USA Hockey Magazine

O F F W I N G 3 B E Y O N D T H E X ' S A N D O ' S Develop measurable standards or goals for each game to see where progress is made and what are the greatest areas that need improvement. g By Keith Allain 22 // JUNE/JULY 2019 Goalie Issue goaltender in hockey is the sin- gle most important position in all of team sports. Still, many coaches are uncomfortable working with their goalies. We have all been to clinics and listened to great discussions regarding the technical aspects of goaltending. Hopefully this discussion will give you some concrete practical appli- cations to improve the skills of goal- tenders of all ages and skill levels. Skating S k a t i n g i s t h e s i n g l e m o s t i mp or t a nt s k i l l for pl ay i n g g o a l . W h i l e y o u m a y n o t l o g a s m a n y miles around the rink as a for ward or defenseman, a goaltender's skating sk ills a re essentia l in play ing well between the pipes. Coaches need to help their goa l- t ender s w it h t hei r s k at i n g e v er y day. That can be done through drills or throug h exercises that improve movement around the crease. A goalie must be able to move well w h i le m a i nt a i n i ng a go o d " r e ady position," minimizing any holes for a shooter to aim at. Concentrate on quality repetitions to create proper muscle memory. Positioning A s l i d i n g t w o - p a d s a v e o r lung ing glove save may look f lash- ier t ha n a shot t hat is d r i l led i nto a goa ltender 's midsection, but it 's likely caused by poor positioning. A well-positioned goa lie has a better chance of being hit by a shot. You w a nt you r goa l ie to be cen- tered, square and out on an angle. Yo u mu s t b e c on s t a nt l y a w a r e of your goa lie's positioning during g a m e s a n d pr a c t ic e s , a n d c r e at e drills that work on stay ing squa re to the shooter. Make Practice "Goalie Friendly" A proper wa r m up is i mpor t a nt . St a r t g a me s a nd pr ac t ic e s w it h drills that help a goaltender get loose a nd ga in conf idence. Remember, warm up drills are meant to warm up the goaltender, not to practice goal scoring. Tell your skaters to get their shots on net. M a ke sho ot i n g d r i l l s a s g a me l i ke a s possible. P rov ide t r a f f ic , rebound oppor tunities, shooters under pressure w ith options, and c o m p e t i t i o n . Yo u r w h o l e t e a m w i l l b en e f i t f r om p r a c t i c i n g i n this manner. Help Your Goalie Evaluate His/Her Performance Believe it or not, there are valuable lessons to be learned when giving up a goal. Take advantage of them by ta lk ing w ith your goa ltenders a b o u t w h a t t h e y d i d r i g h t a n d w r ong on t he play. A goa lt ender m ay h ave exe c ut e d a l l t he r ig ht moves, put hersel f i n t he proper position to make the save and then forgot to close t he f ive-hole. It 's impor ta nt to stress the positives as well as point out the negatives. Encourage an honest dialogue to get your goalie thinking about and questioning her thought process. A na ly ze sit uat ions t hat a rose i n the game. W hat did the goalie see? W hat, if any thing, might she have done differently? Develop measurable sta nda rds o r g o a l s f o r e a c h g a m e t o s e e where progress is made and what the g reatest a rea s a re that need improvement. Develop A Work Ethic G o a lt ender s ' work et h ic i s o f t e n o v e r l o o k e d . M a n y t i m e s c o a c h e s a l l o w t h e i r g o a l i e s t o b e l a z y. It 's you r r e s p on si bi l it y to dema nd consistenc y i n ter m s of ef for t. You r go a l ie mu s t b e t he t e a m le ader i n set t i ng t he work st a n- dards for the team. By competing h a r d for ever y shot , you r goa l ie cha llenges his or her tea mmates t o b e b et t er e ver y d ay, a nd a l s o improves his or her own skills. P Keith Allain is a former goaltender at Yale University who is now in his 19th season as the head coach at his alma mater. Five Ideas To Improve Your Goaltending PHOTO BY Harry Thompson A 2 3 4 5 1

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