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B ET W E E N T H E P I P ES 18 // OCTOBER 2020 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM P R E S E N T E D B Y GOALIE DRILL OF THE MONTH Sometimes, as goalie coaches, we think we have to do these elaborate things, but this is my favorite warmup drill . Basically, the goalie starts on post in good post position, and using what I call a power stride, (I'm sure most readers will call them T pushes,) the goalie moves to the top of the crease. The coach lets the goalie get set in perfect position and then shoots to the far side where the goalie can make a simple save selection, and then recover to the far post as he or she tracks the puck. It's my favorite drill because the goalie gets to move off the post, get set up, find his or her perfect positioning, make an easy save and track the puck during recovery. V Drill By Alli Altmann BASICS OF COACHING GOALIES A CLICK AWAY USA HOCKEY'S GOALIE NATION has upgraded its Zoom plan to host up to 50 participants for its Bronze level coaching courses. Silver courses will be held in person only and will be based on local Covid-19 protocols. The Gold level course will be held in conjunction with the 2021 National Hockey Coaches Symposium, which is scheduled to take place next August in Duluth, Minn. USA Hockey's goal is to have every coach understand the fundamentals of teaching goaltending. Each Zoom call includes breakout sessions and presentations from Steve Thompson, USA Hockey's ADM manager for goaltending, as well as various goaltending coaches-in-chief and goaltending development coordinators. Attendance and participation are required for a coach to earn credit. GOALIE TERMS THAT COUNT Six-Hole: The space created between the stick arm and body when the stick paddle is too large or when the goalie "rolls" the stick arm shoulder in a half butterfly. Goalies and goalie coaches use a precise language to communicate. Here is another term to help parents, coaches and young goalies speak the same language. k When Alli Altmann was a young goalie growing up in Eagan, Minn., the instruction and attention she received from her coaches was limited. Instead, she and her goalie partner were left to their own devices to improve their skills. Their main source of inspiration was the competitive nature of their relationship as they pushed each other to get better. One thing she did learn early on was to make the most out of her time on the ice. "Most practices are only an hour long and if you can find ways to maximize it and utilize the ice that you're given you're going to progress a lot faster that way," said Altmann, who went on to play college hockey at Minnesota State University in Mankato. That philosophy serves her well not only as the vice president of DEVENIR Goaltenders, a private goalie instructional business in the Twin Cities area, but also in her new role as the goaltending coach in chief for the state of Minnesota. Both are roles she relishes as she continues to give back to the game by developing the next generation of netminders. "Being able to do what you love every day is a gift. I love being able to give back to the sport that's given me so much," she said. "I got a scholarship, I've met so many friends and got to travel the world and it's awesome to be able to give back and help other people accomplish their dreams." Altmann has also served as the goaltending coach of the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team for the past several years, including with the squad that won the gold medal at the 2020 IIHF Under-18 Women's World Championship. She brings all that experience in her new role as GCIC where she will oversee the goaltending development program in that area by creating try goalie events, providing coaching education, spearheading evaluation efforts and running high performance camps. "The whole goal of the GCIC role is to know the talent pool in our region," Altmann said. "We want to educate the youth hockey coaches, especially on practice planning, making sure that goalies aren't feeling like they're stuck on an island. "We want to make sure that they're having fun and that they're going to continue playing goalie because hockey cannot happen if there's no goalies." MINNESOTA'S GCIC LOVES GROOMING THE NETMINDERS OF TOMORROW GIVING BACK IN A BIG WAY 6 Alli Altmann