As an ex-goalie, father of two goalies, goalie coach
for youth hockey for seven years, ex-baseball player and business owner that
knows what failure looks and feels like, we as youth hockey coaches, need to do
a better job of managing the most important position on the ice. The Goalie!
What I have seen first hand, and have heard through
the perennial hockey grape vine, it is no wonder we have such difficulty filling this position. Goaltending is a position like no
other in hockey. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, "Goaltending is ninety percent
mental, and the other half is physical." It is time to step out of the
dark ages and evolve our mentality around the
goaltending position.
How I would evolve the position:
Squirt Hockey- "Change on the Fly"
(NHL GOALIE'S CHANGING ON THE FLY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKCpbB6bDns)
1. Rotate goalies every 4-5
minutes (depends on the period length, 4 min for 12 min period and 5 min for 15
min periods). YES, that means "changing on the fly" in the 1st
and 3rd periods.
Here are some potential benefits for "changing on
the fly"
a. It allows the goalie to feel like
they are a part of the team. For example, if they make a couple of big
saves during their “shift” they come to the bench to receive high fives!
If they struggle during their “shift” you can use this time for a pep
talk.
b. As a goalie parent, your child is
playing every game. With this approach, you won't be driving 30 miles to watch
your kid sit on the bench.
c. The goalie plays in every game-
Championship games, blow outs, tight games, etc.
d. They are more engaged during the
game. They do not 'check out' like they would in the one game on, one game off
system.
e. They stay warm during the whole
game. This method is superior to playing a ½ game.
f. If there is a
significant skill gap between your goalies it can give your team a competitive
chance every game, not only every second game.
When my oldest was a squirt, we “changed on the fly.”
I loved it, the kids loved it. The other goalie's parents...... not
so much... but they allowed me to run with it. Since there was a skill gap
between the two goalies it worked in our teams favor. We were competitive
every game!
Here is the typical argument you will get if you
decide to “change on the fly.”
- The goalies will never do this at
high school so why are they doing this now?
o BECAUSE THEY ARE 9-10 YEARS OLD
- You are hurting the goalies
“development” they need to learn to focus for a whole game.
o ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I KNOW
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS THAT COULDN'T FOCUS FOR ONE INNING, LET ALONE AN
ENTIRE GAME AND YOU WANT A 9 YEAR OLD TO FOCUS FOR A WHOLE GAME? "CHANGE
ON THE FLY" IS ACTUALLY TEACHING THEM BETTER FOCUS HABITS. THEY ARE BEING
TRAINED TO FOCUS IN AND FOCUS OUT.
- The goalie needs to learn to “OWN”
their game.
o NO, THE GOALIE NEEDS TO FEEL A
PART OF A TEAM. THE GOALIE NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO HANDLE AS MANY DIFFERENT
SITUATIONS AS POSSIBLE. LEARNING TO OWN "THEIR" GAME CAN COME
LATER IN THEIR YOUTH HOCKEY CAREER.
If changing on the fly in too much for you, please
consider having your non-playing goalie skate out on the games they are not
playing. As far as after squirts, I would like to see the first year Pee Wee
goalie rotate every period. Second year Pee-Wee and above play the full games.
WHEN AND HOW DO I PULL A GOALIE?
This has been one of my biggest pet peeves in youth
hockey. Here is what I don't understand, in a culture that says it is not okay
to sit a player for multiple periods due to the performance of their teammates
why is it ok to take a game away from a goalie because of others performance?
Why is it ok to sit a player for a couple of shifts because of
performance but a goalie is removed for a whole game? The biggest
travesty here is that the GOALIE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION ON THE ICE.
So why don’t we spend more time understanding how to get the most out of
this player?
If you use the “change on the fly” goalie rotation for
squirts, you will not have to worry about pulling a goalie. Pulling a
goalie at squirts and pee-wee should not happen. The only time I could see this
happen is if the goalie is emotional and spiraling out of control. At
times, in bantam and high school, you may feel it is warranted to pull a
goalie. If you feel that you have no choice but to pull your goalie,
below are some suggestions on how to go about doing this.
1. TRY NOT TO PULL THEM RIGHT AFTER
A GOAL. Tell the team to get another face off right away. When you
pull the goalie, take him/her out for A COUPLE OF SHIFTS to regain their
composure. Use this time build them up. Use wording like,
"I know you can do this", "This is your game",
"I need you to dig down and finish this game", "Go
for it". Give them a SIMPLE plan, for example, “I want to see you
challenge the shooters, get out to the top of your crease and attack them”
DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT THEY ARE DOING WRONG! STAY AWAY FROM SAYING
"DON’T DO THIS OR DON’T DO THAT"
See how they respond when they go back out on the ice.
If they look like they are battling then you have done your job well.
If they continue to struggle, then you will have to make a decision. What
is the best thing to do for your goalie? Take them out of the situation or let
them battle through it, this is bigger than the game, the wins and losses.
Developing resilience, tenacity, and intestinal fortitude are life skills that
will serve them better than stopping pucks.
