"I hugely enjoy the perspective as a player and the rewards of passing that on," he said. "Goalies have it tough, as most coaches don't offer much insight other than to 'keep your stick down and stand tall to fill the net.' That's essentially what they see at the pro level. Watching young kids just standing there, barely moving – getting scored on, and being frustrated, I felt compelled to help develop young goalies to play the position the way it was meant to be played. I'm equipping them with the foundational mechanics to make the expected saves and the highlight-reel saves to expand their joy, skills, and comprehension. The 'stand-there stick-down' goalies simply will not be as capable."

Eliuk's latest venture was launching the USBOXLA Goalie Academy. His latest stop was on Feb. 14 at The Rinks Irvine in Irvine, Calif. A dozen kids attended the four-hour session at the 2025 Western Regional Box Lacrosse Championship, which USBOXLA hosted. 

Eliuk's philosophy is simple, and he crafted it over the decades he spent as the preeminent goaltender in the National Lacrosse League and Western Lacrosse Association. He played in an era with slim leg pads and narrow chest pads, relying on his instincts and reflexes to stop the ball. His confidence and leadership helped him backstop the NLL's Philadelphia Wings to four titles and two NLL Championship Game MVP awards.

"If you can see it, you can save it," he said. "Use whatever means necessary to stop the ball. It's important to have a short memory and to continuously re-focus on 'The Moment.' In goal, you will, at some point, be scored on. This is not a failure. Don't beat yourself up; let that moment pass and be centered for the next shot. Never get too high or low. Focus on the process, not the outcome. Enjoy the rhythm, the pace, the adrenaline, the challenge of it."

Two of the academy's recent standouts were 14-year-old Paul Moore and 11-year-old Ian Workman. Both youngsters were eager to learn and improve their box lacrosse goaltending skills.

"The most valuable lessons I have taken away from the Goalie Academy are how to play the ball carrier behind the goal, how to defend against the crease dive/dunk, and how to play the ball off the end boards," said Moore.

"I like being taught how to move to my top glove side and top stick side," said Workman. "Also, the emphasis is on tracking the ball and being explosive through the shot."

The Goalie Academy was a concept Eliuk and USBOXLA co-founder and president Shaydon Santos had conceived years ago.

"There was a 'Goalie Station' at the Player Academy a few years ago," said Eliuk. "Shaydon and I agreed that a focused tangential Goalie Academy would greatly benefit goalies and their unique needs and training. Moving forward, we will introduce an overnight Goalie School with video analysis, etc."

Eliuk envisions that one day, through his USBOXLA Goalie Academy, the Americans will raise the cup at Worlds. In the box game, Canadian and First Nations players have dominated the goalie position at the professional and international levels. In fact, the last American-born goalie who logged any substantial minutes in the NLL was Erik Miller, back in 2006. Eliuk plans to change that norm with elite-level instruction, developing a new generation of elite-level US goaltenders.

"The biggest gap between Canadian and American box players is the goalie position, which happens to be the most important position in the game," said Eliuk.

For those eager to join the goalie revolution, the next Goalie Academy will be held Thursday, July 31 at the Silver Creek Sportsplex, San Jose, Calif. The four-hour session is open to all ages. All goalies who register for the USBOXLA Goalie Academy get FREE access to the USBOXLA Player Academy, taking place after the USBOXLA Goalie Academy.

For more information, please visit USBOXLA.com or Eliuk's Instagram page, @godofgoaltending.