Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/837498
32 // JUNE/JULY 2017 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM T ell anyone in hockey that goalies are different and they will look at you with the blankest expression and say "um yeah." But that's not the type of "different" we are talking about here. We are talking about the physical demands of your position and how to properly train off the ice. Here are the two ends of the spectrum; at one end those who don't believe goalies need any specific training. At the other end those who believe the demands of being a goalie more closely resemble those of an acrobat where somehow standing on a sta- bility ball becomes an essential skill. WHERE IS THE SWEET SPOT? In studying the anatomy, physiology and biomechanics of the sport, you will see that the sweet spot falls somewhere in the 30 percent specific and 70 percent solid athlete development range. This ratio will change based on the age and the training age of the goalie. The training age is basically the number of years that he or she has been following a sound off-ice training program. Goofing around in gym class doesn't count. The younger the goalie is in years or training age (under 2 in training age) the greater the emphasis on learning to move and stabilize in a variety of patterns. Playing other sports is a great way to do this. The focus should be on building a good little athlete, and not getting caught up in the goalie-specific game. WHAT IS GOALIE SPECIFIC? As athletes develop, goalie specific really means athlete specific. The strength coach or trainer should always be asking, what do you need to be successful in your sport? What is your specific injury history and what are the common injuries associated with your sport and this position? Then the program is built. If we had to look at some of the most common goalie specific exercises that find their way into my goalie training programs, these are a few good examples. Effective Dryland Drills Will Help Every Goalie Become More Adept At Stopping More Pucks DOWN & DIRTY B Y M A R I A M O U N T A I N When skaters balance, they get help from their ankle, knee, hip and torso to distribute their mass and fine tune their position. When you push across the crease with one pad down, you only get input from the hip. You can't use your torso to help because that puts you out of position and off balance. You need to com- fortably stabilize from the one knee down position for powerful pushes as you stay tall in the torso. Start with 30 seconds on each side. 1. SINGLE KNEE BALANCE