November 7, 2025 • 30 mins
Sandra Abstreiter shares how film study, better fueling, and smarter gear choices helped her rise to Germany’s starting job and a PWHL roster. We swap stories from the PWHL takeover tour, dig into mindset for starters and backups, and unpack how small gains stack into big jumps.
• jumping from skater to goalie at 16 and building skills fast through deliberate video study
• why comfort-driven gear choices accelerate confidence and flow on the ice
• practical fueling: carbs pre-ice, protein and creatine for recovery, electrolytes for heavy days
• monitoring training load with simple metrics to spot underfueling
• PWHL takeover tour energy and what fan momentum means for women’s hockey
• agency and brand support that removes friction and lets athletes focus on execution
• starter versus backup mindset: same game, same craft, reduced pressure
• facing elite shooters to raise standards and sharpen reads
• protecting identity beyond sport to sustain joy and resilience
• closing advice: don’t dream small dreams
Shout out to Perfect Sports, Pioneer Alder Grove Auto Group, Warrior, Hyperice, Howies, IQBAR, and more who supported camp and travel
Check out our Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Tiktok | Spotify | Apple | Google | Youtube l Save 15% on Perfect Sports Supplements
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:01):
You're the most decorated racquetball player in
US history.
World's strongest man.
From childhood passion toprofessional athlete.
Eight-time Iron Man champion.
So, what was it like making yourdebut in the NHL?
What is your biggest piece ofadvice for the next generation
of athletes?
From underdogs to nationalchampions.
This is the athletes podcast,where high performance
(00:22):
individuals share theirtriumphs, defeats, and life
lessons to educate, entertain,and inspire the next generation
of athletes.
Here we go.
We just literally recorded foran hour.
SPEAKER_00 (00:34):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01 (00:35):
As a prep.
As a prep hour.
Sandy, that's what you werelooking for.
SPEAKER_00 (00:39):
We need to hide all these things again.
SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
No, no, no, no.
We're not hiding it.
We're starting it with perfectsports supplements because your
boy David Stark here can't hitthe record button, but we got it
figured out.
And we're still smiling becausewe got diesel, we got creatine,
we got hydro splash.
Sandy is set up for successhere.
Now she's got the supplements onboard.
SPEAKER_00 (01:00):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
We are gonna try this again, round two.
We're gonna do a quick trip.
We gotta start off.
We have Sandra Eibstreider herefrom the German national hockey
team, the starting goalie, alsoa member of the PWHL Victoire,
and someone who I get to call afriend also.
Fortunately, she's a part ofCook Stark Management,
(01:21):
represented by Eleni, ourdirector of hockey operations,
someone who I was fortunate towatch in Denver when we did our
going for it.
SPEAKER_00 (01:32):
I'm pretty sure that's a fact.
SPEAKER_01 (01:34):
Oh yeah, this is like, oh, we literally can't go
anywhere here.
That's amazing.
We're off-road to start thisepisode.
We're in shambles, Sandy, butwe're gonna make it happen.
It's okay.
Yo, first question.
We're gonna start it off alittle different.
You started playing goalie at 16years old.
You were playing hockey for adecade prior to that, from the
(01:56):
sounds of it, but you onlystarted at 16 years old, and you
just told me a couple minutesago, well, we thought we were
recording that you listened to aspecific organization while to
consume this content to be thegoalie that you are today.
And that's where we need tostart because this is an insane
story.
SPEAKER_00 (02:14):
Yeah.
So shout out to Ingle.
That's I watched a bunch oftheir videos when I started
playing goalie.
I kind of like had a few goaliecoaches here and there, like, I
don't know, not very consistentthough.
So I kind of like figured if Iwant to get better at this, like
if I start that late, like Ineed to like help myself a
(02:34):
little bit in whatever way Ican.
So I just went on YouTube,looked up like goalie training,
whatever, came across Angle, andI saw a bunch of their videos
specifically that they recordedwith Carrie Price.
And so I watched those likenon-stop, literally for hours,
even though they were like thesame drill, which probably got
(02:55):
boring after a little bit, but Ijust like analyzed it to the
detail.
Whenever I watched like a videoof that, like at night the next
day when I was at practice, Iwould try like try to remember
like this is how he would holdhis buff here, like this is how
he would play like that puck,like all that kind of stuff, and
then like I would try it out andsee how it worked for me, and if
(03:16):
it worked, then I kept it, andif it didn't, then I tried to
find something else, and then II switched it up.
SPEAKER_01 (03:22):
So insane for me to hear.
We have obviously covered thefact that you've only been
playing this position of goaliefor a decade, and you've become
the number one goalie for yournational team.
You're playing professionallevel here now.
This is your third year playingpro.
How the heck does someone whogets thrown in by their mom out
(03:43):
of necessity end up at thislevel?
And honestly, you've also toldme the fact that you didn't even
play other sports growing up,you were just a hockey gal.
So how the heck is thatpossible?
Because I'm always preaching tothe next gen that you gotta be
playing multiple sports growingup, you gotta be well diverse in
your athletic abilities, butyou're proving me wrong.
SPEAKER_00 (04:05):
Yeah, I mean, I do think that it probably is very
helpful to do other sports too.
And we talked about thisearlier, like, yes, goalies, in
a sense, I do agree, are one ofthe most athletic persons on a
team, but at the same time, likewe kind of talked about it, like
we're a little bit like we've Ifeel like we're like average at
(04:25):
a lot of things, yeah, but thenwe just excel like in the net,
and like literally, even likeoutside of hockey, like probably
like I will drop more thingsthan I should.
Like, I'm like, I'm a goalie,like, why am I not holding on to
this thing?
Like, but like as soon as you'reon the ice, it's completely
different.
SPEAKER_01 (04:44):
Yeah, the jack or the jill of all trades is the
way I've described myself toothers because I'm not
exceptional at any sport, but Ilike to think I can play most,
chop it up with most.
That's why we got the podcasthere.
This is the 270th, 71st episodeof the podcast, which is
absolutely insane.
This is like the 272nd becausethe one we just recorded an
(05:05):
hour.
SPEAKER_00 (05:06):
That's the secret one.
Yeah, that's the secret one.
SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
That one has all the insights that us athletes try
and keep close to our chestbecause we're competitive.
Yeah.
But here on the athletespodcast, you get the raw, real
insights, data, information.
You get to find out exactly whatSandy has been doing,
specifically with her newWarrior gear, too.
You want to talk about that?
You and Leon, no big deal.
The only two Warrior-sponsoredathletes, kind of a big deal
(05:30):
here.
SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
Yeah, well, Warrior has been awesome, actually.
I started wearing their gearlast year.
They reached out to me.
They're like, Do you want todemo our stuff?
I was like, absolutely, I willlike send me something.
Got a brand new set, the G7s,that's what they sent me.
They just came out with themkind of recently.
Tried them literally for 10minutes, absolutely love them.
I was like, I'm not gonna notuse these anymore.
(05:53):
Like, I actually think, fun facttoo, I've worn them for like
less than a week, brought themto one of our road trips,
because I was like, I mean, I'mthe third goalie, like, even if
I have to like step up one, likeI'm still only the backup.
Well, I jinxed it, I was thebackup for that game, and I was
wearing my demo set after noteven wearing it for a week.
(06:14):
But I was like, I'm so confidentin these, like, I can go a net
with that.
SPEAKER_01 (06:18):
Like, well, and when you find something that you're
comfortable in, yeah, it's likeI just went through, we got new
golf clubs, and it's like if youfind something you're
comfortable with, that is wayhands above better than anything
else you can be wearing becauseyou know the saying goes, look
good, feel good, play good,right?
Yeah, absolutely.
There's something to be said forthat, you know?
(06:39):
Yeah, when you're comfortable,when you can get into a flow
state, no one can match yourability when your mind is firing
at 100%.
SPEAKER_00 (06:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
And I think that's you know, we talked about it
even when you've got asupplement with stuff like
creatine, when you're planningyour nutrition properly so that
you have your carbs prior toyour workouts that you can
perform your best.
You know, you and I talked againan hour about this stuff, but
what are those kind ofgame-breaking pivotal moments
for you over the past few yearsthat you've learned as a pro
(07:12):
that have really separated whatyou knew prior to what you know
now?
SPEAKER_00 (07:16):
Well, I mean, you just talked about like the
nutritional aspect, and I eventhis summer, like after being
professional now for like twoyears, like there's still so
many things that I can likelearn from myself.
Like this summer I startedtracking my workouts a lot more.
Like, I got a heart rate strap,I like look at how many calories
I burn, like all that kind ofstuff.
(07:37):
Yeah, and then like I don't doit every day because I don't I
have other things to focus ontoo.
But like a few days, like if youtrack like your meals and stuff
like that, like see how muchprotein you're getting, how much
calories in general, honestly.
And like I've realized that it'slike especially on a hard
training day, like it's veryeasy to not eat enough.
And so that's obviously notgood.
(07:59):
Like, when I'm not trying tolike lose all the muscle that
I'm just building, yeah.
So then, like, it's reallyimportant to fuel with the right
things, and like I've noticedthat creatine has like has been
amazing, like it that's had hada big effect on like my
training, like my my reps feelbetter for longer, like my legs
feel fresher for longer.
Obviously, protein powder, it'sjust like so easy to get the
(08:21):
protein in that you need, and solike all that kind of things,
like but yeah, so like all theselike supplements, like even
vitamins, like all that stuff,like it's so many little things
that you I think need to do whenyou want to perform at your best
at every single every singleday, because even in practice,
you need to be like at yourbest, right?
Because otherwise, you're notgonna be ready for when you do
(08:42):
play.
SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
For sure, and that's like you could not have said
that any better.
Uh, because especially femaleathletes very often, in most
cases, are under-eating,especially when they are
performing, going two a days onthe ice, doing dry land
trainings, and men too, but moreoften than not, women are very
(09:04):
conscious about what they'reconsuming putting in their body,
and they're just not putting inenough calories.
Yeah, and that is a real problemwhen you're trying to perform
your best.
Yeah, make a national team, makea PWHL team, making an NCAA team
for that matter, right?
SPEAKER_00 (09:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
And that like we're just as a young athlete, it is
so important to make sure you'retracking what you're putting in
your body.
And so, kudos to you forhighlighting that.
Make sure you're getting yourcreatine, your protein, and your
sodium in the system.
Sodium, magnesium, thoseelectrolytes, people don't
realize it.
Hydro Splash has a great comboof the three.
(09:39):
Also, we need to highlight thefact that we're in Vancouver
today.
It's raining, as per Vancouverweather.
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
Wasn't surprised.
SPEAKER_01 (09:48):
But it's quiet because we got the electric jeep
thanks to pioneer Alder GroveAuto Group for providing us with
an amazing Jeep.
And this is where you performedand did the takeover tour.
SPEAKER_00 (10:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:02):
And you have to tell me what that environment was
like because 19,000 fans, I wassitting up there in the stands.
You were getting to getting toexperience it on the ice.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
It actually was in it was incredible.
And like that was the secondyear of the league, so like
everything in the first year wasalready like mind-blowing.
Like the first time like westepped on the ice in Ottawa, I
remember for for literally forwarmups, everybody was already
there.
Like all these like kids andlike adults like were screaming
at the top of their lungs, andlike we're so excited for this
(10:34):
to like finally happen.
So, like, every single moment ofthe first year was already like
incredible.
And then last year, like thetakeover tour.
I have to say, I think we gotthe best locations because we
got to go to Vancouver, we gotto go to Seattle, Denver, and
Quebec City.
I hope I'm not missing one.
Definitely Vancouver, I'vevisited before, and I love it so
much.
That's why I'm literally heretraining here right now before
(10:56):
going to actual camp.
And yeah, that game, like, firstof all, I was so excited to be
able to come back just for likethe city itself, but then like
seeing how it was even more soldout than like this sellout was
even higher than like a selloutfor the Canucks.
I think I was told.
Like, how did that how does thateven work?
(11:16):
I don't know, but like that'sreally cool, and like yeah, it I
don't know, it's just likeunbelievable.
I don't even have words for it.
SPEAKER_01 (11:23):
It was uh it was the probably the most lively hockey
game that I've been to in years,and obviously it has something
to do with the average age,probably being 16 some screaming
gals in attendance, but eitherway, like that's the kind of
energy and excitement that thePWHL needs, the WNBA needs.
This is what women's sports hasbeen needing.
(11:45):
And honestly, the PWHL, thePWHLPA has been doing a really
good job about getting thatawareness out there, having
bringing new fans into the game.
I mean, we were down in Denver,I think there's there was a
Denver game as well that kickedoff.
They had a pretty good showingthere.
SPEAKER_00 (12:02):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:04):
I obviously I'm a huge sports fan.
I'm trying to pull the hockey oruh I'm trying to add other
sports to our hockey clients.
Going to a baseball game with aLenny in Colorado.
We got to see that insanebaseball game 1716.
Uh Camp overall weekend.
I'd love to hear kind of whatyour thoughts were on it.
Uh, you know, it was somethingwe were able to bring a dozen of
(12:27):
our clients down to Denver.
What were your thoughts on it?
Give me the rundown.
Hyper Rice, we had every we hadbrands there, we had extra ice
times, we had coaches here fromCoach Due.
SPEAKER_00 (12:39):
Yeah.
I thought it was amazing.
I mean, I was lucky, honestly,that I was here in the summer
because I was in Vancouver totrain, obviously.
Eleni said, Hey, we're we'reputting this camp together, like
we want you to come.
And I was like, perfect, likeI'm not that far away.
So I was super pumped that I wasable to go.
Obviously, you see it like fromother agencies, like before
(13:03):
before Eleni actually joinedCook Stark.
I was already working with her,but like she had like a small
company.
I don't think it would haveprobably been possible to do
anything like this.
And then, but obviously, I Idon't regret at all like signing
with her, like working with herthen.
It's just like interesting tosee like all these bigger like
hockey agencies, like they'redoing all these things, like
(13:23):
they're getting all theirathletes all these products and
like bringing them to places andall this stuff.
And now with like Cook Stock,like obviously, like it's such a
big agency, like, not only inhockey, so like it is really,
really cool to be like a part ofthat and get to experience that
as well.
And then obviously, like, likeyou said, like there were so
many like products that werewilling to like bring something
(13:44):
to us, like hyperized, like senta bunch of stuff for us to try
out, like obviously, all theseprotein like brands, like
Howie's with the tape, like it'sall the like little things that
are like come together and likethat make such a big difference
at like an event like this.
Because we didn't even have tothink about like, oh, what am I
gonna have for a snack?
Oh, like there's a bar likehere, perfect, you know, like
(14:04):
it's like all these like littlethings that are so like critical
and like important for us likeas athletes, and like so pretty
much like even at a short camplike that, that's probably not
very easy to organize.
Like for us, it felt like wedidn't have to worry about
anything else, yeah.
And then obviously on top, likewe wanna we are also there to
like get to know everyone in theagency, like have fun.
(14:24):
Like you said, the baseballgame, like that was a lot of
fun.
Then we did like the Red Rockshike, like yeah, so like it was
a lot of like three days, butlike that's what you want,
right?
For sure.
SPEAKER_01 (14:33):
Well, and that's like you know the ability for us
to bring people together in onearea, learn about what you like,
what you didn't like about thepast season, what we can do
better for the upcoming season.
And yeah, when you have hyperice, howwees, IQ bar, good wipes
sending products, it's like,okay, how can we eliminate the
(14:54):
needs of you guys when you'rehere on site so that you can
just focus on training andhaving a good time?
SPEAKER_00 (14:59):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
And man, we have to highlight, shout out to Lander
and Aleni for the work that theydo.
Lander originally started, hewas LDC talent before we became
Cook Stark Management, and hewas just hockey players.
SPEAKER_00 (15:13):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:13):
And obviously, we met, saw, highlighted some of
his athletes, and was like, hey,why don't we do this for all
athletes, not just hockeyplayers?
Because all women can benefitfrom this.
Absolutely.
Obviously, we add Eleni,director of hockey ops.
She's now director of athleteoperations, actually.
With all the expansions that youtalk about, you know, we uh
(15:34):
perks of having a lawyer on theteam.
But now we, you know, wecontinue to scale, right?
And it's again, I said itbefore, but I'll say it again,
it's a testament to you guys onthe ice, on the court, on the
field, performing, giving us anopportunity to go and advocate
on your behalf, right?
And that's not an easy task todo, especially in this day and
age when brands claim to beputting lots of dollars into
(15:56):
women's sports, but in reality,as we all know, that's not quite
the case yet.
But we're seeing improvements,and baby steps is all we can ask
for.
But I do have a couple questionsthat I got Eleni to send me
because you know she's got someinsider information on you.
And I do want to know if youwere to perform an art heist
(16:18):
right now, and you had to pickthree of your closest either
friends or previous teammates tocomplete this art heist with,
who would you be bringing along?
SPEAKER_00 (16:28):
Okay.
First one is an easy one, andit's perfect because she also is
a CSM athlete, actually.
Nemo Nubarova.
I met her when I played atProvidence Hill.
We played one year Providencetogether.
We did our grad year there, andwe just became really close
friends.
And honestly, I think like everytime like one of us has a crazy
(16:50):
idea or had a crazy idea in thepast, like the other one is just
like jumps right on board withit and is like, yeah, let's do
it.
Like, I'm down, let's let's justdo it, whatever.
Like, screw everything else.
Like so, I think that would befirst of all a lot of fun.
It would probably be a littlebit scary because we're I don't
know, just like being silly,yeah.
But definitely her.
(17:12):
And then one of my other reallygood friends, also Cook Stark
athlete, Francie Feldmeyer,played with her, played with her
on Team Germany.
I played with her growing upever since we started together
pretty much.
I was six years old, that's whenI met her.
She's a year younger, and soI've known her forever.
(17:33):
She is also down to do anythingcrazy, but I think she has she
would have like a good idea howto like actually solve the
problem too.
Like obviously we're trying to,yeah, we're trying to get
somewhere with this too, right?
Like we're not trying to getcaught.
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah, you gotta be agile, adapt.
SPEAKER_00 (17:48):
Yeah.
And actually, now that I thinkabout it, you know what?
Who else who else I'm gonna add?
It's not a teammate, but I'mgonna add Lenny.
Oh.
Because she's gonna get us outof it.
SPEAKER_01 (17:57):
True.
Yeah, if you do get caught,yeah.
Yeah, she'll talk to them and belike, listen, it was extenuating
circumstances.
We need to, we needed to grabthe artwork.
SPEAKER_00 (18:05):
It was she'll manage.
Yeah, yeah.
Anytime there's a slightproblem, I'll just reach out to
her.
So that's true.
SPEAKER_01 (18:12):
You and I both, you know?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're in the same position.
That's awesome.
One of the pieces that I wantedto bring up at some point with
you was obviously you are thenational starting goalie for the
German hockey team, but you arecurrently the backup in Montreal
for the Victor.
(18:33):
We've talked about goalieshaving mindset, mental issues,
depending on who you ask.
What goes into the preparationfor either being a starter or
the backup for you specifically?
Are there different adjustmentsthat you make prior to going
into those games?
How do you handle that?
SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
I think what I found really important for myself, and
really helpful actually, which II don't know if it would work
for everybody, but maybe thiscould be advice to some people,
maybe not to everyone.
Yeah.
Just like I see it as likeeverything it's still all just
hockey.
Like I play hockey because Ilove hockey.
(19:12):
I love playing hockey.
Every single day, every singlepractice, there's something that
I will find enjoyable about it,right?
Yeah.
And so I think at some point ofmy career, I believe it was in
college at some point, likethere's even then there's times
where like I didn't play asmuch, maybe, or like I didn't
perform the way I wanted to.
And I found, I want to say,like, a switch that I was just
(19:34):
like, okay, it's really not thatdeep.
Like, it is just hockey, like,it's not the end of the world.
SPEAKER_01 (19:39):
If something happens, like we always ask
goalies who they love to get toto play against, specifically,
whether they like stoppingsomeone or whether they like
having someone shoot on them inparticular.
Do you have anyone that you loveto play against?
SPEAKER_00 (19:56):
Yes.
And it actually started with myfirst worlds.
I was a third goalie, but forcrazy events.
Well, our first goalie gotinjured.
I ended up on the bench when weplayed against Canada.
And with the record that Germanyhad back then against Canada,
hopefully it will be differentnow.
There was literally no chance ofus ever like having a chance,
(20:18):
even.
So I was told before the gamethere's a chance that you will
play the third period, andthat's what happened.
We were down 5-0 after thesecond.
So I played the third period,phased 25 shots, got scored on
twice.
That's okay.
But it was honestly like thecoolest experience to play
against like Poolin, Stacy,Spooner, Nurse, like all these
(20:40):
like big names that like backthen, like I just watched them
and I was like, these are likethe superstars of like women's
hockey, right?
And like, and they still are,but just now it's like a
different perspective becausenow they're my teammates.
For sure.
Or like I play against them likeon a more like regular basis.
SPEAKER_01 (20:57):
Yeah, they're colleagues.
SPEAKER_00 (20:58):
Yeah, so it's crazy, but obviously back then, and
like Pooh, like, I mean,everyone knows like she's she is
the best player in hockey andwomen's hockey right now, and
like now she's on my team, and Iget to face her like every
single day.
And honestly, like I've actuallysaid this to my goalie coach
last year, like, if I can stopPooh's shot on like this
(21:19):
specific situation, I'llprobably be fine with most other
people.
SPEAKER_01 (21:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:23):
Maybe that sounds a little bit weird, but like
that's just like because she isso good at it that I'm like, I
love playing against her or likefacing her shots because it will
make me that much better.
SPEAKER_01 (21:32):
If you have Alexander Ovechkin shooting on
you from his corner spot andhe's not able to score, you have
confidence going up againstanyone else, knowing that he's
one of the best.
I literally this past weekendwas playing against Megan
Augusta at the Cinux Alumna,Canuck's Autism Network event,
and she scored on me.
So, past guest of the pod,episode 200, for those who are
(21:56):
wondering or want to listen toanother women's hockey episode.
That was humbling because again,one of the best women's hockey
players to ever put on skates.
And it's crazy because peoplewill watch hockey now and say,
oh, PWHL, NHL, there's still agap.
It's apples to oranges.
There's, you know, there'sdifferences, obviously.
But man, was she phenomenal onskates?
(22:16):
And I can't wait for next yearwhen I get to come out to camp,
throw on the gear, and get litup by some of our clients too.
It would have helped you thisyear, giving you guys a bit of a
break.
SPEAKER_00 (22:25):
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (22:25):
Because you guys needed it, but hey, well, we
live and we learn next yearit'll be that much better.
I've got I I skated with uhPavel Barber out in uh Toronto a
couple years ago, and I'm like,I want to get a bunch of past
guests of the podcast out tocome play with like clients and
stuff, whether we're playinghockey, whether we're playing
golf, whatever.
(22:46):
It's like I think that part ofthe whole CSM experience could
be cool too, because you know,there's no reason why when we're
down in Denver, we go watch ayou know baseball game and then
we go golf, right?
And like we we go playpickleball.
Like everyone's an athlete,everyone can play to some
degree, like you said.
Maybe we're not the best atpickleball, but you can still
hit it around, right?
SPEAKER_00 (23:07):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (23:07):
I uh I think that there's a world where the agency
space can be improved, upgraded,and allow for there to be so
much more benefits for you as anathlete to be a part of an
organization like CSM.
I think that's what like Landerand Alani and I have been
striving for.
Ryan, Claire, everyone elsewho's involved.
(23:28):
It's you know, we're trying tomake sure that you guys get the
same opportunities that us guyshave been given for decades,
right?
And I think when you have againbrands like Perfect Sports who
start supporting brands likeLactigo, who are already working
with uh Kirsten Campbell, butwe're gonna get you set up with
some as well.
My boy Barry, he's in Kelowna.
(23:48):
We met him at Kelowna HockeyFest.
Everyone's using this stuff.
I don't know, you said youhaven't seen it yet, but guys
like Leon and Davo are out therethrowing that on 30 minutes
before the game, and it's crazythe benefits.
They just actually had a studyreleased, apparently it's like
10 to 12% improvement in uhabilities.
It basically just eliminatesyour body's process of creating
(24:11):
lactic acid, if I'm not goingtoo basic with it, and carnosin
gets thrown into the old musclesand it eliminates that.
So cool.
Again, very basic level, butalmost similar in the sense
where if you're adding thingslike creatine, lactico to your
system, you're getting thatlittle bit of an extra edge.
And as an athlete, that's allyou can ask for, right?
SPEAKER_00 (24:31):
Oh, absolutely.
All the little things.
SPEAKER_01 (24:33):
Yeah, what are what are some of those little things
that you maybe add to yourrepertoire that most don't?
Are there anything specific?
Do you cold plunge?
Do you sauna?
Are you stretching for six hoursa night?
Like, is there anything specificthat you do that maybe most
don't?
SPEAKER_00 (24:48):
I honestly am gonna go a completely different route
with it.
Okay.
No, I don't cold plunge, I don'tlove it.
I don't really go to the sauna.
I should stretch more than Iprobably do.
I think what's important for meis to just completely get away
from it.
SPEAKER_01 (25:03):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (25:04):
So just like turn your brain off from hockey.
SPEAKER_01 (25:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:06):
Obviously, it's not gonna work all day, every day.
But I think it's like importantfor me to like have a few
minutes at least, if it only isthat much, like to just be like,
no, like that's not my onlyidentity.
SPEAKER_01 (25:21):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (25:22):
You know, and that's kind of to get back to what I
was saying earlier, like it isjust hockey.
Like, yeah, you're not gonna doit for your whole entire life.
If realistically, if you thinkabout it, it's gonna be a small
portion of your life, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (25:33):
Yeah, for sure.
10, 15, 20% of it.
Like, right?
SPEAKER_00 (25:37):
Yeah, so there's so much more, and I think that's
really, really important to me.
It's like there, I don't want tobe just a hockey player.
Right now, I am, it feels likeI'm just a hockey player, but to
my friends, I'm not just ahockey player.
To most people that probablyjust know me from hockey,
obviously that's that's all theysee, and that's okay.
But that too, like with if Icreate content, like with the
(25:58):
content that I do create, likeI'm that kind of gives people a
glimpse of like how I who Iactually am as a person too.
Like, I want to be authentic,like I don't want to take things
too seriously, like you know,like I make things because I
think they're funny or likethey're cool or whatever.
I'm not trying to put like aface on just to like portray a
different picture of myself.
SPEAKER_01 (26:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, and I think that's whyyour content has resonated with
so many people.
That's why you're starting tosee some momentum and scale in
that social media realm becausewe talked about it before, but
like the requ the requirementsof a professional athlete now
are not just to go out andperform on the ice.
It's hey, now I have to createcontent for the brands that I'm
working with.
Now I have to make sure thateveryone on the back end is
(26:38):
taken care of, that I havetickets sorted for the people
who are coming to watch thegames.
Like it's not just going outstopping pucks as much as people
like to break it down and thinkit's that's how simple it is.
So for you to be able to havedone all of this, again, only
playing your position for 10years, is an amazing testament
to how hard you work.
I'm very proud to be able tocall you a friend, be able to go
(27:01):
watch you perform when you'rehere in Vancouver, down in
Denver.
But more than anything, I thinkI also like the fact that you
are chilling, just like a normalperson.
I think honestly, goalies get abad rep.
I've had I've had a dozen plusgoalies on this show in
particular over the past sixyears, and I can confidently
say, and maybe that's becauseI'm a goalie myself, but we're
(27:23):
all pretty cool individuals.
Maybe we got some little quirks,we got some intricacies, but at
the end of the day, I thinkthat's what makes us all human
beings.
Yeah.
And I always like to wrap upthese episodes by asking our
guests the biggest piece ofadvice.
Having already heard you say itonce, I can't wait for the folks
listening to hear you say itagain because it leaves a nice
(27:44):
touch on this episode.
This being the 270th, 271st, wedon't even know right now.
SPEAKER_00 (27:51):
Yeah, my biggest advice, and it's a little cheesy
quote actually, that Eleni justthrew my way the other day, and
I love it because it's perfectfor how I think about things,
what I believe in, and it'sdon't dream small dreams.
Just keep believing, keepdreaming, keep coming up with
like the craziest ideas, evenlike as long as you believe in
(28:13):
it, and as long as you obviouslywork hard for it, there's gonna
be ups and downs, there's gonnabe not so fun moments, like all
that is part of it.
Just like honestly embrace itand keep working on it.
And if you believe it, then Ithink you can do it.
SPEAKER_01 (28:28):
I love it.
I'm I hadn't seen that quoteuntil I saw Starter send us the
draft mock-ups of yourmerchandise that we're gonna be
selling on CSM's website.
We're gonna be promoting theheck out of it.
We're gonna see it in the arenashere all across Canada, North
America, worldwide with yourGerman fans.
Totally.
Actually, before we leave, weneed to talk about your super
(28:51):
fan that was in Ottawa that cameto watch you play, or came to
watch that was a PWHL draft lastyear.
We were in Ottawa, and therewere two super fans in Ottawa
that were literally waiting foryou.
They they were like, We need tofind out who and where Sandy is,
and they had a Lenny likeconnect you.
SPEAKER_00 (29:13):
Really?
SPEAKER_01 (29:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You have you have some of, ifnot the most passionate fans in
the PWHL in Ottawa stillsupporting you.
They're probably from Montrealnow.
They're gonna be, they mighthave moved there.
SPEAKER_00 (29:25):
Yeah, I know who you are.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:27):
That is, yo, that's saying something.
SPEAKER_00 (29:30):
I guess, yeah.
And honestly, I don't know whatI did to deserve it, but I'll
take it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:33):
Hey, hey, you're doing something right.
Keep doing that.
Shout out to Perfect Sports forsponsoring this episode to
Pioneer, Alder Grove, Lactico,no free ads.
They don't sponsor us yet, butwe're working on it.
And no, this is walking homewith all of these.
You don't have to walk too far,but you're gonna have to make
sure you're stocked up onsupplements.
(29:55):
Sandra, can't thank you enough.
This has been the episode 271stepisode.
on the athletes podcast we didit twice we'll see you folks
next week for another new onebye bye
You're the most decorated racquetball player in
US history.
World's strongest man.
From childhood passion toprofessional athlete.
Eight-time Iron Man champion.
So, what was it like making yourdebut in the NHL?
What is your biggest piece ofadvice for the next generation
of athletes?
From underdogs to nationalchampions.
This is the athletes podcast,where high performance
(00:22):
individuals share theirtriumphs, defeats, and life
lessons to educate, entertain,and inspire the next generation
of athletes.
Here we go.
We just literally recorded foran hour.
SPEAKER_00 (00:34):
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_01 (00:35):
As a prep.
As a prep hour.
Sandy, that's what you werelooking for.
SPEAKER_00 (00:39):
We need to hide all these things again.
SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
No, no, no, no.
We're not hiding it.
We're starting it with perfectsports supplements because your
boy David Stark here can't hitthe record button, but we got it
figured out.
And we're still smiling becausewe got diesel, we got creatine,
we got hydro splash.
Sandy is set up for successhere.
Now she's got the supplements onboard.
SPEAKER_00 (01:00):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (01:01):
We are gonna try this again, round two.
We're gonna do a quick trip.
We gotta start off.
We have Sandra Eibstreider herefrom the German national hockey
team, the starting goalie, alsoa member of the PWHL Victoire,
and someone who I get to call afriend also.
Fortunately, she's a part ofCook Stark Management,
(01:21):
represented by Eleni, ourdirector of hockey operations,
someone who I was fortunate towatch in Denver when we did our
going for it.
SPEAKER_00 (01:32):
I'm pretty sure that's a fact.
SPEAKER_01 (01:34):
Oh yeah, this is like, oh, we literally can't go
anywhere here.
That's amazing.
We're off-road to start thisepisode.
We're in shambles, Sandy, butwe're gonna make it happen.
It's okay.
Yo, first question.
We're gonna start it off alittle different.
You started playing goalie at 16years old.
You were playing hockey for adecade prior to that, from the
(01:56):
sounds of it, but you onlystarted at 16 years old, and you
just told me a couple minutesago, well, we thought we were
recording that you listened to aspecific organization while to
consume this content to be thegoalie that you are today.
And that's where we need tostart because this is an insane
story.
SPEAKER_00 (02:14):
Yeah.
So shout out to Ingle.
That's I watched a bunch oftheir videos when I started
playing goalie.
I kind of like had a few goaliecoaches here and there, like, I
don't know, not very consistentthough.
So I kind of like figured if Iwant to get better at this, like
if I start that late, like Ineed to like help myself a
(02:34):
little bit in whatever way Ican.
So I just went on YouTube,looked up like goalie training,
whatever, came across Angle, andI saw a bunch of their videos
specifically that they recordedwith Carrie Price.
And so I watched those likenon-stop, literally for hours,
even though they were like thesame drill, which probably got
(02:55):
boring after a little bit, but Ijust like analyzed it to the
detail.
Whenever I watched like a videoof that, like at night the next
day when I was at practice, Iwould try like try to remember
like this is how he would holdhis buff here, like this is how
he would play like that puck,like all that kind of stuff, and
then like I would try it out andsee how it worked for me, and if
(03:16):
it worked, then I kept it, andif it didn't, then I tried to
find something else, and then II switched it up.
SPEAKER_01 (03:22):
So insane for me to hear.
We have obviously covered thefact that you've only been
playing this position of goaliefor a decade, and you've become
the number one goalie for yournational team.
You're playing professionallevel here now.
This is your third year playingpro.
How the heck does someone whogets thrown in by their mom out
(03:43):
of necessity end up at thislevel?
And honestly, you've also toldme the fact that you didn't even
play other sports growing up,you were just a hockey gal.
So how the heck is thatpossible?
Because I'm always preaching tothe next gen that you gotta be
playing multiple sports growingup, you gotta be well diverse in
your athletic abilities, butyou're proving me wrong.
SPEAKER_00 (04:05):
Yeah, I mean, I do think that it probably is very
helpful to do other sports too.
And we talked about thisearlier, like, yes, goalies, in
a sense, I do agree, are one ofthe most athletic persons on a
team, but at the same time, likewe kind of talked about it, like
we're a little bit like we've Ifeel like we're like average at
(04:25):
a lot of things, yeah, but thenwe just excel like in the net,
and like literally, even likeoutside of hockey, like probably
like I will drop more thingsthan I should.
Like, I'm like, I'm a goalie,like, why am I not holding on to
this thing?
Like, but like as soon as you'reon the ice, it's completely
different.
SPEAKER_01 (04:44):
Yeah, the jack or the jill of all trades is the
way I've described myself toothers because I'm not
exceptional at any sport, but Ilike to think I can play most,
chop it up with most.
That's why we got the podcasthere.
This is the 270th, 71st episodeof the podcast, which is
absolutely insane.
This is like the 272nd becausethe one we just recorded an
(05:05):
hour.
SPEAKER_00 (05:06):
That's the secret one.
Yeah, that's the secret one.
SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
That one has all the insights that us athletes try
and keep close to our chestbecause we're competitive.
Yeah.
But here on the athletespodcast, you get the raw, real
insights, data, information.
You get to find out exactly whatSandy has been doing,
specifically with her newWarrior gear, too.
You want to talk about that?
You and Leon, no big deal.
The only two Warrior-sponsoredathletes, kind of a big deal
(05:30):
here.
SPEAKER_00 (05:30):
Yeah, well, Warrior has been awesome, actually.
I started wearing their gearlast year.
They reached out to me.
They're like, Do you want todemo our stuff?
I was like, absolutely, I willlike send me something.
Got a brand new set, the G7s,that's what they sent me.
They just came out with themkind of recently.
Tried them literally for 10minutes, absolutely love them.
I was like, I'm not gonna notuse these anymore.
(05:53):
Like, I actually think, fun facttoo, I've worn them for like
less than a week, brought themto one of our road trips,
because I was like, I mean, I'mthe third goalie, like, even if
I have to like step up one, likeI'm still only the backup.
Well, I jinxed it, I was thebackup for that game, and I was
wearing my demo set after noteven wearing it for a week.
(06:14):
But I was like, I'm so confidentin these, like, I can go a net
with that.
SPEAKER_01 (06:18):
Like, well, and when you find something that you're
comfortable in, yeah, it's likeI just went through, we got new
golf clubs, and it's like if youfind something you're
comfortable with, that is wayhands above better than anything
else you can be wearing becauseyou know the saying goes, look
good, feel good, play good,right?
Yeah, absolutely.
There's something to be said forthat, you know?
(06:39):
Yeah, when you're comfortable,when you can get into a flow
state, no one can match yourability when your mind is firing
at 100%.
SPEAKER_00 (06:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (06:49):
And I think that's you know, we talked about it
even when you've got asupplement with stuff like
creatine, when you're planningyour nutrition properly so that
you have your carbs prior toyour workouts that you can
perform your best.
You know, you and I talked againan hour about this stuff, but
what are those kind ofgame-breaking pivotal moments
for you over the past few yearsthat you've learned as a pro
(07:12):
that have really separated whatyou knew prior to what you know
now?
SPEAKER_00 (07:16):
Well, I mean, you just talked about like the
nutritional aspect, and I eventhis summer, like after being
professional now for like twoyears, like there's still so
many things that I can likelearn from myself.
Like this summer I startedtracking my workouts a lot more.
Like, I got a heart rate strap,I like look at how many calories
I burn, like all that kind ofstuff.
(07:37):
Yeah, and then like I don't doit every day because I don't I
have other things to focus ontoo.
But like a few days, like if youtrack like your meals and stuff
like that, like see how muchprotein you're getting, how much
calories in general, honestly.
And like I've realized that it'slike especially on a hard
training day, like it's veryeasy to not eat enough.
And so that's obviously notgood.
(07:59):
Like, when I'm not trying tolike lose all the muscle that
I'm just building, yeah.
So then, like, it's reallyimportant to fuel with the right
things, and like I've noticedthat creatine has like has been
amazing, like it that's had hada big effect on like my
training, like my my reps feelbetter for longer, like my legs
feel fresher for longer.
Obviously, protein powder, it'sjust like so easy to get the
(08:21):
protein in that you need, and solike all that kind of things,
like but yeah, so like all theselike supplements, like even
vitamins, like all that stuff,like it's so many little things
that you I think need to do whenyou want to perform at your best
at every single every singleday, because even in practice,
you need to be like at yourbest, right?
Because otherwise, you're notgonna be ready for when you do
(08:42):
play.
SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
For sure, and that's like you could not have said
that any better.
Uh, because especially femaleathletes very often, in most
cases, are under-eating,especially when they are
performing, going two a days onthe ice, doing dry land
trainings, and men too, but moreoften than not, women are very
(09:04):
conscious about what they'reconsuming putting in their body,
and they're just not putting inenough calories.
Yeah, and that is a real problemwhen you're trying to perform
your best.
Yeah, make a national team, makea PWHL team, making an NCAA team
for that matter, right?
SPEAKER_00 (09:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
And that like we're just as a young athlete, it is
so important to make sure you'retracking what you're putting in
your body.
And so, kudos to you forhighlighting that.
Make sure you're getting yourcreatine, your protein, and your
sodium in the system.
Sodium, magnesium, thoseelectrolytes, people don't
realize it.
Hydro Splash has a great comboof the three.
(09:39):
Also, we need to highlight thefact that we're in Vancouver
today.
It's raining, as per Vancouverweather.
SPEAKER_00 (09:46):
Wasn't surprised.
SPEAKER_01 (09:48):
But it's quiet because we got the electric jeep
thanks to pioneer Alder GroveAuto Group for providing us with
an amazing Jeep.
And this is where you performedand did the takeover tour.
SPEAKER_00 (10:01):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (10:02):
And you have to tell me what that environment was
like because 19,000 fans, I wassitting up there in the stands.
You were getting to getting toexperience it on the ice.
SPEAKER_00 (10:11):
It actually was in it was incredible.
And like that was the secondyear of the league, so like
everything in the first year wasalready like mind-blowing.
Like the first time like westepped on the ice in Ottawa, I
remember for for literally forwarmups, everybody was already
there.
Like all these like kids andlike adults like were screaming
at the top of their lungs, andlike we're so excited for this
(10:34):
to like finally happen.
So, like, every single moment ofthe first year was already like
incredible.
And then last year, like thetakeover tour.
I have to say, I think we gotthe best locations because we
got to go to Vancouver, we gotto go to Seattle, Denver, and
Quebec City.
I hope I'm not missing one.
Definitely Vancouver, I'vevisited before, and I love it so
much.
That's why I'm literally heretraining here right now before
(10:56):
going to actual camp.
And yeah, that game, like, firstof all, I was so excited to be
able to come back just for likethe city itself, but then like
seeing how it was even more soldout than like this sellout was
even higher than like a selloutfor the Canucks.
I think I was told.
Like, how did that how does thateven work?
(11:16):
I don't know, but like that'sreally cool, and like yeah, it I
don't know, it's just likeunbelievable.
I don't even have words for it.
SPEAKER_01 (11:23):
It was uh it was the probably the most lively hockey
game that I've been to in years,and obviously it has something
to do with the average age,probably being 16 some screaming
gals in attendance, but eitherway, like that's the kind of
energy and excitement that thePWHL needs, the WNBA needs.
This is what women's sports hasbeen needing.
(11:45):
And honestly, the PWHL, thePWHLPA has been doing a really
good job about getting thatawareness out there, having
bringing new fans into the game.
I mean, we were down in Denver,I think there's there was a
Denver game as well that kickedoff.
They had a pretty good showingthere.
SPEAKER_00 (12:02):
Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (12:04):
I obviously I'm a huge sports fan.
I'm trying to pull the hockey oruh I'm trying to add other
sports to our hockey clients.
Going to a baseball game with aLenny in Colorado.
We got to see that insanebaseball game 1716.
Uh Camp overall weekend.
I'd love to hear kind of whatyour thoughts were on it.
Uh, you know, it was somethingwe were able to bring a dozen of
(12:27):
our clients down to Denver.
What were your thoughts on it?
Give me the rundown.
Hyper Rice, we had every we hadbrands there, we had extra ice
times, we had coaches here fromCoach Due.
SPEAKER_00 (12:39):
Yeah.
I thought it was amazing.
I mean, I was lucky, honestly,that I was here in the summer
because I was in Vancouver totrain, obviously.
Eleni said, Hey, we're we'reputting this camp together, like
we want you to come.
And I was like, perfect, likeI'm not that far away.
So I was super pumped that I wasable to go.
Obviously, you see it like fromother agencies, like before
(13:03):
before Eleni actually joinedCook Stark.
I was already working with her,but like she had like a small
company.
I don't think it would haveprobably been possible to do
anything like this.
And then, but obviously, I Idon't regret at all like signing
with her, like working with herthen.
It's just like interesting tosee like all these bigger like
hockey agencies, like they'redoing all these things, like
(13:23):
they're getting all theirathletes all these products and
like bringing them to places andall this stuff.
And now with like Cook Stock,like obviously, like it's such a
big agency, like, not only inhockey, so like it is really,
really cool to be like a part ofthat and get to experience that
as well.
And then obviously, like, likeyou said, like there were so
many like products that werewilling to like bring something
(13:44):
to us, like hyperized, like senta bunch of stuff for us to try
out, like obviously, all theseprotein like brands, like
Howie's with the tape, like it'sall the like little things that
are like come together and likethat make such a big difference
at like an event like this.
Because we didn't even have tothink about like, oh, what am I
gonna have for a snack?
Oh, like there's a bar likehere, perfect, you know, like
(14:04):
it's like all these like littlethings that are so like critical
and like important for us likeas athletes, and like so pretty
much like even at a short camplike that, that's probably not
very easy to organize.
Like for us, it felt like wedidn't have to worry about
anything else, yeah.
And then obviously on top, likewe wanna we are also there to
like get to know everyone in theagency, like have fun.
(14:24):
Like you said, the baseballgame, like that was a lot of
fun.
Then we did like the Red Rockshike, like yeah, so like it was
a lot of like three days, butlike that's what you want,
right?
For sure.
SPEAKER_01 (14:33):
Well, and that's like you know the ability for us
to bring people together in onearea, learn about what you like,
what you didn't like about thepast season, what we can do
better for the upcoming season.
And yeah, when you have hyperice, howwees, IQ bar, good wipes
sending products, it's like,okay, how can we eliminate the
(14:54):
needs of you guys when you'rehere on site so that you can
just focus on training andhaving a good time?
SPEAKER_00 (14:59):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
And man, we have to highlight, shout out to Lander
and Aleni for the work that theydo.
Lander originally started, hewas LDC talent before we became
Cook Stark Management, and hewas just hockey players.
SPEAKER_00 (15:13):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:13):
And obviously, we met, saw, highlighted some of
his athletes, and was like, hey,why don't we do this for all
athletes, not just hockeyplayers?
Because all women can benefitfrom this.
Absolutely.
Obviously, we add Eleni,director of hockey ops.
She's now director of athleteoperations, actually.
With all the expansions that youtalk about, you know, we uh
(15:34):
perks of having a lawyer on theteam.
But now we, you know, wecontinue to scale, right?
And it's again, I said itbefore, but I'll say it again,
it's a testament to you guys onthe ice, on the court, on the
field, performing, giving us anopportunity to go and advocate
on your behalf, right?
And that's not an easy task todo, especially in this day and
age when brands claim to beputting lots of dollars into
(15:56):
women's sports, but in reality,as we all know, that's not quite
the case yet.
But we're seeing improvements,and baby steps is all we can ask
for.
But I do have a couple questionsthat I got Eleni to send me
because you know she's got someinsider information on you.
And I do want to know if youwere to perform an art heist
(16:18):
right now, and you had to pickthree of your closest either
friends or previous teammates tocomplete this art heist with,
who would you be bringing along?
SPEAKER_00 (16:28):
Okay.
First one is an easy one, andit's perfect because she also is
a CSM athlete, actually.
Nemo Nubarova.
I met her when I played atProvidence Hill.
We played one year Providencetogether.
We did our grad year there, andwe just became really close
friends.
And honestly, I think like everytime like one of us has a crazy
(16:50):
idea or had a crazy idea in thepast, like the other one is just
like jumps right on board withit and is like, yeah, let's do
it.
Like, I'm down, let's let's justdo it, whatever.
Like, screw everything else.
Like so, I think that would befirst of all a lot of fun.
It would probably be a littlebit scary because we're I don't
know, just like being silly,yeah.
But definitely her.
(17:12):
And then one of my other reallygood friends, also Cook Stark
athlete, Francie Feldmeyer,played with her, played with her
on Team Germany.
I played with her growing upever since we started together
pretty much.
I was six years old, that's whenI met her.
She's a year younger, and soI've known her forever.
(17:33):
She is also down to do anythingcrazy, but I think she has she
would have like a good idea howto like actually solve the
problem too.
Like obviously we're trying to,yeah, we're trying to get
somewhere with this too, right?
Like we're not trying to getcaught.
SPEAKER_01 (17:45):
Yeah, for sure.
Yeah, you gotta be agile, adapt.
SPEAKER_00 (17:48):
Yeah.
And actually, now that I thinkabout it, you know what?
Who else who else I'm gonna add?
It's not a teammate, but I'mgonna add Lenny.
Oh.
Because she's gonna get us outof it.
SPEAKER_01 (17:57):
True.
Yeah, if you do get caught,yeah.
Yeah, she'll talk to them and belike, listen, it was extenuating
circumstances.
We need to, we needed to grabthe artwork.
SPEAKER_00 (18:05):
It was she'll manage.
Yeah, yeah.
Anytime there's a slightproblem, I'll just reach out to
her.
So that's true.
SPEAKER_01 (18:12):
You and I both, you know?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're in the same position.
That's awesome.
One of the pieces that I wantedto bring up at some point with
you was obviously you are thenational starting goalie for the
German hockey team, but you arecurrently the backup in Montreal
for the Victor.
(18:33):
We've talked about goalieshaving mindset, mental issues,
depending on who you ask.
What goes into the preparationfor either being a starter or
the backup for you specifically?
Are there different adjustmentsthat you make prior to going
into those games?
How do you handle that?
SPEAKER_00 (18:51):
I think what I found really important for myself, and
really helpful actually, which II don't know if it would work
for everybody, but maybe thiscould be advice to some people,
maybe not to everyone.
Yeah.
Just like I see it as likeeverything it's still all just
hockey.
Like I play hockey because Ilove hockey.
(19:12):
I love playing hockey.
Every single day, every singlepractice, there's something that
I will find enjoyable about it,right?
Yeah.
And so I think at some point ofmy career, I believe it was in
college at some point, likethere's even then there's times
where like I didn't play asmuch, maybe, or like I didn't
perform the way I wanted to.
And I found, I want to say,like, a switch that I was just
(19:34):
like, okay, it's really not thatdeep.
Like, it is just hockey, like,it's not the end of the world.
SPEAKER_01 (19:39):
If something happens, like we always ask
goalies who they love to get toto play against, specifically,
whether they like stoppingsomeone or whether they like
having someone shoot on them inparticular.
Do you have anyone that you loveto play against?
SPEAKER_00 (19:56):
Yes.
And it actually started with myfirst worlds.
I was a third goalie, but forcrazy events.
Well, our first goalie gotinjured.
I ended up on the bench when weplayed against Canada.
And with the record that Germanyhad back then against Canada,
hopefully it will be differentnow.
There was literally no chance ofus ever like having a chance,
(20:18):
even.
So I was told before the gamethere's a chance that you will
play the third period, andthat's what happened.
We were down 5-0 after thesecond.
So I played the third period,phased 25 shots, got scored on
twice.
That's okay.
But it was honestly like thecoolest experience to play
against like Poolin, Stacy,Spooner, Nurse, like all these
(20:40):
like big names that like backthen, like I just watched them
and I was like, these are likethe superstars of like women's
hockey, right?
And like, and they still are,but just now it's like a
different perspective becausenow they're my teammates.
For sure.
Or like I play against them likeon a more like regular basis.
SPEAKER_01 (20:57):
Yeah, they're colleagues.
SPEAKER_00 (20:58):
Yeah, so it's crazy, but obviously back then, and
like Pooh, like, I mean,everyone knows like she's she is
the best player in hockey andwomen's hockey right now, and
like now she's on my team, and Iget to face her like every
single day.
And honestly, like I've actuallysaid this to my goalie coach
last year, like, if I can stopPooh's shot on like this
(21:19):
specific situation, I'llprobably be fine with most other
people.
SPEAKER_01 (21:22):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (21:23):
Maybe that sounds a little bit weird, but like
that's just like because she isso good at it that I'm like, I
love playing against her or likefacing her shots because it will
make me that much better.
SPEAKER_01 (21:32):
If you have Alexander Ovechkin shooting on
you from his corner spot andhe's not able to score, you have
confidence going up againstanyone else, knowing that he's
one of the best.
I literally this past weekendwas playing against Megan
Augusta at the Cinux Alumna,Canuck's Autism Network event,
and she scored on me.
So, past guest of the pod,episode 200, for those who are
(21:56):
wondering or want to listen toanother women's hockey episode.
That was humbling because again,one of the best women's hockey
players to ever put on skates.
And it's crazy because peoplewill watch hockey now and say,
oh, PWHL, NHL, there's still agap.
It's apples to oranges.
There's, you know, there'sdifferences, obviously.
But man, was she phenomenal onskates?
(22:16):
And I can't wait for next yearwhen I get to come out to camp,
throw on the gear, and get litup by some of our clients too.
It would have helped you thisyear, giving you guys a bit of a
break.
SPEAKER_00 (22:25):
Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_01 (22:25):
Because you guys needed it, but hey, well, we
live and we learn next yearit'll be that much better.
I've got I I skated with uhPavel Barber out in uh Toronto a
couple years ago, and I'm like,I want to get a bunch of past
guests of the podcast out tocome play with like clients and
stuff, whether we're playinghockey, whether we're playing
golf, whatever.
(22:46):
It's like I think that part ofthe whole CSM experience could
be cool too, because you know,there's no reason why when we're
down in Denver, we go watch ayou know baseball game and then
we go golf, right?
And like we we go playpickleball.
Like everyone's an athlete,everyone can play to some
degree, like you said.
Maybe we're not the best atpickleball, but you can still
hit it around, right?
SPEAKER_00 (23:07):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01 (23:07):
I uh I think that there's a world where the agency
space can be improved, upgraded,and allow for there to be so
much more benefits for you as anathlete to be a part of an
organization like CSM.
I think that's what like Landerand Alani and I have been
striving for.
Ryan, Claire, everyone elsewho's involved.
(23:28):
It's you know, we're trying tomake sure that you guys get the
same opportunities that us guyshave been given for decades,
right?
And I think when you have againbrands like Perfect Sports who
start supporting brands likeLactigo, who are already working
with uh Kirsten Campbell, butwe're gonna get you set up with
some as well.
My boy Barry, he's in Kelowna.
(23:48):
We met him at Kelowna HockeyFest.
Everyone's using this stuff.
I don't know, you said youhaven't seen it yet, but guys
like Leon and Davo are out therethrowing that on 30 minutes
before the game, and it's crazythe benefits.
They just actually had a studyreleased, apparently it's like
10 to 12% improvement in uhabilities.
It basically just eliminatesyour body's process of creating
(24:11):
lactic acid, if I'm not goingtoo basic with it, and carnosin
gets thrown into the old musclesand it eliminates that.
So cool.
Again, very basic level, butalmost similar in the sense
where if you're adding thingslike creatine, lactico to your
system, you're getting thatlittle bit of an extra edge.
And as an athlete, that's allyou can ask for, right?
SPEAKER_00 (24:31):
Oh, absolutely.
All the little things.
SPEAKER_01 (24:33):
Yeah, what are what are some of those little things
that you maybe add to yourrepertoire that most don't?
Are there anything specific?
Do you cold plunge?
Do you sauna?
Are you stretching for six hoursa night?
Like, is there anything specificthat you do that maybe most
don't?
SPEAKER_00 (24:48):
I honestly am gonna go a completely different route
with it.
Okay.
No, I don't cold plunge, I don'tlove it.
I don't really go to the sauna.
I should stretch more than Iprobably do.
I think what's important for meis to just completely get away
from it.
SPEAKER_01 (25:03):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (25:04):
So just like turn your brain off from hockey.
SPEAKER_01 (25:06):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (25:06):
Obviously, it's not gonna work all day, every day.
But I think it's like importantfor me to like have a few
minutes at least, if it only isthat much, like to just be like,
no, like that's not my onlyidentity.
SPEAKER_01 (25:21):
Right.
SPEAKER_00 (25:22):
You know, and that's kind of to get back to what I
was saying earlier, like it isjust hockey.
Like, yeah, you're not gonna doit for your whole entire life.
If realistically, if you thinkabout it, it's gonna be a small
portion of your life, actually.
SPEAKER_01 (25:33):
Yeah, for sure.
10, 15, 20% of it.
Like, right?
SPEAKER_00 (25:37):
Yeah, so there's so much more, and I think that's
really, really important to me.
It's like there, I don't want tobe just a hockey player.
Right now, I am, it feels likeI'm just a hockey player, but to
my friends, I'm not just ahockey player.
To most people that probablyjust know me from hockey,
obviously that's that's all theysee, and that's okay.
But that too, like with if Icreate content, like with the
(25:58):
content that I do create, likeI'm that kind of gives people a
glimpse of like how I who Iactually am as a person too.
Like, I want to be authentic,like I don't want to take things
too seriously, like you know,like I make things because I
think they're funny or likethey're cool or whatever.
I'm not trying to put like aface on just to like portray a
different picture of myself.
SPEAKER_01 (26:16):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Well, and I think that's whyyour content has resonated with
so many people.
That's why you're starting tosee some momentum and scale in
that social media realm becausewe talked about it before, but
like the requ the requirementsof a professional athlete now
are not just to go out andperform on the ice.
It's hey, now I have to createcontent for the brands that I'm
working with.
Now I have to make sure thateveryone on the back end is
(26:38):
taken care of, that I havetickets sorted for the people
who are coming to watch thegames.
Like it's not just going outstopping pucks as much as people
like to break it down and thinkit's that's how simple it is.
So for you to be able to havedone all of this, again, only
playing your position for 10years, is an amazing testament
to how hard you work.
I'm very proud to be able tocall you a friend, be able to go
(27:01):
watch you perform when you'rehere in Vancouver, down in
Denver.
But more than anything, I thinkI also like the fact that you
are chilling, just like a normalperson.
I think honestly, goalies get abad rep.
I've had I've had a dozen plusgoalies on this show in
particular over the past sixyears, and I can confidently
say, and maybe that's becauseI'm a goalie myself, but we're
(27:23):
all pretty cool individuals.
Maybe we got some little quirks,we got some intricacies, but at
the end of the day, I thinkthat's what makes us all human
beings.
Yeah.
And I always like to wrap upthese episodes by asking our
guests the biggest piece ofadvice.
Having already heard you say itonce, I can't wait for the folks
listening to hear you say itagain because it leaves a nice
(27:44):
touch on this episode.
This being the 270th, 271st, wedon't even know right now.
SPEAKER_00 (27:51):
Yeah, my biggest advice, and it's a little cheesy
quote actually, that Eleni justthrew my way the other day, and
I love it because it's perfectfor how I think about things,
what I believe in, and it'sdon't dream small dreams.
Just keep believing, keepdreaming, keep coming up with
like the craziest ideas, evenlike as long as you believe in
(28:13):
it, and as long as you obviouslywork hard for it, there's gonna
be ups and downs, there's gonnabe not so fun moments, like all
that is part of it.
Just like honestly embrace itand keep working on it.
And if you believe it, then Ithink you can do it.
SPEAKER_01 (28:28):
I love it.
I'm I hadn't seen that quoteuntil I saw Starter send us the
draft mock-ups of yourmerchandise that we're gonna be
selling on CSM's website.
We're gonna be promoting theheck out of it.
We're gonna see it in the arenashere all across Canada, North
America, worldwide with yourGerman fans.
Totally.
Actually, before we leave, weneed to talk about your super
(28:51):
fan that was in Ottawa that cameto watch you play, or came to
watch that was a PWHL draft lastyear.
We were in Ottawa, and therewere two super fans in Ottawa
that were literally waiting foryou.
They they were like, We need tofind out who and where Sandy is,
and they had a Lenny likeconnect you.
SPEAKER_00 (29:13):
Really?
SPEAKER_01 (29:13):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You have you have some of, ifnot the most passionate fans in
the PWHL in Ottawa stillsupporting you.
They're probably from Montrealnow.
They're gonna be, they mighthave moved there.
SPEAKER_00 (29:25):
Yeah, I know who you are.
You know, yeah, yeah, yeah,yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:27):
That is, yo, that's saying something.
SPEAKER_00 (29:30):
I guess, yeah.
And honestly, I don't know whatI did to deserve it, but I'll
take it.
SPEAKER_01 (29:33):
Hey, hey, you're doing something right.
Keep doing that.
Shout out to Perfect Sports forsponsoring this episode to
Pioneer, Alder Grove, Lactico,no free ads.
They don't sponsor us yet, butwe're working on it.
And no, this is walking homewith all of these.
You don't have to walk too far,but you're gonna have to make
sure you're stocked up onsupplements.
(29:55):
Sandra, can't thank you enough.
This has been the episode 271stepisode.
on the athletes podcast we didit twice we'll see you folks
next week for another new onebye bye
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