RIT alumna Julia Takatsuka is helping grow youth hockey and reshape goaltending development across the Pacific Northwest

Rochester, New York – Hockey has long been seen as a tradition-rich sport rooted in cold climates and old-school thinking. But in the growing hockey landscape of the Pacific Northwest, change is on the ice — and one of its most influential voices comes not from a Hall of Fame background, but from an art school education and a fierce commitment to grassroots growth.

Julia Takatsuka, a 2018 graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology’s graphic design program, is quietly transforming the hockey world from behind the crease. A native of Washington state, she is coaching with the Seattle Kraken’s Youth Hockey Association and simultaneously serving as Goalie Development Coordinator for USA Hockey’s Pacific District — an influential role that reaches across Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

Her journey to this position, like a skilled deke, defies all expectations.

Takatsuka didn’t play in the NCAA or skate professionally. Instead, she focused on education, finding her creative voice at RIT while staying connected to the sport she loved. “RIT helped me to think outside the box,” she said. “I found myself in that creative sense, and it helped me as I got into coaching.”

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While studying design in Rochester, she stayed active in sports through RIT’s Crew team and also found her way back onto the ice with a local women’s hockey team. But coaching wasn’t in the plan — at least not initially.

“I never thought I’d coach,” she admitted. “I didn’t want to work with kids at the time. I got pulled in and paired with a goalie coach, and suddenly I was using all these tools I’d learned in design to connect with kids, meeting them where they are, and helping them embrace all the boring aspects of training. It all fell into place.”

That unlikely pairing set off a chain reaction. Her creative approach to coaching — one that valued communication, emotional intelligence, and accessibility — quickly gained notice. By 2020, she had taken on the role of Female Goaltending Development Coordinator for Western Washington.

Then came a once-in-a-lifetime chance: the launch of the Seattle Kraken in 2021, the NHL’s newest franchise and the first in the Pacific Northwest.

“I felt like I was in the right place at the right time,” Takatsuka said.

In the newly energized Seattle hockey community, she found a platform to build something new — not just a development pipeline, but a rethinking of how goaltending could be introduced to young players. Under her guidance, accessibility became a cornerstone of the Kraken’s youth hockey programs.

She helped introduce “quick change” gear for beginners, allowing kids to try goaltending without a big financial commitment. That simple shift helped open the door to players who might never have considered stepping into the crease.

And her innovations didn’t stop at the rink door. Takatsuka also introduced a three-pillar educational model for players, coaches, and parents, ensuring that everyone involved understood the unique challenges and needs of young goaltenders. That cultural shift — treating goalies not as outliers, but as integral parts of the team with specialized support — has proven transformative.

The results speak for themselves. The program has exploded in size, expanding from just six teams to 37 in only four years. Over 50 young goalies now have their own gear. Her weekly clinics routinely attract players from out of state, including from as far as Alaska and Idaho. And the attention hasn’t gone unnoticed: Takatsuka’s efforts have been highlighted by both USA Hockey and the NHL.

In 2024, she earned gold level training certification from USA Hockey — one of only 30 individuals to do so — and was invited to present her thesis at the first-ever USA Hockey National Goaltending Symposium. In a sport where women, especially queer women, are underrepresented in coaching, her presence alone is quietly revolutionary.

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“They love to come out and make signs and support,” Takatsuka said, reflecting on the young athletes who cheer for her at community events like the Seattle Pride Classic. “They’re like, ‘you’re so good,’ and I’m like ‘I’m so bad!’ But it’s great to see them.”

Despite the growing accolades and recognition, Takatsuka remains grounded. She’s not in it for the headlines. She’s in it to make a difference — on the ice and off.

“For a while, I tried to not think about it in that way,” she said of her visibility as a queer woman in a male-dominated sport. “For me it’s just trying to help grow the knowledge of the position and the game and be a good role model for them.”

And that’s exactly what she’s doing. Through a mix of creativity, empathy, and strategic thinking, Julia Takatsuka is changing the face of hockey in the Pacific Northwest. In a sport that often prizes pedigree over perspective, she’s proving that there’s more than one way to build a legacy. From the RIT design studio to the Seattle rink, her story is a reminder that passion, patience, and persistence can be just as powerful as a slap shot.