coach while I’m on the road,’” Madisyn told The Epoch Times. “Goalie coaches in California can be so expensive. For me, it was like, ‘How can I offer affordable lessons to younger kids?’ I started thinking about it and I was like, ‘I wonder if some of my students could video their games, and then maybe I kind of send them notes back.’”
With help from her “more tech-oriented” older brother, Evan, Madisyn figured out a way to do voice-over instruction so they could “walk through the play and look at specific things.”
The light clicked on more brightly when Madisyn heard from the mother of a student who relayed how beneficial the process was for her son.
“I was like, ‘OK, I think I’ve got something here,’” Madisyn said. “I knew at that point that I wanted to start a company, to do something with this.”
“Goalie Vision kind of came to mind because it was when I started videoing myself for college recruiters that I really saw my game improve,” Madisyn said. “Your vision on the ice is completely different from the vision of a camera and seeing yourself outside the net.”
Given the rigors of being a full-time hockey player and academic demands that figure to only increase once Madisyn arrives at Maine, time will tell what the future holds for Goalie Vision.
“It’s a balance, you know?” Madisyn said. “Hockey is obviously a priority. School is a priority, so Goalie Vision kind of has to fall below those things. As long as I’m successful on the ice and successful in the classroom, I’ll continue to work on Goalie Vision and grow it. At one point or another, I’ll probably have to limit it or come up with some creative way, maybe outsource some of the coaching, but it would be awesome to have that problem, right?”
Madisyn is quick to credit her family, including her mother, Kim, younger sister, Avery, and grandfather, Steve, not only for help with Goalie Vision, but also for their unwavering support through her entire hockey journey.
Similarly, Madisyn said she is grateful to Crossroads Christian, which she has attended since preschool. Even though she doesn’t play hockey for the school, Madisyn nonetheless chose to sign her letter of intent with Maine at Crossroads.
“The teachers have invested so much into me and been so supportive; I instantly knew that Crossroads was the place I wanted to do that,” she said.
Madisyn, who to this day “treasures a lot of the relationships” forged playing mostly on boys’ hockey teams early in her career, spent the past four seasons in the Anaheim Lady Ducks’ program. Ms. Yates, a private goalie instructor who also coaches for the Lady Ducks, has worked with Madisyn for years.
“She’s probably one of the most dedicated kids I’ve ever seen, whether it’s in her schoolwork or on the ice,” Ms. Yates said. “Her determination and her work ethic have really increased her skills over the years. She is calm, a leader for her team, on and off the ice, and she never gives up on a puck. That is huge, making that third-, fourth-rebound save.”
Madisyn chose to play this season for the Florida Alliance after a former Lady Ducks teammate made something of a recruiting pitch and Alliance Coach Shawn Ray did some scouting.
“Every time I went to watch her play, she was by far the best player on the ice,” Mr. Ray told The Epoch Times. “With Madisyn, the first time I spoke to her on the phone, she was so mature. She was so good in conversation, and asked great questions. The feedback was incredible, as far as what she wanted, what her goals were. I’ll tell you, the conversation I had with her that first time, I got off the phone thinking: ‘I need this girl. I need this girl on my team right now.’”
The Alliance, split relatively evenly between players who live in Florida and those who travel in from elsewhere, get together for periodic practice weekends at various sites throughout the Sunshine State and then meet up for tournaments across North America.
“We have a young team, and Madisyn keeps us alive in every single game we play, especially against the top-ranked teams in the country,” Mr. Ray said. “She’s so committed to her dream, so focused, on the ice and off. She’s always looking for feedback, positive and negative. And as far as her personality, what a great teammate. Never once has she blamed anyone else for us losing a game or her getting scored on.”
Madisyn, who began sending emails to college coaches when she was in eighth grade, wound up with one of her “dream schools,” Maine, where former U.S. Olympian Molly Engstrom is in her first season as coach and attempting to lead the Black Bears back to elite status.
“I was really excited just at the opportunity to be a part of something like that, work hard to not only build a program that you want to be a part of, but that women are going to want to be a part of beyond your four years,” Madisyn said. “This is an opportunity to do something beyond just myself and my four years of hockey.”
The landscape in Orono, Maine, didn’t hurt, either, considering Madisyn describes herself as “kind of a mountains person, not a big city person.”
Whether it is by setting an example on the ice or through her work with Goalie Vision, Madisyn has one overriding objective.
“I love the opportunity to tell my story,” she said. “My biggest hope is that young girls can see it and know that it’s possible, dream big.”
