Goalies: Goalies and Practice

[McDrailers]

http://www.letsplayhockey.com/onlin...es-can-be-bad-for-goalies.html?device=desktop

Came across this link, for minor hockey goalies this is all but too true. Way to many bad habits and not enough fundamental drills are being taught to young goalies today. Give it a read, more so for parents of goalies or goalies themselves of course

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Largely agree - most practices are designed without the goaltender in mind at all. It's a challenge, and I always learned more from the games and scrimmages than I ever did from the drills.

It's something that I've tried to take with me to coaching. The bad news is that we're still largely an afterthought when it comes to practices, but the good news is that there's room for progress (and innovation).

 

[pelts35.com]

As the father of a 7 year old goalie I agree with this article 100%. Every position player gets a rest in between reps, yet a goalie is supposed to face shot after shot after shot and not get any recovery time. It's both physically and mentally draining for a goalie to have to be "on" for the entire practice. The coach then wonders why their goalie looks gassed midway through practice.

The shame is that if coaches paid more attention to their goalies I think their practices would be much more efficient and effective.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Game Conditions

As the father of a 7 year old goalie I agree with this article 100%. Every position player gets a rest in between reps, yet a goalie is supposed to face shot after shot after shot and not get any recovery time. It's both physically and mentally draining for a goalie to have to be "on" for the entire practice. The coach then wonders why their goalie looks gassed midway through practice.

The shame is that if coaches paid more attention to their goalies I think their practices would be much more efficient and effective.

Somewhat paradoxical situation.

Part of practice is about replicating game conditions. A goalie, even at the age of 7 does not get in period rest time like skaters do with rotating shifts. Playing goalie requires building stamina and concentration, traits that have to be developed early.

Coaches should be able to explain this to the goalie and the parents of the goalie as coaches are the experienced and jurisdiction certified adults in charge so they should be able to manage the situation appropriately.

 

[Blind Gardien]

Hmm, I don't really see the same things... as another goalie dad, a lot of my son's practice time is 1-on-2 with the team's goalie coach and the two goalies doing movement and positioning drills, and one goalie is splitting crease time and shots in practice with the other, so they rest and watch interspersed with their action in the net. There are some breakaway drills, but no "shooting gallery" drills yet. Some 2-on-1's, some cases where they set up a trailer for rebounds too. This is Atom and Novice so far.

 

[17of26]

Somewhat paradoxical situation.

Part of practice is about replicating game conditions. A goalie, even at the age of 7 does not get in period rest time like skaters do with rotating shifts. Playing goalie requires building stamina and concentration, traits that have to be developed early.

While this is true, a goalie sees WAY more action in practice than in a game. When I play goalie, I often get more tired during the 3 minute warmup than I do at any point in the game.

 

[pelts35.com]

Somewhat paradoxical situation.

Part of practice is about replicating game conditions. A goalie, even at the age of 7 does not get in period rest time like skaters do with rotating shifts. Playing goalie requires building stamina and concentration, traits that have to be developed early.

Coaches should be able to explain this to the goalie and the parents of the goalie as coaches are the experienced and jurisdiction certified adults in charge so they should be able to manage the situation appropriately.

In a game, goalies get a break when the puck is at the opposite end of the ice.

Facing 100 shots in a practice doesn't replicate any game situation, nor does facing waves of 3 on nones or allowing players to dangle uncontested in front of the crease before banging home a rebound.

All these things do is fatigue your goalie and force them into bad habits.

 

[pelts35.com]

Hmm, I don't really see the same things... as another goalie dad, a lot of my son's practice time is 1-on-2 with the team's goalie coach and the two goalies doing movement and positioning drills, and one goalie is splitting crease time and shots in practice with the other, so they rest and watch interspersed with their action in the net. There are some breakaway drills, but no "shooting gallery" drills yet. Some 2-on-1's, some cases where they set up a trailer for rebounds too. This is Atom and Novice so far.

If that is the case, then your son is in a good program. IMO this is not the norm.

 

[Bear of Bad News]

When I play goalie, I often get more tired during the 3 minute warmup than I do at any point in the game.

Me too - I deliberately wait until 2:30 to enter the net in warmups. It gives the shooters a chance to be a bit squirrely at the start, and I also don't overheat.

 

[Smoker324]

Great thread. I think this is a good message for all coaches. As a youth coach and father of a goalie -- I have seen many teams that simply use the goalie at practice as shooter target. Its not that they don't care about goalies -- I think most believe its good for the goalies to face more shots. The points about low speed dangles and 1, 2 or 3 on 0 are well made and worth looking at. How often do goalies ever see them in actual games?

With the increasing role of ADM/station drills and small area games in practices at least here in the USA, the need for rest and recovery for the goalie is even more important. Try doing a corner drill with 8 skaters and zero rest for 3-4 minutes straight. Talk about being gassed. Then toss in the fact that pucks are never whistled dead when covered! .

Whenever I am on the ice I make it a point to frequently rotate the goalies when they are not otherwise getting specific goalie coaching.

-Dan

 

[Blind Gardien]

If that is the case, then your son is in a good program. IMO this is not the norm.

I just figured it was the way things are done "nowadays"... I know back when I played minor hockey in a very small town with a small association things were much more "shooting gallery" and swarm-the-goalie like others are describing (but I was never a goalie, so it was all good ).

But everything is so much more organized and larger scale in every respect now with my son in a bigger city and association, I figured most places did the same thing "nowadays". Or at least in bigger population centers. Just having a designated goalie coach on every Novice house league team seemed surprising to me at first, but now just seems normal. They have a monthly session at a local hockey school where it's just goalies on the ice too. Pre-game warmups might be a different story, but those are just 3 mins, and my son has learned to just do his thing and not put too much energy into trying to withstand any warmup puck swarms.

 

[CornKicker]

Hmm, I don't really see the same things... as another goalie dad, a lot of my son's practice time is 1-on-2 with the team's goalie coach and the two goalies doing movement and positioning drills, and one goalie is splitting crease time and shots in practice with the other, so they rest and watch interspersed with their action in the net. There are some breakaway drills, but no "shooting gallery" drills yet. Some 2-on-1's, some cases where they set up a trailer for rebounds too. This is Atom and Novice so far.

this is how we do it. the only time i have both goalie going at the same time is when we do small ice 3x3 which helps them with traffic and close in shots. i have seen horrible mismanagement with goalies but luckily i have a coach with me that played goal at a high level and he is helping alot with practice planning regarding them

 

[McDrailers]

Hmm, I don't really see the same things... as another goalie dad, a lot of my son's practice time is 1-on-2 with the team's goalie coach and the two goalies doing movement and positioning drills, and one goalie is splitting crease time and shots in practice with the other, so they rest and watch interspersed with their action in the net. There are some breakaway drills, but no "shooting gallery" drills yet. Some 2-on-1's, some cases where they set up a trailer for rebounds too. This is Atom and Novice so far.

Your son is in a VERY unique and good program then. I'm a graduate of minor hockey, played some AA. Made the team for AAA but didn't have funds. Let me tell you i've RARELY had a goalie coach at all, in fact I basically taught myself the positions with some pointers from locals and semi pros when I went to see them. My practises were an absolute gongshow. It was my responsibility to go off on my own and practise the fundimentals (t-pushes, butterfly slides, angles etc.) While ive tried to help the younger goalies in the practises ive helped with, the coaches don't have enough practise or skills to properly teach goalies here in Newfoundland. We have had some great goalies come and go but this "shooting gallery" has to change.

 

[McDrailers]

Me too - I deliberately wait until 2:30 to enter the net in warmups. It gives the shooters a chance to be a bit squirrely at the start, and I also don't overheat.

Also, three minute warmups ? is this the norm in minor hockey as well? My warmups were a minimum of 15 minutes.... I was absolutely gassed after them.. Thank god they cleaned the ice

 

[Siamese Dream]

Also, three minute warmups ? is this the norm in minor hockey as well? My warmups were a minimum of 15 minutes.... I was absolutely gassed after them.. Thank god they cleaned the ice

I remember when I played U18s we either had 5 or 10 minute warmups, then we got to the national final and they gave us a 20 minute warmup, we didn't know what to do with it