The puck stops here
Our Mission
It's simple - help goaltenders of all ages and skill levels reach their full potential. We believe that goaltending is more than just stopping pucks; it's about mastering the mental and physical aspects of the position to become a game-changer for your team.
​
The Approach
-
Our team of experienced goaltending coaches is dedicated to providing you with the knowledge and guidance needed to excel between the pipes. From technical skills to mental toughness, we cover it all.
-
We regularly update our training curriculum to ensure you're learning the latest puck-stopping strategy. Stay at the forefront of goaltending techniques with our state-of-the-art training programs.
-
Every goaltender is unique. That's why we offer personalized training plans tailored to your specific needs and goals.
About PDG
PDG was created in response to the growing youth hockey movement taking over Northern Virginia. The founding members, whose youth careers began in the area, recognized the gap in dedicated goalie training. PDG delivers exceptional goalie training to area clubs and tenders of all ages and abilities. ​
Training Options
1 hr
105 US dollars
30 min
70 US dollars
Meet the Team
The Paddle Down staff hold a combined 20 years of competitive hockey, including NCAA D1, Junior A, Junior B and ACHA D1 & D3 experience, and over 15 years of combined coaching experience.
Coach Nick
PDG founder Nick Thompson began coaching area goaltenders in 2013. Now in his 10th year of coaching, Nick has instructed numerous levels of hockey, ranging from House Mites to Junior B, and all manner of AA & A travel ages in between.
Nick's hockey background includes AA hockey with the Ashburn Xtreme program, highlighted by an appearance at Nationals (2006), and finished at Christopher Newport University (2007-2012).
Coach Justin
An original PDG coach, Justin Mercer has worked with goalies of all ages for 7 years. Justin stood in net for the Reston Raiders from Squirts through Midget Major, and finished his playing career at the ACHA D2 level. A product of PDG coach Nick Thompson, Justin can be found at area rinks, where still dons the pads for local men's teams, making unbelievable saves seem common.
Coach Ian
Ian "Cliffy" Clifford brings 8 years of goalie coaching experience to Paddle Down's crew. Ian has worked with Mites through Midget Majors, from House to AAA goalies. Ian's hockey career orginated with the Junior Hurricane organization (2009-16), highlighted by a visit to the U16AAA Nationals tournament (2016). He then played for the Northern Cyclones (NAPHL, 2016-17), Louisiana Drillers (NA3HL, 2017-18) and finished with the Chicago Cougars (USPHL, 2018-19).
Coach Sean
Sean Thompson is a 10-year coaching veteran, having assisted in goalie clinics alongside Mitch Korn (2010-2014) and Ben Vanderklok (2015), as well as multiple individually run camps. Sean has trained goalies in various ages, from House Mites all the way to Junior B goalies.
His career started with AA hockey with the Ashburn Xtreme, highlighted by an appearance at Nationals (2005), followed by stretches in Junior B (2009-2011) and Junior A (2011-2012), and finished at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (2012-2016).