Testimonials
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HGKA Athlete spotlight
Bryan Ramirez Rodriguez
His recent accolades include:
Club Ohio National-
“Ive been working with Hillsy since I was about 12, Since then my growth as a goalkeeper has exponentially sky rocketed. I really enjoy training with Hillsy because in his trainings he has a great way of implementing real situations that happen in games. His trainings are very high intensity which is the perfect environment to grow in and compete in. Hillsy has great communication in terms of helping goalkeepers to learn and grow from their mistakes. He is good at understanding and getting to know players as athletes and as people. His main goal is to help goalkeepers become the best they can be and reach their full potential. Him working year round helps because you can get work in during the off-season, keeping your skills and mind sharp to prepare for the upcoming season. In the sessions there are high standards that keepers should seek to reach and maintain which creates a great mentality and helps you grow. He works with all ages and can help your children become the best goalkeepers they can be. For any parents or any goalkeepers that really want to play at the top levels and be the best they can, I recommend you guys start training with Hillsy as soon as possible!”
See what the pros & players say
"Training with Hillsy Goalkeeper Academy has had a huge impact on my development as a goalkeeper and as a person. Hillsy has also played a significant role in inspiring me to pursue a career in goalkeeper coaching myself. Through his professionalism, passion, and commitment to player development, he showed me what great coaching looks like and helped shape the way I view the game and the coaching profession.
What sets Hillsy apart is that his training goes far beyond traditional goalkeeper drills and isolated technical exercises. Every session is designed to replicate real game situations, where goalkeepers are constantly challenged to make decisions under pressure and react to unpredictable scenarios. Rather than focusing solely on rehearsed movements and technical repetitions, he creates realistic game environments that develop tactical awareness, decision-making, and the ability to solve problems in real time. This approach prepares goalkeepers for the demands of actual competition, where performance is determined by the decisions you make and the actions you take in the moment. At the end of the day, performance on game day is what matters most, and Hillsy consistently bridges the gap between training and match performance.
Another aspect that makes Hillsy Goalkeeper Academy special is the emphasis on the mental side of the game. Hillsy is much more than a goalkeeper coach—he is a mentor. He genuinely cares about the people he works with and creates an environment where athletes feel comfortable having open and honest conversations. Whether it is building confidence, overcoming setbacks, dealing with pressure, or developing resilience, he provides valuable guidance that helps goalkeepers become mentally stronger and better equipped to perform at their best.
I would highly recommend Hillsy Goalkeeper Academy to any goalkeeper looking to take their game to the next level."
"I have worked with Nick for many years now, he is a top level coach and an even better person."
Domestic Playing Career:
2002–2006 -Columbus Crew 84
2007–2009 -Chicago Fire 63
2010–2014 -San Jose Earthquakes 150
2015-Chicago Fire 12
2016–2017 -Indy Eleven 59
Total 473
International Playing Career:
2005 United States 1
Managerial Career:
2022- Hibernian (goalkeeping)
2023– Pittsburgh Riverhounds (goalkeeping)
"Training with Hillsy for the past 2 years has been a great experience. I transferred in to Ohio Dominican University from a D1 and was hoping to have solid training, and Hillsy was willing and ready to help as soon as I got there. His sessions helped me to slow down the game and analyze key movements that were game realistic. After my senior season at Ohio Dominican University, I was transitioning into playing professionally overseas. The months leading up to my move to South America, I was on the field with Hillsy and a group of goalkeepers that he had brought in previously. This experience was monumental for my development going into a harsh environment where I'd eventually take on the job as the number 1 GK in our rotation. A big part of my development was Hillsy creating a professional environment with the other goalkeepers where the standard was high and everyone was pushing each other to get better with each rep. He helped me not only on the physical aspect of goalkeeping, but also on the mental aspect of my game. I would highly recommend Hillsy for professional training that will help you sharpen the skills you already have and develop the skills you lack."
"Hillsy runs some of the highest level training sessions in central Ohio. He provides a wide variety of sessions from basic handling sessions, to game realistic 1v1s, standard shot blocking, crosses, whilst incorporating distribution. As an aspiring pro, the off season is the time where growth happened the most for me, being in with Hillsy helped me to grow as a player in all aspects of my game. Hillsy has a special knack for building the mental side of the game which I really dig. Whether that’s working through mental blocks or just building overall mentality, he’s always making himself available to chat to help you grow your game. If you’re a goalkeeper of any age within the area looking to grow your game, Hillsy is the man, I’d highly recommend getting involved!!"
"Training with Hillsy gave me a fresh and elite perspective of my own goalkeeping game. As a Division I collegiate goalkeeper, staying sharp year-round is a non-negotiable and my decision to seek outside counsel to help with this could not have been a better one. With Hillsy I was not only able to keep my game very sharp but also my mental game was stimulated to where I felt like I was getting game realistic reps in a smaller group setting. Hillsy is excellent at painting tactical pictures and replicating realistic situations within his sessions, which for top level college goalkeepers like myself is refreshing to see in a space where a lot of group sessions just turn into mindless repetition. Any top level older keepers should 100% consult the services of Hillsy to start to become more well rounded goalkeepers with elite pitch intelligence.
Hillsy is also an excellent communicator, which because of how well his sessions are run, allows for an elite learning environment for younger, developing keepers. The intellectual nature of his sessions paired with how good of an instructor he is has younger goalkeepers learning, applying, and mastering more advanced concepts at an earlier age. He is so incredibly invested in each one of his players' individual skillsets and instills confidence in each of his players as there is nothing that they will see in matches that they haven’t already seen within his sessions. I fully recommend parents of younger keepers to send their kids to Hillsy for the perfect learning environment.
Hillsy has created a community that will only continue to grow and any goalkeepers looking to expand their games should jump on the train now and get involved!"
"I have now been training with Hillsy for 2 years. Within just those 2 years I have become the best version of myself as a goalkeeper and have learned so much. He has helped shape me into not only a good goalkeeper but has helped me gain confidence both on and off the field.
The community and culture that he has built is unlike any other goalkeeping training I have experienced. The people that Hillsy decides to bring into his sessions are the most elite, dedicated and talented goalkeepers around. Many of them have also become my best friends. Hillsy is not the only coach in every session, the goalkeepers around me constantly push and challenge each other to improve. Hillsy has built a group of goalkeepers that push each other mentally and physically, which helps every goalkeeper reach a higher level.
These sessions provide the best community and also best teaching. Hillsy's coaching is intelligent, detailed, and empowering. He coaches with a calm presence that allows us to learn while still pushing us to improve with every catch, save, and decision we make. His sessions are realistic, competitive, and this makes it so exciting for us to show up to training every single day. Hillsy has illustrated to me what it's like to be a leader. This has pushed me in my everyday life and in my game to become someone who's a better leader and competitor.
What makes Hillsy stand out most is the genuine investment he has in each goalkeeper’s development. He takes the time to understand every player’s strengths and areas for growth, and he is committed to helping each person reach their full potential.
I would highly recommend Hillsy to any goalkeeper who is serious about improving their game. The coaching, community, and culture he has built have had a huge impact on my development, and I'm so grateful to be a part of it."
"Training under Coach Hillsy for the past 8 years has been an awesome blessing. He has transformed me completely, not only as an athlete and goalkeeper, but also as a person. From the very first session, it was clear that Nick had very high-level knowledge of goalkeeping and the game of Soccer as a whole. He also understands the difficulty of the position both physically and mentally. He always gives the most precise and accurate corrections throughout the session, which helps goalkeepers to improve their game and be the best they can be. Besides corrections, he also makes sure you are prepared for your matches and will answer any questions about a match that you have. He has helped me out on numerous occasions with certain situations in matches that I was uncertain of the solution to, and has corrected so many of my mistakes. He has truly increased my level of goalkeeping dramatically.
Beyond his expertise of the game and goalkeeping, Coach Hillsy has built a great community and support system for all of the goalkeepers he is training. Some of my experiences being a goalkeeper have been defeating, but Hillsy and the other keepers have always been there to support me through it. Along with this, Hillsy and other goalkeepers are also constantly pushing me to be the best goalie possible, but in a supportive way. This has improved my level tremendously and pushed me to the next level for soccer. The sense of belonging in a group and the network of help through many other goalkeepers is a great, unique experience.
The trait that sets Coach Hillsy apart from others, is his unwavering passion for every goalkeeper that shows up to a session. He always has the highest expectations for the goalkeepers in every session, and his energy at every session is infectious. He plans every session with the goalkeepers in mind and wants to improve him the best that he can. Examples of his great passion are celebrating the achievements that I have made and giving constructive criticism to every goalkeeper at every session. Having an accomplished coach of this caliber on my side for nearly a decade has improved my skills tremendously and instilled the traits of grit and resilience. I have also made memories with Coach Hillsy that I will never forget. Any goalkeepers looking for a major increase in skill and technique should contact Coach Hillsy!"
"I started working with Hillsy two years ago and he has been a great help with taking my game to the next level. He helped me improve my overall game and added special focus on distribution and decision-making in the goal. Hillsy’s small group sessions allowed me to receive specific coaching points as the session would go on. Also Most of his sessions consisted of game-like scenarios and live reps which forced you to think as the reps went on like you have to do in game situations. As I progressed, Hillsy put me in groups with higher level goalkeepers to push me physically and mentally and get me prepared for the next level. Aside from Hillsy's amazing training session he also has connections with coaches at the next level and is able to help you get your foot in the door to achieve those goals of getting to the next level.
For any young goalkeeper, who is really serious about improving their game I would 100% recommend working with Hillsy so you can get in a really high-level training environment, get pushed physically and mentally, and also build your goalkeeper intelligence to really stand out at the level you're at.
I am very proud of being a part of the goalkeeper union Hillsy has produced and I'm excited for the future."
"I have been working with Hillsy for almost a year now and I can safely say he has changed my game for the better. As a Division 1 Goalkeeper, being able to train game-realistic movements and actions can be challenging outside of college, but with Hillsy he will always find a way to incorporate them. He studies the game really well and knows how to develop every single goalkeeper no matter what their strengths or weaknesses are. Hillsy has transformed my game and allowed me to grow to levels that I did not know I could push myself to.
One other big part of Hillsy's sessions is the fact that they are a small group, 4–6 people max. This is the most beneficial because you get constant reps, and you also have time in between sets to give yourself feedback and know what changes you need to make the next rep better. Hillsy gives you that time on your own to help change your mental game by telling yourself what to do and how to respond to actions. Overall, any goalkeeper who is looking to excel in the goalkeeping position and get into the community, I would recommend Hillsy a thousand times out of a thousand."
"Hillsy has truly changed the type of Goalkeeper I am. Training with Hillsy gives a distinct focus on technique, communication and presence in the goal. With Hillsy’s technical approach, I have gained more confidence in the goal and in myself throughout working with them.
The professionalism that Hillsy takes and approach to every session is one of a kind. Every session is planned out thought through and set up for each individual Goalkeeper success. He sets the standard from minute one and make sure the standard never drops below the intended level.
Hillsy’s communication is also one of a kind. The feedback and insight he gives is in my opinion, one of the most important parts of the session. Through my experience, this is why I transformed my game the most. Learning from him working with him, adjusting with him. Being receptive of Hillsy’s words it’s just as important as the work itself with the intelligence he possesses.
Hillsy's experience is also another vital weapon in his locker. This goes along with communication wherever there’s a situation that might be in a great area. He always seems to have an answer for those difficult moments.
The last and most special thing about Hillsy I can say is the environment he creates. With Hillsy the camaraderie with all the goalkeepers in good vibes in the session is a one of a kind community where everybody pushes each other and makes each other better. This I believe is the most special thing about training with Hillsy as it takes more than one to grow. With Hillsy, everybody contributes to a good environment and everybody grows together."