Ira Lerman
At a young age, Ira knew he wanted to be a goalie. With his parents working, Ira had to find a way to get to the rink and back. He so desperately wanted to tend goal and knew the only way to get himself to the rink was to walk.
Traveling wasn’t the only issue, as money was tight and goalie equipment was expensive. So, he did what many of us did when we first started out… improvise. A used catcher’s mitt became his goalie catch glove. Thick cardboard taped to a work glove transformed into a blocker. Pads, I believe, he was lucky to get very used. Usually, this type of gear was something we’d wear for street hockey. For Ira, it was designated to ward off pucks shot along the ice.
With the high school team announcing tryouts, Ira, manned with determination and ingenuity, would trudge out into the snow to begin his long walk to the rink. While I don’t believe he made the team, it didn’t stop him from his calling, playing whenever a goalie was needed. Hopefully, when he did get called, he got a ride. If he didn’t, he’d throw that bag over his shoulder and begin his trek to the rink.
I’ve had many conversations with him over the years. From gearing up to play a pickup game with him, or a general conversation, his eyes would brighten any time the topic of goaltending was brought up. He’d have a big smile on his face when we’d reminisced about goalie equipment, our childhood heroes in the crease, or anything goaltending-related.
Over the years, wherever life’s path took him, his goalie gear was always by his side. Whether it was teaching, working in the world of finance, or helping to keep the airports safe, he made sure his downtime was filled with days on the ice, stopping pucks.
Good game or not, he always came ready to play. He’d battle right to the end, never giving up on a shot. I can attest, having been the goalie at the other end. On more than one occasion, I’d flash the secret smile under my mask, nodding at a spectacular save he’d make.
Looking back, I realize Ira taught me some very valuable lessons. I didn’t see it at the time, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20 vision.
He’d always say to me, “Don’t worry about something that hasn’t happened yet.” Not just for a game, but life itself. “You’ll go crazy with the ‘What ifs!’” Then he’d look at me and add, “If it hasn’t happened yet, why stress over something that isn’t there.”
The second was the fate of life.
See, he was about to retire soon. Just a few months away. He had so many plans and dreams he wanted to fulfill. Finishing a project his father had started long, long ago, going down to Florida to play golf with his brother, and of course, finally getting to stop all the pucks he wanted with the new goalie gear he’d just acquired.
One day, he wasn’t feeling well. “Just a cough”, he told himself. It progressed. One of his best friends, Jim, told him, “You’d better get to the doctor. Your cough sounds really bad.”
So, he went. He got worse and was put in ICU. He stayed there and no visitors were allowed. The nurse on duty was a long-time friend of his, so she passed along a note I had written. It basically said, “You’re a goalie. You’re tough and can beat this. You’ll be back in your net before you know it, and we’ll have fun skating together.”
Ira knew better. As indestructible as we think we are, thinking we have all the time in the world, he knew.
I won’t forget standing at his service with others who played hockey with him. As I stared at his resting place, I could almost hear him whisper, “Do not put off the things in life you want to do. Act upon them now, as we have only just so much time to do them.”
A month after the service, Jim met with Ira’s son, who gave him his dad’s goalie equipment. There weres four bags containing pads, his mask, gloves, pants, sticks, jerseys, etc. Ira’s mask now proudly hangs in Jim’s home. I was honored to wear his blocker. I’d look down at it before a game started, thinking, “Ok, Ira, let’s go out there and see what we can do today.”
The rest of his gear found its way to netminders who needed pads or gloves. The youngster from so long ago with the baseball catcher’s mitt, in his final moment, made sure goalies had what they needed to play the game we love so much.
