“Determined would be the best word to describe him, he believes this is what he’s going to do for the rest of his life.” Joseph Macri is not your average 11 year old boy; he’s an aspiring goalie with over 30 silver and gold medals. Since age four he’s been on the ice and loving every moment. He’s now a “top goalie, every year at every level” says his proud father, Pino Macri. From a young age he demonstrated passion for the game. Most kids don’t wake up in the morning wanting to get on the ice and learn to play hockey, but Joseph loves it. Although he’s had several Triple A offers, his father decided to hold off so that Joseph could focus more on his skill building. He is now playing Double A and also plays with the Toronto GT Capitols and on his school hockey team. Joseph takes hockey “very seriously” says his dad. “He’s on the ice 13 times a week; gets up at 6:00 a.m. every morning to practice and does an hour and a half of dry land training in the afternoon.” This past September, Joseph received a scholarship to attend PEAC, an elite school for athletes that specializes in hockey, lacrosse, figure skating, soccer, rugby and baseball. The schools mission is to further the development of student-athletes and to help them become respectful individuals, top level performers in their sport, and life-long learners who are career-oriented. When asked how he felt to be attending PEAC, Joseph said: “Good! I feel proud of myself.” Every kid in the school trains specifically to their sport. Goalie training includes an hour and a half Monday to Thursday and one hour of strength training per week. Fridays are used to catch up academically and for tournaments that also go through the weekend. The school has the highest ratio for athlete to coach and Joseph is the youngest goalie, training alongside two 16 year old goalies that have been drafted to the OHL. To Joseph, the hardest part of being a goalie is “the concentration in the game, it’s hard to stay in the game.” But when asked how he prepares for a game he says: “I think about it in my head and visualize the game and focus really hard.” His training includes a lot of learning to control the ice and speed intolerance. Robb Nelson, Managing Director at PEAC described Joseph as “hardworking, ambitious and hungry to get better and wants to be the best.” Joseph’s determination, dedication and passion for hockey has impressed many people he’s come to know. His coaches have nothing but great things to say about him and are so proud of his ability to take direction and defend the game as a goalie. "In all my years in hockey development... even at the NHL level... I have never met an individual with more courage than Joseph! As a net minder his passion to stop a puck is second to none. I would recommend Joseph to any coach looking for a goalie with a great attitude and willingness to battle every shot he faces!” Tim Turk, Goalie Coach Joseph and Pino Macri would like to give a very special thank you to: Tim Turk, goalie coach; Joe Venuto & Trisha Kalezic, of Impact Hockey; Robb Nelson from PEAC; and to Todd Miller of the OHL Barrie Colts and all coaches for their years of hard work with Joseph. Joseph’s favourite NHL team is the Montreal Canadians and his favourite player is Perry Price, goalie for Montreal Canadians. Watch out for this kid, his proven potential and good work ethic will likely get him into the NHL one day!By: Maria Solis