Interview with Goalie Academy's Darren Hersh (Part Two)

What are the 3 most important things a goalie can do off of the ice to reach the next level?

1. Learn how to develop and maintain a good, positive attitude.  This obviously has to do with the mental side of the game.  If a goalie can develop a good attitude toward learning and being coached, to his/her approach to practice and games, and ability to stay positive, they can a long way in the game.  Too many goalies simply have a bad attutude toward things and they allow external things that are out of their control to constantly bother them and it really effects their play and eventually their career....and maybe the rest of their life.

2. Off Ice conditioning is crucial!  I have recently seen kids make huge strides in their on-ice development once they started to work on their core strength.  There are several developmental plateaus that players will have to work through in their hockey careers.  In the early ages, they are usually skill technique related, then mental maturity, and then physical maturity.  As they age, plateaus and slumps are usually primarily mental and they involve attitude, focus and consistency.  Concerning the physical maturity, work on core strength can really help players through that particular plateau within months or even weeks!

3. Do your homework!  Not only with school to get solid grades in order to give yourself prep school and/or college options, but also do your homework on the schools and/or junior programs that you may want to go to.  It is best to see from where junior programs and schools are recruiting.  See their current rosters and see where their players played before going to their current team.  You will often see patterns in where these teams recruit, so you will know what route you will want to take.  Do research on the coaches to see if it will be a good fit.  Also see what the goaltending situtation will be.  If the team already has two good, young goalies, you may not fit into that team's plan in the near future and you may have to look elsewhere.  Again, do your homework! 

In your opinion how important is weight training to developing a goalie as they get older?

I'm not sure about actual weight training, but off-ice conditioning and core strentgh training is incredibly inmportant.  Goalies can do all kinds of things to assist with agility, hand-eye coordination, balance, explosive movement, flexibility, and strength trough off-ice training.  It does translate to more effectiveness on the ice!

We know goaltending is 90% mental, how do you coach this part of the game?

There are many aspects to dealing with the mental part of goaltending, such as developing a positive mental approach to practices and games, getting through slumps and getting over bad goals and bad games, dealing with teammates, fans, parents, and coaches, and also handling success.  So many times we are dealing with these situations when they arise, because it is often very difficult for athletes to understand what you are trying to relay when they have never experienced it for themselves.  In general though, I like to try to get goalies to live in the moment.  I think many athletes mentally drain themselves by over-thinking things.  I used to think about games too much, so much so that I played the game two or three times in my head before I played it and I was often exhausted by game time.  It is a better approach to relax and take the mind off the game, so that you are mentally fresh and can just focus on the moment when it arrives and deal with things as they happen.

At what age do you think goalies should specialize?

Personally, I believe that goalies should learn the game of hockey as well as possible, because once they are a full-time goalie, they are the quarterback.  The goalie needs to know what a shooter knows and what a shooter is likely thinking, just as Peyton Manning can read a defense in football.  Playing out until they are a second year pee wee, if possible, is a great way to learn the game inside and out, which will help them be a more effective goalie.  Now, the reality is that some of the better younger goalies will not be able to play out, especially if they are on AAA teams.  The higher level teams seem to want the goalies to be specialized already by squirts.  So how can you get around this?  Play more hockey.  Play house league as a forward.  Play out at stick and shoot or pick up hockey.  Play street or inline hockey as a forward.  Do whatever it takes to become the well rounded student of the game that you need to be to gain hockey sense.

How often do you feel young goalies (pre-high school) should be skating per week?

If players love the game, you won't be able to get them off the ice!  People talk of burnout, which certainly exists for kids who are pushed into doing things they don't want to do, so they aren't enjoying it.  However, I still skate a minimu of four hours a day and I get tired, but not burnt out.  If a player wants to skate every day, then they should.  If they don't, then don't.  I think it is up to the player, but the better skater you become the better player you will become and that especially is true for goalies.  Goalies have to skate laterally and backwards almost as fast as aplayer skates forward and that isn't easy.  It takes hours of practice.  However, if doing that is a chore, then the player will likely not be able to achieve very lofty goals.  I used to skate Mondays with a house team, Tuesday at travel practice, Wednesday with a different travel team (just doing drills without equipment on), then Thursday at travel practice again, Friday was off, then Saturday and Sunday with a game and even a few hours of public skating if we were home.  Again, that was something that was ever a chore...it was fun!

How important is exposure for a high school goalie looking to reach college level? How much of their time should they spend at camps working on their craft and how much time should they spend playing in showcase tournments, etc...?

Too many players go from showcase to showcase or tryout to tryout and they never work on the things that cause them to get cut or overlooked.  Exposure at these events is certainly important and can be a big help to being seen and even recruited.  However, never forget that you constantly need to develop your skills and improve.  I coach minor league professional players who played high level college and junior before turning professional and they too still need to constantly work on skills to try to move up to the AHL and the NHL.  Skill development and skill maintanence is a never ending process!

Also, going to camps is a great way to be seen by coaches.  Go to camps where prep school and college coaches work in the summers.  At these camps, coaches get to see you for an entire week in some cases and they get to know you off the ice as well.  If you are a great kid and a solid hockey player, it can put you on their radar.  Back in the day, I went to a hockey camp for several years in a row, which lead to my going being recruited to prep school.  From that camp, I also received letters from nearly every college coach that was at the camp.  To this day, I still coach at hockey camps with two of the coaches from that summer hockey school, who are now with NHL teams!  Connections that you can gain from camps can last a lifetime!

What are the biggest things high school and junior goalies should be doing to get themselves noticed by college coaches?

Goalies need to let these folks know that they are out there and that they are interested in their schools.  Do not expect that coach from the college of your dreams to walk into your rink and tap you on the shoulder.  How do they know that you are there?  They don't.  They are very busy people and most schools have very limited funds for coaches to be traveling all over the USA, Canada, and Europe.  So, goalis need to 1. develop and play at the highest levels that they possibly can for their age group whether that is AAA or prep or junior hockey, 2. they need to write coaches a short letter or email letting them know that they are interested in their school as a student athlete, and 3. they need to go to camps where coaches teach and they need to get to tourneys and showcases where coaches will be to scout.  Again, do your homework and find out this information.

What are 3 things that the average head coach could do to better develop his goalies when planning practices?

1. Get a good goalie coach to help at practice!  Most coaches didn't play goalie and they do not show much interest in learning how to coach them.  So the best alternative is to find a coach who has a reputation for developing talent and get him or her to work with the goalies at practice.

2. Create a practice plan that allows goalies time and space to work on goalie specific skills.  This happens at the pro and college levels all the time, but is really lacking in minor hockey.  Goalies are a very important part of the team and they need to get more out of practice than just being a target for the forwards and the d-men.

3. Open a dialogue with the goalies to see what they may want to do at practice.  Coaches would be surprised by what young goalies know these days.  Many have coaches and have gone to camps.  They will know what to do to help themselves improve if coaches allow them to tell them and show them!

What are the 3 biggest mistakes head coaches make dealing with their goalies, either in game or during practice?

1.  They are not fair.  Coaches say that they treat the goalies the same, but they often treat them very differently.  For instance, I always hear my goalies complaining that they don't know who is playing the game before warm ups.  What other players on the ice don't know that they are playing until after they step on the ice?  That's easy, NONE!  Why play head games with the one player who will be on the ice the entire game? Coaches need to be upfront and fair to the goalies, because they do not want to mentally lose this important piece of the puzzle.  You need to goalie to be "on board."

2. Coaches too often panic when goals are scored against and they pull the goalies too much.  Eventhough it is sometimes very difficult, coaches need to show confidence in their goalies especially.  It is a tough position with a ton of pressure and young goalies need to learn how to deal with things through experience.  Yes, at times they will fail, but the coaches need to allow them to fail so that they can learn.  Again, don't do things that will make you lose your goalies mentally.  You need them to be enthusiastic leaders on the team.  A disgruntled goalie isn't good for anyone.

3. Don't feel that you need to provide the goalies with information if you don't know or are unsure of the correct information.  It is OK to not know about goalies.  Instead find out from trusted sources or hire a coach who does know.  I always tell coaches to consider the Hipocratic Oath that doctors subscribe to and that is "First, do no harm."  Often no advice is the best advice.

Do you have any words of wisdom about how to deal with a back-up goalie who thinks they should be getting more playing time?

One of the toughest things about playing goalies is that it really has to be decided based on practice.  This is unfair, but I don't see an alternative.  All I can say is to be up front, honest, fair, professional, and offer advice, assistance, and opportunity for the player to earn playing time.  Put the ball in their court and make sure that they know that they are part of the team and that you are also on their side.  These players need to feel that they are contributing.  If a coach does these things, then they may even be able to develop a goalie who can be an asset instead of a liability.

What made you want to be a coach?

I've had some great coaches that mentored me and I want to stay involved in the great game of hockey.

Which one of your coaches made the biggest impact on your career? How/why?

Cap Raeder had the biggest impact on me, because he really helped me develop my skills and he was instrumental in getting me to my prep school team.  Once at prep school, Charlie Corey was another superb teacher of the game and a hige influence off the ice as well.  He was tough, but we all knew that he cared about us a great deal.  In youth hockey, Doug Yingst, the current Hershey Bears' GM, spent a ton of time shooting pucks on me in practice.  He took the time that other youth coaches never did and it was a huge help.

How can coaches improve their coaching skills?

Coaches need to be students of the game!  They need to read, get videos, talk to other coaches, find mentors, and generally expand their hockey horizons as much as possible.  I love going to different camps and coaching with different guys to learn what they do and to see what I can take from them.  Just as player skills must always be worked on, coaching skills need to be enhanced all the time.  Find teams that are successful and find out what that coach is doing.  Find coaches who have made it to high levels and find out what they know.  If you are going to coach, why not do it the best you can?

What would be your initial advice for someone who loves hockey and decides to start a business to make their income through the sport?

Be ready to work!  Hockey has a lot of competition, because a lot of people want to make it a living.  However, once they find out how much work it is, they often get out of it before they really reap any true rewards from it.  I think you have to be patient, be ready to work hard, and also approach it in a smart way.  It is not always best to jump right into a full-time hockey job, because it takes time to build a name for yourself.  Even very accomplished players have not had as great coaching careers compared to lesser known guys, because playing skills and coaching skills are very different.  So, it is often best to start part-time with hockey to make sure you can pay the bills while building a name.

What are some of the positives and negatives of synthetic ice?

The positives of synthetic ice that many may not know is that it is a great work out and can have a very positibve impact on the explosiveness of your movement.  Many strength coaches and power skating coaches use resistance training to development explosive movement and speed in their athletes.  Well, synthetic ice has that friction built right into it.  So practicing on synthetic ice can help goalies' lateral movement a great deal.

Synthetic ice is also way cheaper than real ice, so making a business training hockey players is far better with synthetic ice.

The biggest negative is that you get plastic shavings on your gear that you have to vacuum off after playing, but that really isn't a big deal in my opinion.

What is your job requirements when looking to hire a new coach?

The Goalie Academy really only hires goalies who played at the collegeiate level.  At this point, the vast majority of our new hires played NCAA D-I.  We like guys who not only know the game and the position well from a playing experience stand point, but we want guys who can communicate exceptionally well and who can relay their ideas to the younger goalies.  We feel that the college guys are best at doing this.

Other than that, we want guys who want to coach goalies.  You can't fake that enthusiasm and we want that kind of positive energy!

What is your favorite part of making your living through hockey? Least favorite?

My favorite part of a hockey job is that I can't wait to wake up every morning and make the business and the goalies better!  I never get tired of it.  I'm always thinking of new ways to do things and new ways to promote The Goalie Academy and the goalies we train.  It is long, long hours, but I never have enough time to do everything I want to do.

The least favorite thing is never having enough time to do what I want to do with the business!

What are three expenses/challenges that someone starting a hockey based business might not realize?

1. You have to do the work yourself and much of the work doesn't create revenue.  Many people go to their jobs everyday and get paid to do things that really don't create money for their company.  Well, as an entrepreneur, you will have to do those jobs and not get paid for them.  Things like scheduling, web updates, and marketing.  In fact, it will cost you money to do things!  You will get paid when you give a lesson or do a camp/clinic, b ut all the work that leads up to those events will go unpaid.

2. There is a lot of competition and more every day.  Do your thing well and produce results and you can do well.  But be sure that someone will always come by and try to take your business away from you especially if you are doing well.

3. Good help is hard to find!  A lot of people want to make hockey their job, but I have found that few are willing to do the work it takes to stay with it.  To grow and to build the business, you will need good help and those folks are not easy to find.  If you find a few, be sure that you hang onto them!

How do you use technology, including but not limited to the internet and social media in your business? (marketing or otherwise)

Video is the best to teach goalies at all levels.  Showing them what you see is a huge tool and we use it all the time.  We use the internet to promote what we do through our web site and we also use Facebook a lot to promote our events, stay connected with our clients and once in a while find a new student.

Any last words of wisdom for goalies, coaches, or hockey business owners looking to take their skills to the next level?

For coaches wanting to make a business and living from it, don't be afraid to make changes.  If things are not working, then do something else.  It is OK to fail, but don't make the same mistakes over and over again.

Same for the goalies.  My favorite saying is, "If you do the same thing over and over and expect different results, then you are insane." -Albert Einstein.  Make adjustments and find what works!

Is there anything you'd like to promote, plug, or suggest people take a look at?

www.GoalieAcademy.com  Also our DVD of goalie drills for on-ice practices is a huge help for both goalies and coaches!  It is very inexpensive at $24.99.  It has drills for goalies to do alone, to do with their goalie partner, to do with one shooter or coach and to do with entire teams.

I can vouch that the drill book is phenomenal. I obviously use the goalie stuff, but I use alot of the shooting drills for my forwards and the team warm up drills/practice plans all of the time. Thanks Darren!

Interview with Goalie Academy's Darren Hersh (Part One)

Here is part one of an interview with Darren Hersh, one of the country's best goalie coaches. He was my mentor through the first two years of high school before he moved out of Massachusetts.

Who Are You?

 

I'm Darren Hersh, Founder and Executive Director of The Goalie Academy.  I am also currently the Goalie Coach for the ECHL Reading Royals, the AA affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.

What have you done?

I founded The Goalie Academy in 1996 after I retired from professional hockey. 

I grew up playing hockey in Hershey, PA, where I played minor hockey for 10 years from 1976 to 1986.  From Hershey, I went to prep school at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts.  There I was selected to the ISL All-League, NEPSAC All-New England, and HNIB All-Scholastic teams.  I was NEPSAC All-New England Honorable mention my junior year as well.  In 1989, we won the ISL League title as well.

I attended Bowdoin College from 1989-1993 and there I was earned Goalie of the Week several times and in 1993 I was named ECAC Playoff MVP during Bowdoin's Championship Season.

From Bowdoin, I played in the ECHL with the Johnstown Chiefs, backed-up for the AHL's Hershey Bears, and won a CHL Championship with the Wichita Thunder.

Since founding The Goalie Academy, we have grown from only doing summer camps to coaching goalies full-time on a year round basis with a full time staff of 4 coaches and we are continually getting bigger.

Why should hockey players listen to you?

Players should listen to me because I have helped produced top level goalies in a very non-traditional hockey area such as Central Pennsylvania and the Washington D.C. metro area.  In addition, I have actualy developed these players from young ages such as 8 and 9 and some of these goalies are now on NCAA D-I college teams, the USHL, and minor league professional hockey.  Many coaches can say that they have worked with high end players, but I pride myself on having trained the majority of our top flight goalies from the ground up.

Beyond that I think hockey players should listen to just about everyone.  I learned some great lessons from people I didn't necessarily care for too much.  But if you keep an open mind, you can learn something from everyone that can help you be a better player.  Also listen to the critics!  This is difficult, because you probably won't like what you hear, but critics will tell you the hard truth.  If you can get past your defenses, you can learn what you aren;t doing well which gives the opportunity to change and to improve.

What style do you teach your goalies? 

Personally, I don't like the term "style" being used to describe how a goalie plays.  I see style as being how a goalie plays the position rather then what he/her does in the net, if that makes sense.  All goalies perform the same save selections.  What sets them a part is how they look doing it.  Just as you can tell goalies apart by how they wear their equipment eventhough they may be wearing the exact same thing.  That is how I look at it.  All goalies are doing the same thing, they just look differently doing it.  That is style.  You can't define style by wether or not they butterfly or stand up, because all goalies do those things depending on the situation.  Goaltending is all situational!

At The Goalie Academy, we have discovered and developed The Principles of Goaltending.  These are the underlying basis for everything goalies do and why they should do certain moves in certain situations.  Goalies always need to maximize net coverage, do things with the most efficiency, maintain balance and control, have the greatest range of motion, and perfect their timing in situations.  These five concepts are the basis of how we teach.  It has nothing to do with style at all.  I like goalies to be themselves and play the way they need to play.  I don't like cookie-cutter camps that simply teach one way to play.  Goalies are different sizes and have different levels of abilities and even given these differences they can still be effective.  I think certain styles are limiting.  I want goalies to have a wide range of skills and be able to apply what they need for them to succeed individually.

What are some of the main areas of focus that a goalie should focus on before he/she gets to high school? 

The primary focus before getting to high school is SKILL DEVELOPMENT!  You have to develop skating skills, save selection, recovery, and reading situations so that you know when to apply your technical skills at the right moments.   Working hard, practicing, and being dedicated to your craft is very important if you want to extend a playing career.  Once you get to high school, it starts getting very competitive.  It is always competitive, but it only gets tougher.  Put in a lot of work now, so that you can get a shot beyond high school.

What about in high school?

 

In high school, the focuses expand to continued skill development, exposure to colleges and junior programs as well as GRADES!  Good grades provides players with options!  You may need options.  You can't go into the road to college hockey thinking you are going D-I and will get a hockey scholarship.  It could happen, but you have to prepare for the worst case scenario, not the best case scenario.  I always tell kids, "why do we do fire drills?"  Prepare for the worst.  So if you get good grades and you don't get D-I offers, then the next best hockey is D-III.  The best D-III hockey is NESCAC, with schools like Bowdoin, Colby, Middlebury, Williams, Amherst, Babson, etc.  These schools are very competitive to get into, so you need to have solid academics along with being a top notch hockey player.

College?

Again, don't sleep on grades!  Hockey may not work out, so be prepared!  As far as hockey, you need to refine your skills and maintain a high level of play.  You always have to focus on details and fundamentals.  You will have a solid skill set by then.  It isn't about learning new skills, but rather about staying sharp and not allowing techniques to slip by getting into bad habits.

Another big part of hockey in college is learning to be mentally tougher to get through high pressure situations and how to deal with things going on outside of the rink and putting them aside once you get into the locker room.  College is a sprint.  Games are fast, guys play as hard as they can all the time, and losses are huge.  In pro hockey, it is more of a marathon.  You need to learn how to pace as a pro, but in college it is full tilt.  Learning how to mentally deal with that pace and even the pace change from college to pro is something to really focus on.

What are the 3 most important things a goalie can do on the ice to reach the next level?

1. Never believe that you are too good to improve each and every time you step on the ice.  If you think this way, you will stay as good as you are and very likely that isn't good enough.  Listen to coaches, take advice and practice hard everytime you go out there.  Focus on techniques and don't allow yourself to get into bad habits.

2. Skate, skate, and skate some more at every practice.  Don't goof off with the other players.  Do crease movements all the time before and after practice and during times when you don't get a lot of shots.

Goalies have to be able to move incredibly well to reach higher levels.  Hockey is always the same game, but the difference is the speed as you move up.  The best way to be able to deal with the speed changes is to be able to keep up with the pace of passes by being an explosive skater.  At higher levels, everyone can stop the puck.  It is those goalies who can follow the play the best and who can get into position the earliest who move on to do greater things.

3. Pay attention to details.  Goalies have to be detail oriented to be successfull.  The puck is only 3" wide and 1" high so sometimes little errors of 1-3 inches is all it takes to cost a goal, cost a game, cost a shut out, cost a playoff run, cost a championship, or cost a starting job.  So work on being technically sound and as perfect as you can be.  No one is perfect and every one allows goals.  It is a position of inches and percentages, so you have to use detail to be on the side of the statistics.

Recap 1. work hard at practice everytime and practice as hard as you play games or even harder, 2. skate, 3. pay attention to details.

Stay tuned for Part 2 and check out Darren's goalie articles posted on this site and on www.goalieacademy.com

A Goalie's Daily Essentials

A Goalie's Daily Essentials
By Darren Hersh
Taken with permission from http://www.goalieacademy.com/articles/drills.htm
Check out Darren's website www.goalieacademy.com

During the course of the season, there are always those times at practice when the club must focus on the individual skills of the forwards and defense as well as cover the team's systems such as breakouts, fore-checks, power plays, and penalty killing.  At these times, where the goalie is involved very little or not at all, goalies need to be equipped with some fundamental drills that they can do on their own to enhance their own development.  This article is directed at giving goalies the four basic drills that they can do alone or with their goalie partner at practice during those slow moments.  The drills are:

1. Continuous Butterfly (Belfour Drill)

2. Pretzel recovery Drill

3. Circuit Drill (Cap Raeder)

4. Alphabet Crease Movements

If these essential drills are done at every or nearly every practice, goalies will see improvement in their game!

1. Continuous Butterfly (Belfour Drill)     I was fortunate enough to go to the NHL All-Star Game in Tampa a few years back.  It happened to be Wayne Gretzky's final All-Star appearance and the experience itself was tremendous.  At least one thing I will always take from the Skills Competition was the drill that Ed Belfour performed just before he started taking shots to compete in the goalie portion of the event.  It was this: Belfour Continuous Butterfly Slide Drill Explanation: Goalie begins from the basic stance position. Goalie pushes to one side into a butterfly slide. Goalie holds the butterfly for a split second then immediately recovers, using the proper leg, then pushes back to the original side and goes directly into another butterfly slide. Goalie repeats the continuous butterfly to one side and the other for about 6 repetitions. Shooters can shoot at will and play any rebounds. Technical Keys: This drill works on the goalie's lateral movement, butterfly slide technique, & conditioning. Make sure that the goalie is always square and that he/she is driving into the pushes with the back leg. Also ensure that the goalie has a proper butterfly technique with pads and stick flush to the ice and the arms to the side cover the "funnel" area. Note: the stick can be tilted backward, but must be in fron and on the ice. Lastly, ensure that the goalie is recovering with the proper leg(the push leg)
2. Pretzel Recovery Drill    I feel that there are two basic goaltending skills that most goalies lack when we work with them at camps and during private lessons: 1. staying square and 2. recovery.  The Pretzel Drill will certainly help you begin to recover to your feet and into position a whole lot faster.  Work at it! Pretzel Recovery Drill Drill Explanation: Goalie begins from the basic stance position. Goalie then goes into a three step continuous process of recovering from three different positions: 1. Full Butterfly 2. Diving Poke Check 3. On back Step 1, Goalie goes into fuller butterfly for a split second then immediately recovers.  Recover using one leg at a time and recover using the alternate leg each repetion.(This will help butterfly slide recovery.) Step 2, Goalie performs a diving poke check and immediately recovers. Step 3, Goalie lies down on the back and then immediately recovers to basic stance. Drill should be done three times in a row and the goalie should not pause between steps. Technical Keys: This drill works on the goalie's recovery. Make sure that the goalie is always performing technically solid butterflies and that he/she is recovering from the back with the proper technique shown.
3. Circuit Drill (Cap Raeder)     This is a drill that I have done for years and am passing it along to our goalies.  Cap Raeder does it at his camps and it encompasses most of the moves a goalie will make in a game.  Of course, you can always add moves to it, but I wouldn't suggest taking any maneuvers out of it. Cap Raeder's Circuit Drill 6 drill circuit that includes:  1.) Post to post shuffles (10)  2.) Shate Saves ( 2 each side)  3.) Poke Checks (6; 2 jab, 2 regular, 2 diving)  4.)Half Butterflies (2 each side)  5.) Behind net to stop puck (2 each side)  6.) 2 Pad Stacks (2 each side) Goalie begins from the basic stance position. Goalie pushes to one side then the other post to post ten (10) time, keeping solid technical form (elbows on outside of posts, skates on inside of posts, stick on ice during movement). Goalie then goes to top of crease and continues the circuit by completing skate saves, poke checks, half butterflies, going behind the net to stop the puck, and 2 pad stacks. The goalie must get set into the basic stance before each and every movement and goalie must perform each save with technical precision.  Do not try for speed, try for technically sound movements!
4. Alphabet Crease Movements     There really is no excuse for not doing these movements every single time you have the opportunity to step on the ice.  I would even suggest that you do them as a part of your pre-game warm up.  Again, you can always add, but I discourage you from subtracting any moves from this repertoire. Alphabe Crease Movements Drill Explanation: 5 drill circuit that includes:  1.) The "Y" (breakaways)  2.) The "W" (Byron Dafoe Drill)  3.) The "Z"  4.) The Arc Shuffle 5.) Zig-Zag T-Push and/or Shuffle 1. Goalie begins on a post, then T-pushes to the top of the crease, stops, “c” cuts to just below the first hash mar, skates straight backward to top of crease again, pivots to the boards and uses his/her momentum to push to the opposite post. Variations: standing, butterfly slide, 2 pad stack. 2. Goalie begins on a post, “c” cuts toward face-off dot, stops, skates straight backward to post using glove or knob of stick to indicate position in the net, pushes in to T-push to top of crease, stops, pushes with back diagonal T-push to opposite post, “c” cuts toward face-off dot, stops, skates straight back to post. Repeat. Note that there are many more crease movement drills, but these are the five that the Goalie Academy believes are essential to do as part of your daily routine! Always perform drills technically well.  Lead with and keep stick on the ice! 3. Goalie begins on a post, then long shuffles post to post, T-pushes diagonally toward the far face-off dot to the top of the crease, stops on the lead foot, then T-pushes again across the top of the crease in position facing the far face off dot, stops using the lead foot. 4. Goalie begins on a post, then shuffles to the top of the crease facing near face-off dot, sets, shuffles in an arc around the top of the circular crease to the far face-off dot position, then shuffles back to the far post staying square to the boards. 5. Goalie starts on a post, then T-pushes toward opposite face-off dot, stops on lead foot, T-pushes diagonally out again, and repeats four or five times. Goalie then pivots back and T-pushes back the way he/she came. Variation, use long shuffle.

In conclusion, most youth organizations are run by volunteers, the majority of whom have little playing and coaching experience in general, let alone any experience at the position of goalie.  Some organizations have appropriately sought the assistance of a knowledgeable goalie coach, but most are still forced to leave the goalies at the mercy of the shooters with little extra help provided.  Thus, in place of a goalie coach (something that really can't be replaced), we are providing coaches and goalies with these drills that goalies can perform on their own.  Again, these drills should be performed on a regular basis, because these few drills encompass most of the saves and movements goalies will make throughout the course of any game.  Make sure that these drills are also performed in a technically sound way and not for speed or just to say that you did them.  The goalie will help himself/herself much more if they first learn to make every move and save correctly, before doing the repetitions at a faster pace for conditioning purposes.  For more advanced goalies, the Circuit Drill is especially good for conditioning.

Best of luck with the drills and as always, if you have any questions, please contact us at Goalie_Academy@hockeymail.com.

The Little Things

The Little Things
By Darren Hersh
Taken with permission from http://www.goalieacademy.com/articles/littlethings.htm
Check out Darren's website www.goalieacademy.com

A lot is said about “the little things” in hockey.  When spoken about, the little things usually refer to the defensemen and forwards being strong and getting the puck out of the zone, finishing checks, etc.  Well, there are also little things to which goalies need to pay attention in order to be effective and to be sure they don’t allow a soft goal.  

Keep your eye on the puck!  The goalie doesn’t need to put blinders on and watch only the puck while not being aware of anything else going on in front of him/her.  However, when the opponent has the puck and can shoot at anytime or when a shot is taken, the goalie must watch the puck all the way into the equipment for the save.  Do not rely on split or peripheral vision.  Get into this good habit in warm up and practice!  

Be aggressive with bloopers.  Go out toward a high, end-over-end dump in and get as close as possible to the point of the bounce to cut down the angle.  Also get as much equipment behind the puck as possible in case it takes an unexpected bounce.

Get your glove behind the stick on slow rollers and long dump-ins on net.  When playing very long (outside the zone), low shots and dump-ins, bend down and get the catching glove behind the stick to cushion the puck for control and to be sure the stick is strong behind the force of the puck.  This will help avoid the possible embarrassment of having those shots sneak under the stick and into the goal.  

Stay square to every puck.  Some may say that this is overkill, but by shuffling and T-pushing and therefore staying square to EVERY puck (even when your defense has the puck alone in the corner), goalies get in the important habit of always taking up as much of the net as possible.

Stop pucks rung around the boards directly behind the goal cage.  Goalies can avoid another embarrassing moment of mistakenly directing the puck in front of the net with the goal wide open by stopping the puck against the boards on ring-around dump-ins directly behind the goal cage.  By doing this, any misplayed pucks have a good chance of hitting the back of the goal and staying behind the net, rather than having them skip into the slot, while the goalie’s behind the cage.

Cut down the angle, but do not over-challenge the shooter.  Many goalies come out way too far to cut down the angle.  There are a number of things wrong with this.  Here are a few:  a. When a goalie gets 6 or 7 feet away from the goal line, coming out farther to cut the angle only takes away a few inches of net from the shooter’s view, b. the farther a goalie gets from the net, the harder it is to cover the net on dekes, passes and rebounds, c. goalies who come out too far sometimes lose the net behind them and find themselves out of position, and d. goalies who come out too far are forced to move a lot (too much) to get into position and therefore are not often set for shots, making life difficult for themselves.  Stay at home and make life in goal easier.

Get set early for oncoming rushes. Sometimes younger goalies do not get into the ready stance until the shooter is in the process of shooting.  The problem here is that they me be moving into their stance as the shot comes and therefore they may not have time to move into the save. Goalies need to get set as soon as the opponent gets toward the red line.  It is at the red line where the opponent can send the puck into the zone without being called for icing.  Therefore the goalie must be in the stance and ready to corral a dump in or to go behind the net to stop a ring around or to cushion a long shot directly on the net or to prepare for an oncoming rush.  Getting set early will also avoid the problem of the goalie not being ready for unexpected shots and will allow goalies to use what little time they have to move in front of the shot instead of trying to move into position and then into the shot.

Hold your position; do not move too much.  Although goalies should back into the net along with the forward on breakaways when forwards are deking, many, many goalies back into the net on almost every situation that forwards are approaching the net.  When the forward is likely to shoot or actually shooting, goalies need to hold their ground.  Goalies do not want to back into the net after effectively cutting down the angle only to give the shooter more net at which to shoot.  Keep the shooting angle cut down and get set for the shot.  Only back in on pure breakaways when the shooter is showing deke all the way.

Fill the net first and then cut down the angle.  Especially on pass plays where forwards may one-time the shot on goal, goalies need to move in straight lines and to get centered in the net and centered on the puck.  This is even more important than cutting down the angle, because it forces the shooter to pick a corner on a bang-bang play, which is extremely difficult to do.  If the goalie has time to cut down the angle, than, of course, he/she should.  But if there is no time to cut the angle, then just get centered and make the shooter beat you with a fantastic shot.  (See diagram.)

Odd Man Rush Positioning

• On a 2 on 0 as shown, if the puck carrier, X1, passes to a teammate, X2, the goalie must play the puck carrier untile that actual pass is made.
• Over anticipating and moving too soon at this moment would give the puck carrier an easy goal should he/she read the play and hold the puck as the goalie makes the first move.
• If the player does pass the puck, then the goalie must move in a straight line to the new center of the pu ck (indicated in the drawing by the dashed line).  In this situation, the goalie moves in the shortest distance between the new center and his/her former position, which in all cases is a straight line and in this particular case is perpendicular to the new center line.
• If the goalie has time to come out and cut down the angle after he/she first fills the net, then it is advisable to do so.

Do not over anticipate and do not make the first move.  Make sure that you play the shooter, especially on odd man rushes.  Although anticipation is an important part of goaltending, goalies need to play the puck carrier (the most dangerous player).  Many goalies over anticipate the pass to the open skater and by doing so they can give up some easy goals.  Make the puck carrier make a decision and a great pass.  The goalie certainly wants to know that the pass is an option. If the pass is made, the goalie has to do whatever is necessary to make a desperation save.  But whatever you do, don’t give them the easy one.

Making The Most Out Of Practice

Making The Most Out Of Practice
By Tom Sablak
Taken with permission from http://www.goalieacademy.com/articles/practice.htm
Check out www.goalieacademy.com

Introduction 

Practice time should be productive and fun. However, not all teams have goalie coaches who understand this unique position and who can design good drills for goalies. As a result, goalies may be neglected during practice drills that may be okay for forwards and defensemen, but not for goalies. Goalies need to be proactive when it comes to their approach to practice time, which often calls for self-instruction and self-motivation. This article provides several suggestions and tips on what to think about before, during, and after practices so that these workouts can be more productive for you. 

Before Practice 

How productive a practice is not only depends upon what you do on the ice but also what you do before you even get on the ice. Here are some things to think about before you put on the pads:

(1)   Rest – Getting enough sleep prior to your practice is crucial to maintaining a high intensity level during the workout. If you’re tired during practice, you’re more likely to develop “lazy” or bad habits. You’ll also need to take more breaks, which means less time stopping pucks. Plus, it will be more difficult to concentrate and maintain focus. With plenty of rest, you won’t feel as if you’re fighting an uphill battle during practice, and you’ll have more fun.

(2)   Diet – While you cannot control how many sprints your coach will ask you to skate during practice, you can certainly help yourself immensely with good eating habits before you get to the rink. A smart diet not only involves what you eat but also when you eat. Eating carbohydrates (e.g., pasta) on the day before your practice (or game) will give you energy on the ice. Try to avoid lots of sugar right before practice – sugar can provide a deceptive energy “buzz” but will also deliver a “lull” soon after. (Eating anything immediately before a practice or game is usually a bad idea.) Drinking plenty of water before your workout – not just during it – is one of the best moves you can make.

(3)   Plan – Practice should be more than just putting on your equipment and stopping pucks. You should have an idea about what you’d like to work on, what you’d like to get out of practice. What are some areas in your game in which you’d like to improve? What didn’t go so well last practice? How did the pucks go in last game? How is your stickhandling and shooting? Are there any drills that you’d like to suggest to your coach? To get the most out of practice, you need to be less “reactive” (only doing what the coach asks you to work on) and more “proactive” (stepping on the ice with a plan about what you want to work on). A proactive approach to practice (and your whole game for that matter) is especially important when your team doesn’t have a goalie coach. Also important is having a plan for the “downtime” that arises during practice – the time during which goalies aren’t included in drills or in the instruction (e.g., when the forwards are practicing face-offs). If you get an extra ten minutes during or at the end of practice, how will you use that time? 

In the Locker Room 

Although it’s not always feasible, it’s a good idea to give yourself a little extra time in the locker room before practice, whenever you can. Here’s why:

(1)   Stretch – Knowing that you’re going to stretch when you get on the ice, why should you stretch in the locker room? There are several reasons. For one thing, you really can’t stretch too much. This is especially true as you get older and you lose a little of your flexibility. Stretching in the locker room with or without your equipment on will also allow you to target certain muscles that you may not be able to hit when you’re on the ice.  Another reason to stretch before practice is because you never know if you’ll get a chance to stretch on the ice: what happens if, for example, you discover an equipment problem right before you step on the ice and by the time you fix it the practice is already underway? Bottom line is that it never hurts to stretch before practice.

(2)   Equipment check – Extra time before practice will allow you to check your equipment and take care of the little things that often make a big difference. For example, you can use this time to tape your sticks, tighten the screws on your mask, sharpen your skates, and put bandages on your blisters. Plus, you never know when it’s time for your skate lace to snap! 

Warm-up 

The warm-up is one of the most underrated parts of practice, but one of the most important. It is also a time that you don’t want to get caught “going through the motions.” During the warm-up, you’ll want to focus on three things: stretching (again), breaking a sweat, and breaking in your equipment.

(1)   Stretch (again) – Most teams gather at the start of practice to stretch as a group. Ideally, you will have skated a couple of laps so that your muscles are warmed up before this stretch. By all means, do not treat the stretching time as “resting” time. At every session at our camps, we observe many goalies taking this part of the practice seriously, but we see just as many goalies that don’t. Even if you’re tired, force yourself to stretch well. Hold each stretch for at least a six-count, and do not “bounce” or make any sudden movements. You’ll never know when you’re going to push your muscles to the limit during practice (or try-outs, or games).

(2)   Break a sweat – You’ll be more effective in the net once you warm up and get the blood working. And, the best way to avoid cooling off (and catching a chill) during practice is to keep moving!

(3)   Break in your equipment – Not only do you want to take the stiffness out of your equipment, but you also want to use your warm-up to make sure that your equipment is on properly: no straps dragging on the ice, gloves tightened, etc.

During Practice 

The structure of practice depends upon coaching styles, strategy, schedule, and talent levels, among other things. Generalizations are difficult to make. Nevertheless, no matter how your coach designs the practice, here are some suggested things to work on during practice:

(1)   Have a good attitude – Be willing to work on your weak areas and make mistakes. This is often easier said than done as goalies are often judged by the number of pucks that go in the net rather than by technique and effort. There is often a lot of pressure on the goalie to stop everything sent towards the net, which leaves little time for working on skills and experimenting. This is why goalie coaches can be so important to your development. Take criticism and suggestions with an open mind and an eye towards improvement.

(2)   Maintain a high energy level – Show your coach and, most importantly, your teammates that you’re working as hard as they are. Be a leader by setting a good example for your teammates.

(3)   Communicate – Practice time is a great opportunity to work on your communication with your defensemen and even your forwards. Communication is extremely important, and to avoid getting “crossed-up” with your teammates during games, you want to make sure that you aren’t communicating with them for the first time in game-situations. Some important things to communicate with your teammates: how to handle two-on-one situations, what to do with pucks that you stop behind the net, when to cover the puck and take a whistle, how much pressure the other team is putting on you during their fore checks, etc.

(4)   Recognize drills that aren’t designed for goalies – It’s a fact of life that not all drills are good for goalies. And even if the intention is good, drills that aren’t designed properly can be counterproductive to your development.  It goes without saying that you should always try to do your best even when the drill is lousy. However, it is during these lousy drills that you need to focus more on your technique and less on the number of pucks that go in the net.

(5)   Use “downtime” effectively – As mentioned before, “downtime” often pops-up up over the course of a practice. For example, coaches often exclude goalies from forward-only or defenseman-only drills. You essentially have three options during downtime (at the Goalie Academy, we highly recommend the second and third options.)

The first option is to “relax” by sitting unproductively on the ice or talking to someone.

The second option (always preferred to the first option!) is to pay close attention to the instruction in order to learn as much as possible about breakouts, fore-checks, power plays, etc. At first glance, it might seem silly for a goalie to learn about different fore-checking strategies (how many times during your career are you really going to “dump and chase”?), but your ability to play the puck and make smart decisions behind the net will improve when you have an idea of what the other team may throw at you.

The third option is to stay warm by working on something on your own, if possible. You will go a long way towards showing your teammates that you have a good attitude by turning downtime into productive time. While it is not necessary to skate sprints during downtime, it can be a good opportunity to practice your shots (forehand and backhand), to work on your skate saves, to practice trapping pucks against your blocker, to stop pucks without your stick, or to work on any number of other skills.

For almost all of these suggestions, you can work with the other goalie on your team (your buddy). Furthermore, these ideas are much more fun than sitting around on the ice. We would make one suggestion to you during downtime: make as little disruption as possible as you practice your skills so that your coach doesn’t feel as if your noise is competing with his instruction. (For instance, instead of shooting pucks against the boards, “playing catch” with a buddy will give a quieter landing to your shots.)

(6)   At the end of practice (before you leave the ice) – Often, there is some extra time when practice ends but the Zamboni driver hasn’t kicked you off the ice yet. This is a great opportunity to get together with some shooters and take extra shots, and is also one of the best parts of practice. Make sure your form stays solid if your teammates want to have “contests” (e.g., showdowns, best-of-ten shots, etc.) Use a little caution, too. Make sure you are stretched out well enough (especially if your coach has just put you through sprints) so that you don’t succumb to a groin injury if you are participating in “high-stakes” showdowns.

 After practice 

Now is the time to relax – usually. However, as you are putting your equipment away, take note of any equipment problems (dull skates, broken straps, etc.) so that you can take care of them before your next practice or game. Also, pay attention to any bumps and bruises you may have gotten during practice and take care of them if possible.

Things to Remember 

Practice time is precious and often expensive, so don't waste it.  Be proactive at practice – challenge yourself to work on weak areas, and make suggestions about drills to your coach. Maintain a high energy level and work hard. Develop good habits both on and off the ice. And, have fun! Remember the old saying (that we also believe at the Goalie Academy): Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.

 If you have any questions about this article, feel free to e-mail us at the Goalie Academy.

Goalie_Academy@hockeymail.com 

Tom Sablak is a Goalie Academy Instructor.  He is a graduate of Bowdoin College, where he was a key member of the school’s 1993 ECAC Championship team.  Tom played his Prep School Hockey at the prestigious Choate Rosemary Hall School.

Which Goalie Statistics Are Important?

Which Goalie Statistics Are Important?
By Darren Hersh
Taken with permission from http://www.goalieacademy.com/articles/stats.htm
Check out Darren's website www.goalieacademy.com 

The debate over the most important goalie statistic rages on in the goalie world.  To many players, parents and coaches, statistics are far too important and they can get in the way of many important lessons that can be learned from hockey, such as team-work, selflessness and group goals being more important than individual goals.  What I have found to be consistently true is that if the team does well as a group the individual statistics and accolades usually follow.  So we will discuss how goalie statistics can be important for those who use them, but in the end statistics can be very misleading and not as informative as we sometimes believe.  A friend in college once accurately described statistics in a clear way. "What statistics reveal is enticing, but what they conceal is vital!  Consider the 6-foot tall man who drowned in 4 feet of water."  Statistically it would seem impossible, but the key piece of missing information was that the man didn't know how to swim! 

Let's take a look at individual goaltending statistics and analyze both what they reveal and what they conceal and also see how they can be used to help a goalie improve.  First the easiest and probably the most looked at goalie statistic, the Goals Against Average (G.A.A.).  The GAA is obtained simply by dividing the total number of goals a goalie has allowed for the season up to the present by the number of games he/she has played.  For instance, if a goalie has allowed 12 goals after playing 4 full games, his/her GAA would be 3.00 (12/4=3).  This statistic can get a bit more complicated if goalies play only portions of games.  Then the game has to be broken down into a fraction (or decimal is easier for most people) then divide the number of goals by the fraction of games played.  For instance, if we still use the above scenario of a goalie playing 4 games and allowing 12 goals, if that goalie played only two periods of the next contest and allowed 4 more goals, the GAA calculation would be as follows: If an entire game = 1, then 2/3 of that game would equal .66 (likewise 1 period equals .33).  So the goalie has now played 4.66 games and has allowed 16 total goals, thus the GAA is now 16/4.66 = 3.43.  Had the goalie played the entire game and allowed no more goals, the GAA would be 3.2.

So how do we "read" the GAA statistic?  Well, obviously, the less goals allowed per game it is assumed that the better the goalie.  However, as one my figure out, there are many variables that the GAA does not take into consideration.  As an example, it doesn't account for the number of shots a goalie faces in those games.    Two goalies may have a 2.5 GAA, but one goalie faces an average of 40 shots per game while the other faces 15.  Obviously, the goalie who faces an average of 15 shots per game does not have to work as hard to keep the low 2.5 GAA as the other guy, so who is better?  Also, the GAA does not take into consideration the number of high quality shots a goalie faces in the game.  If a team is playing a very tight defensive zone system and only allows the goalie to receive shots from the perimeter of the zone from about 40-50 feet away from the goal, 30 shots in a game is still not that difficult to handle.  However, if the goalie facing 15 shots has 10 of those as breakaways, then the guy or girl receiving the 30 or 40 shots may have had an easier time of it. 

Given the shortcomings of the GAA, a goalie or goalie coach has to use the statistic for what it is worth.  Personally, I like to give goalies a goal to achieve with the GAA.  You have to give a realistically attainable goal based on the team for which they play and for the past or current GAA they already have.  That goal can be adjusted from time to time.  If at the beginning of the year, our goalies have a 3.00 GAA, then I want to get that down to at least 2.75 and maybe even 2.5.  A quarter or half a goal per game difference can result from one or two minor adjustments, especially for junior or college level goalies.  (I set this as a goalie-team aspiration, so that all the goalies on the team work together to improve as a unit.  I do not want to separate the goalies as individuals, they are a team unit!  No matter who is in net, they are working toward the team GAA target objective)  I also want to set a GAA goal for our goalies that will have direct ramifications for the team in the long run.  As a coach, you obviously are working for the team to win, so you want to develop a balance between the team GAA and the team's Goals For statistics.  If you believe that on average your team will get 3 goals, then you obviously want to get a GAA below that to give your team the best chance of winning.  I believe that this is where the GAA is most effective and most important.  It can also be good to give your goalies a game by game GAA and say, "I know the guys will get you 3 goals this game, so 2 is your maximum tonight!"

That takes us to the goalies save percentage which many believe to be the best statistical judge of a goalie's overall performance. The save percentage is achieved by taking the number of saves a goalie makes and dividing it by the total number of shots.  So for instance, a goalie makes 28 saves in a game where he/she saw 29 shots.  You would divide the number of saves by the number of shots to get 28/29 = .966 or 96%.  Obviously, the save percentage is a bit more informative toward the goalies performance since it shows over a long period how many saves a goalie makes based on the number of shots received.  So regardless of the number of shots a goalie receives, it will still tell you if they are making saves. 

An important thing never taken into account in any statistic is the number of quality shots or the number of shots that could be considered Grade A scoring attempts.  Instead, all shots on goal are treated equally as potential goals.  In fact, the definition of a shot on goal is if the goalie were not there, the shot would have been a goal.  This is fine, but there are some shots on goal that could be stopped by people who have never skated in their lives.  A better goalie statistic would be to take the grade A scoring chances and weigh them higher than poor shots on goal so that they are even more valuable.  Then you could achieve a statistic that really shows how effective a goalie is.  I will work on this between now and the next article.

Until then, I believe that the most important statistic for a goalie is the same as the most important stat for a team: Wins and Loses.  You always want the goalie in net who gives your team the best chance to win.  Most of the time it is the guy or gal who has the better GAA or the better Save Percentage.  However, if both stats are equal, then I would turn to the goalie with the highest winning percentage, because that goalie has figured out how to get it done when it counts most; when the game is on the line.  That may be another weighted item in your new equation.  Game saving saves and big saves that occur in tied or close games.  They are certainly worth more than shots that happen when the game is 7-1!

Common Errors Made By Goalies

Common Errors Made By Goalies
By Darren Hersh
Taken with permission from http://www.goalieacademy.com/articles/errors.htm
Check out Darren's website www.goalieacademy.com

The Goalie Academy staff works with hundreds of goalies each year.  And each year, we see many of the same mistakes that are hampering development and increasing goals against averages.  Here we will discuss the most common errors and then we provide tips to help goalies correct the problem:

• Staying Square
• Catching Glove
• Overly Aggressive
• Stick On Ice
• Save Selection
• Recovery

The first problem that the author has seen even at the collegiate level is goalies not STAYING SQUARE to the puck when moving laterally.  It is amazing how many goalies, when moving laterally, skate backward into position with the outside of the pads and the long portion of the skate blade facing the puck.

This is a big problem for many reasons:

1.  Feet are not in a good position to react to a shot on goal
2. Goalie isn't covering as much net as possible
3. Goalie can't react quickly enough to a shot because he/she must pivot and get toes facing the puck before moving toward a shot, which could take too much time

Staying square takes a little extra work on the goalie's part, since it requires the goalie to shuffle (when a player is carrying the puck) and to T-push (when the puck is passed).  It's harder to move laterally and in these technically appropriate ways, but it will ensure that you cover the most cage and that you are set for a shot, especially an unexpected shot.

This problem occurs most often when an opponent skates down the far wing.  This occurs because many goalies  dangerously combine two moves into one, moving laterally and backing into the net.  When the shooter comes down the wing, it is important the goalie continue to stay square with the shooter and follow with the shuffle.  If the shooter then approaches closer to the goal, the goalie must back straight in.  It is incredibly important that goalies realize that they must only back up straight into the net to adjust their angle on breakaways and/or oncoming rushes. If a skater is moving laterally, then the goalie must shuffle in order to remain square to the shooter.  Be very careful not to back up and move laterally (back laterally) at the same time, because doing both will have you backing laterally, which is not staying square.  Goalies need to recognize that they first must shuffle into position and center themselves on the puck, THEN they must back straight in to properly position themselves for close in plays, passes to the slot or an opponent skating behind the goal.   

Goalies, remember these simple rules to ensure that you are square and moving properly:

1. When a player carries the puck, SHUFFLE.
2. When the puck is passed, T-PUSH.
3. ONLY skate backward, if you are moving STRAIGHT BACK.  NEVER skate backward with C cuts when moving laterally!

A second common problem among goalies young and older alike is that the CATCHING GLOVE IS NOT OPEN.  Many goalie don't take advantage of the huge gloves they have on their hand.  When the glove is held out and open so that the forward can see the palm of your hand, you are A. covering more cage behind you and B. you may be dissuading a shooter to shoot on you, especially on the glove side.  By not showing a shooter any net and therefore making him/her make the decision not to shoot, you stop a scoring chance.  It's a statistic that cannot be recorded, but you can have the satisfaction of knowing that someone didn't even attempt to score because you were in such good position and appeared to be invincible!

Keep reminding yourself throughout practices and games to show the shooter the palm of your glove.  Remember to keep the glove:

1. out 
2. open 
3. in proper position

A third familiar problem we see in goalies is that they often COME OUT TOO FAR ON BREAKAWAYS, AND WHILE ACTION IS DOWN AT THE FAR END.

How many times have you seen a goalie stand as far out as the top of the face-off circles or at least past the hash marks in the slot?  I see it way too often.  This strategy does not make rational sense for a couple of reasons:  

• There is no need to come out far only to have to race back into proper position and MAYBE get back in time to stop a breakaway or shot on goal.  You can remain closer to the goal, move less and adequately cut down the angle.
• Moving less creates less holes and it will also ensure that you do not lose your position in the net.
• You can cut down the angle too much.  At a certain point, say 6 feet from the goal line, for every foot the goalie moves out, he/she is only taking away another inch from the shooter's view of the net.  This is not efficiency.  Remember that you are the goaltender and must guard the net.  That means that you need to stay relatively close to it in order to do your job.

So remember to come out and cut down the angle, but don't stray more than 6.5 feet or so away from the goal line.  On breakaways when you need to dissuade a player from shooting, you can come out a bit farther, but hash marks are way too far out, especially for novice skaters.  Be aggressive, but also stay at home! 

A fourth  frequent fault of goalies is that the STICK IS NOT ON THE ICE WHEN MOVING.

This problem is easily solved by realizing that you are doing it and then focusing on leading all movements with your stick on the ice.  A little repetition wouldn't hurt either.

Perhaps I see this problem occur when goalies move from post to post, especially when moving to the stick side.  Some goalies swing their stick in the opposite direction in which they are moving.  Common sense will tell you that this motion slows you down, and more importantly perhaps, leaves your stick in a very improper technical position.

Again, to stop this problem, realize that you are doing it and constantly work on doing your crease movements while leading with your stick on the ice. 

A fifth  flaw among goalies in general is inappropriate SAVE SELECTION.  This issue is a bit in depth and really needs an entire article dedicated solely to the various components (which we will do in the near future).  However, the basis of this problem is as straight forward as goalies making the wrong technical move in certain situations.

Such as:

• Performing a two-pad stack when a player is too far out.
• Performing an "extended butterfly" save on tips and screens.
• Going down in a butterfly when they could have stayed on their feet.

Again, these issues are articles in themselves, but we wanted to at least address them as common errors. It is difficult to do the right thing all the time when you are dealing with split second decisions, but that is why working on doing the right thing in practice trains your mind to do the right thing when the moment arises.

Lastly another normal issue among goalie is RECOVERY.  For goalies that have developed a capacity to recover quickly and with solid technical ability, there is one very common mistake that is made: some goalies do not understand that in many situations, they have more time to recover to their feet than they think.  

Try as much as possible to get to your feet after a save, especially on saves where the rebound has not gone into the corner, but remains in front of the goal line.  It is these situations where you often see goalies sprawling and "swimming" to get into position for the rebound save attempt, because they do not get to their skate blade.  In order to move into any effective position on the ice, the goalie must be on the skate blade.  Often in the situations where the net is left wide open, the goalie, if they work hard in practice and makes themselves quick at recovery, has enough time to get to their feet and push into a better position for the rebound save, even if the goalie doesn't fully recover.

For some goalies, not recovering isn't as much a mistake as it is an inability to recover to the feet in split seconds.  If a goalie has trouble recovering due to a lack of skill, the best way to overcome this deficiency is to 

1. get proper instruction on how to recover 
2. work on conditioning, so recovering from an initial save isn't such a chore
3. work on recovery EVERY day so it becomes easier (conditioning) and you get better at it (develop skill)!

Hope this helps goalies realize some of the common errors that are out there.  If you are doing any of these things, take our tips to try to improve and stop as many pucks as you can!  As always, if you have any questions, contact us at Goalie_Academy@hockeymail.com.

Incorporating Complete Goaltending Skill Development

Incorporating Complete Goaltending Skill Development
By Darren Hersh
Taken with permission from http://www.goalieacademy.com/articles/incorperatingskill.htm
Check out Darren's website www.goalieacademy.com

Introduction

Many times you will here TV broadcasters, coaches and fans describe various goalies as having certain styles such as “stand-up” or “butterfly.”  A problem with this type of labeling is that often coaches and young, developing goalies take these labels literally to mean that a goaltender who resorts to one style or the other is supposed to either ALWAYS stay up on shots or ALWAYS go down in a butterfly to stop shots regardless of what part of the net a shot is headed or what situation the goalie is facing.  This common misconception often leads to serious limitations in a player’s skill development, because the label of the style that they have adopted makes them less receptive to instruction in fundamental goaltending techniques associated with another seemingly conflicting style.

For instance with younger butterfly goalies, techniques such as skate saves, kick saves and two-pad stacks are often completely abandoned.  Conversely, stand-up goalies sometimes come to the conclusion that they should not use butterfly saves or two-pad stacks because they believe that they should always stay on their feet.  In addition, goalies that consider themselves butterfly goalies often overuse moves such as the butterfly save and the paddle down move.  Stand-up goalies also overuse skate saves in situations where other techniques will have a higher percentage chance of success.

The vast majority of the best goalies, those who make it to the college and professional ranks, are actually “hybrid” goalies, meaning that, at the appropriate moment in a game, they have developed and are able to incorporate any and all the fundamental goaltending skill techniques to stop the puck.  They are not limited to any one style, but are able to use the tools of all styles.  The purpose of this research is to relay to the reader the importance of instilling in young, developing goalies a complete, balanced and well-rounded skill set of fundamental goaltending techniques in order to advance their game as far as it can go.  It is also meant to give coaches an understanding of some of the recent changes in the goaltending position and how they should teach these techniques.

Problems with Labeling a Style   

(Butterfly vs. Stand-up vs. Flopper/Scrambler)

In the 1970s and 1980s, the predominant method of goaltending was the stand-up style.  Goalies such as Bernie Parent and other disciples of Jacques Plante recognized the importance of positioning and angles and the value of remaining on the feet as long as possible to continually move into the proper position.  This style was certainly an extreme that has changed to the other extreme since the insurgence of the highly effective goalies, like Patrick Roy and JS Giguere, from the province of Quebec with their latest version of the butterfly style.  At the opposite ends of the spectrum, the labels of stand up and butterfly styles have led many people in the hockey world believe the most common myths that A. goalies should choose a certain style to play, B. these styles are literal explanations and that goalies who are stand up should never go down and goalies who are butterfly should never stay up and C. goalies should stick to their chosen style and not adapt the methods of a style that is perceived to be a competing style.

The danger of this mentality is that goalies are not often receiving the well-rounded technical skill education that will aid in their improvement at the position.  To combat this phenomenon, it is important to dispel the myths about goalie styles and to help the hockey world understand that all goalies must develop all the fundamental skills of goaltending and that each is to be used at certain times and under certain situations.  All the perceived myths about styles are in fact untrue and with a closer analysis of today’s best goalies, one can see that the games best puck stoppers use the proper save in the appropriate situation and the incorporate all of the fundamental techniques such as skate saves, butterflies and two-pad stacks.  Mitch Korn, Goalie Coach of the Nashville Predators and former instructor of Dominic Hasek in Buffalo dispels the first myth that goalies should choose a certain style.  As Korn points out, “In reality, no goaltender is purely one style or another.  They are a hybrid…a combination that depends on the way the goaltender plays different situations.” 1   As Mitch Korn states, goalies are not exclusively one style or another, but they are a combination of all styles.  It is true that goalies are not one style or another exclusively, thus a goalie, especially a young goalie, does not have to choose a certain style or believe that they must stick to the perceived rules of that style.  Goalies must be taught that they need to learn all the “tools of the trade,” because all are used under the appropriate circumstance.

The second myth that must be dismissed is the notion that the labels for goaltending styles are literally explanations.  While it is true that stand-up goalies stay on their feet more often than other goalies is true, but that does not mean that stand up goalies NEVER go down to the ice to stop shots or that they do not use some type of butterfly save such as a half butterfly or a butterfly slide to make saves.  Stand-up goalies, like the recently retired Mike Richter of the New York Rangers often used a half-butterfly or full butterfly to stop shots low on the ice.  In fact, Richter himself credits his long, illustrious career as a USA Olympic and NHL goalie to being able to improve and add more tools to his “goalie toolbox.”2   In 1997, Richter was quoted as saying,

"I'm proud of the fact that I made it to the NHL, but even more proud of the fact that I learned to be a better goaltender. Times change and if you don't change with the times, you're lost. I remember playing for the famed Eddie Shore in the American Hockey League and having him tie me to the crossbar so that I couldn't leave my feet and had to stand up and face the shooter.  But I wouldn't be in the game anymore if I was still a standup goaltender all the way with the way the game is played today -- so much east to west with the European influence we have seen in the way the puck in passed from side to side. Look at the flow of the game, from up and down the wing to a criss-crossing skating and passing game -- especially the quick passing game in front of the net that has forced goalies to go from side to side. Let me tell you, you can't do that if you stand up." 3

At the other end of the spectrum, butterfly goalies like the recently retired Patrick Roy do not necessarily use a type of butterfly for every save, but they too stand up to make glove saves on high shots when it is appropriate and they use other tools in their arsenal to stop pucks from entering the net on low shots such as two-pad stacks.  The labels on styles exist as a way to describe the moves that the goalie performs more often, but those labels should not be taken literally to mean that a goalie ALWAYS stands up OR butterflies.

The third myth that goalies should remain completely within the limitation of their “chosen” method of goaltending and not adapt the methods of another style that is perceived to be a competing approach must also be removed from the thoughts of goalies, their parents and their coaches.  The reason why a goalie does not want to simply adopt a solely stand up style or a butterfly style exclusively is that they both have serious shortcomings that can be overcome by implementing a combination of styles.  For instance, normally stand up goalies cover the top portion of the net effectively, however most of all goals scored (nearly 70% 4) are in the bottom portion of the net below the goalie’s knees.  Thus if a goalie were to always stand up, they have a diminished chance of stopping shots to the corners and sometimes the five-hole (portion between the goalie’s pads.)  Korn adds that on the whole stand up goalies “have trouble with screens, deflections and quick plays around the net and from the slot.” 5

Conversely, a butterfly goalies who drops to the knees before or during a shot, effectively covers the lower portion of the goal where most goals are scored, however they leave the top portion of the net overly exposed.  Joe Bertagna, the former Goalie Coach for the Boston Bruins, describes the shortcomings of an entirely butterfly or “V” style goalie, “The other extreme (to the stand up style) is carried out by the goalie who drops when it is unnecessary.  Committing yourself before the shooter does is a cardinal sin for a goalie.  The goalie is particularly vulnerable to high shots as well as shots through the legs.”6  Thus, a goalie must learn, practice and be ready to use any and all fundamental save techniques to be able to get the job done.  As Jim Corsi, goalie coach for the Buffalo Sabres, and John Hannon, professor of management at the University of Buffalo, point out, “Everything and anything is fair game.  You should use whatever tool is necessary to make the save, even if it appears to conflict with the basic style that supposedly defines you.”7

For these reasons a goalie should not overuse one style or another, but combine the overall fundamental techniques of all styles to reduce his her weaknesses as a net-minder.  Mitch Korn has commented on the importance of goalies using the techniques associated with various goaltending styles, “Ideally, the goalie should take the pluses of each “style” and avoid the minuses in developing his or her own personal method or system of playing goal.” 8 

Teaching and Developing a “Hybrid” Style & Skills             

The key to a goalie’s playing style is the basic ready stance.  The basic ready stance is the starting point of every save.  It is from this starting position that a goalie “explodes” toward the puck in any given direction to place the body or part of the body in front of a shot to make a save.  Just as it is problematic to label a goalie with a certain style for the reasons discussed in the previous section, defining a goalies style by the stance they normally use is also not favorable, because goalies need to use different stances depending on the situation.   As Kevin Constantine, former San Jose Shark, Pittsburgh Penguin and New Jersey Devils coach, points out “Certain stances are better in certain situations.  Each stance has its advantages and disadvantages.  For example, a closed stance is best for handling bad angle shots: the butterfly stance is best in screen and deflection situations; and the open stance is best for lateral movement.  So a goaltender should be ready to use all stances though most goaltenders will be more comfortable with a certain stance.”9  Corsi and Hannon add, “Today’s game has shown (and this is especially evident in the development of Dominik Hasek and Martin Biron) that a goalie must not lock into one particular style.  Your ready stance will identify your starting point, but your save skills should be indifferent to your style.” 10

It is extremely important that coaches realize these differences in stances and that a different stance is used depending on the situation and that they teach these skills to their goalies.  Because differences in the goalie’s starting position make certain types of fundamental saves easier for goalies, coaches must work on these different stances with their goalies and especially they must inform them and practice the situations in which they will use them.  For instance, when a goalie stands with the legs far a part leaving a large “five-hole”  (Constantine’s “butterfly stance”), he/she is more apt to use the full butterfly save because the stance facilitates dropping to the knees to cover that hole.  Furthermore, a wide open stance of that nature already covers the low corners of the net (especially with goalies bigger in size), so skate saves or kick saves to cover those areas is often not necessary.  The butterfly stance should be used for tips/deflections, screens and in plays close to the goal where low shots are more likely and for situations that transpire directly in front of the goal where a shooter see more of the net.  By using the butterfly stance and style in these situations, goalies will have a higher percentage of success.

On the other hand, when a goalie stands with the legs closer together and does not give the shooter a large five-hole at which to shoot (Constantine’s “closed stance”), he/she is likely to be more inclined to close the five-hole in a standing position by bringing one leg in rather than going down in the full butterfly to close the five-hole.  Additionally, a more upright standing goalie will give more space low to the corners and thus will tend to use skate saves and kick saves to cover the low corners.  Situation where a goalie is more likely to use the closed stance is for very sharp, off-angle plays where a shooter does not have much net at which to shoot except the five-hole.  In these situations, a goalie does not want to give up more of the five-hole than is necessary nor does he/she want to have such a wide stance that the leg pads are outside of the posts and not covering the net.  Also, a closed stance is more beneficial for a goalie when the play is farther from the net as well.  A goalie will have to travel farther to get into the appropriate position when passes are made from far out or dump ins around the boards are made and a closed stance allows for greater lateral movement.  Also, with a closed stance, a goalie can more easily transition to the outside edge of the skate for a skate save.  Thus, a closed stance is better to field for long shots, low to the corner, where there is no traffic in front of the goalie.

A coach must help goalies understand that certain saves are better than others in certain situations and these saves are more easily performed if they are begun with different basic stances.  Thus, a goalie must have different stances in different situations so that he/she may transition to the appropriate save at the appropriate moment.

A Complete Development Program

Developing hockey skills is similar to learning to drive a car in that all the skills must be developed at the same time or the results can be less than desirable.  When learning to drive, you did not learn how to press the gas one day without learning how to apply the break that same day.  You had to learn about steering, using the directional and changing gears at the same time as well.  It is no different developing a goalie.  All the skills must be taught and practiced constantly in order to develop a complete goalie like you would a complete driver, one who is ready for and can react to any situation no matter how unexpected and “dangerous” it can be.

To develop a complete goalie, it is important to institute a weekly plan that incorporates all the fundamental tools a goalie will need and then you must follow that plan.  Although skating is the most important skill, all the other skills must also be developed in conjunction with skating so that the goalie is well rounded skill-wise.  Francois Allaire, famous NHL goalie coach to Patrick Roy in Montreal and to JS Giguere in Anaheim, has built a year-round development timetable and plan for young goalies that includes off-ice as well as on-ice training.  The table below describes the plan in terms of time periods and the type of training that is to be completed during that time:

Period	Pre-season	Season	Playoffs	Post-Season
Month	July & August	Sept thru Feb	March & April	May & June
On-Ice		Skating Tech. Basic Saves On-Ice Evaluations	Basic Saves
Off-Ice	Off-Ice Training Group Sports	Off-Ice Training Off-Ice Evaluations		Group Sports Individual Sports

11

For the purpose of this research project, the focus is on the in-season, on-ice training.  As Allaire shows in his graph, skating techniques and the basic save techniques must be taught, practiced, reinforced and evaluated in combination throughout the season.  The different basic save techniques are also reinforced throughout the playoffs indicating their overall importance to the position.

It is important to add more detail to Coach Allaire’s table to include a weekly and monthly practice routine of all the actual basic save techniques.  The coach must also be sure to teach the goalie and to practice the various situations in which the fundamental save skills should be performed.  A coach must also explain the different basic stances and the situations in which they should be used as was outlined in the previous section (butterfly for close in situations, screens, deflections, and grade a scoring areas and the closed stance for sharp angles and situations that are farther from the net).  A coach’s monthly goalie practice routine should be as follows (assuming a proper USA Hockey practice to game ratio of 2 or 3 practices to every 1 game 12):

Week	Day	Save Tech.	Shot Type	Stance Type
1	1	Stick & Skate	Low & corners	Closed
1	1	Butterflies: ½, Full & Extended	Low	Butterfly
1	1	Angles	All	Hybrid
1	2	2-pad stacks	Close pass	Hybrid
1	2	Butterfly Slide	Int. Pass	Butterfly
1	2	Recovery	N/A	Closed
1	2	Tips & Screen	Low tip	Butterfly
1 or 2	3 or 1	Breakaways	All	Hybrid
1 or 2	3 or 1	Gloves	High	Closed
1 or 2	3 or 1	Behind Net	Pass out	Butterfly
1 or 2	3 or 1	Rebounds	All	Hybrid

The save techniques that are to be incorporated in the coaches weekly training plan for the goalie includes all the basic save techniques and various save situations in which the goalie will encounter in any given game.  These techniques should be repeated on a weekly basis so that the goalie properly develops each skill for a well-balanced “tool kit.”

Lastly, the coach should be sure to continually evaluate the goalie’s performances and his/her progress.  Ensure that the goalie can perform all skills equally as well both left and right to add to the balance of the goalies skills.

Conclusion

A well-balanced approach to a young goalie’s skill development will help goalies excel in the long run.  Although some professional and college goalies

Adopt a specific stand-up, but mostly butterfly style, the vast majority have developed all the technical skills required to play the position effectively, which is why they have attained the levels they have.  Those goalies that have become strictly butterfly goalies have some important intangible strengths that allow them to adopt a specific style such as above average height and impeccable anticipation.  Young goalies are usually not physically developed enough nor do they have the experience to anticipate plays that would allow them to implement a strictly butterfly style.  Thus, coaches have to ensure that they educate goalies to know that they must develop all the fundamental skills and know when to use them.  They should not use style labels that could be misconstrued by their goalies.

References 

1.      Korn, Mitch. Goaltender Manual: A Guide for Players, Coaches and Parents. Goaltending Styles. Buffalo: Self-published, 1996.

2.      Corsi, Jim and Hannon, John.  The Hockey Goalie’s Handbook. New York: Contemporary Books, 2002. P69.

3.      Wigge, Larry. Richter Ranks with the Elite. NHL.com article.  9/4/2003.

4.      Korn, Mitch. Goaltender Manual: A Guide for Players, Coaches and Parents. Goaltending Styles. Buffalo: Self-published, 1996.

5.      Korn, Mitch. Goaltender Manual: A Guide for Players, Coaches and Parents. Goaltending Styles. Buffalo: Self-published, 1996.

6.      Bertagna, Joseph. Goaltending: A Complete Handbook for Goalies and

Coaches. Cambridge, MA: Cosmos Press, Inc, 1976. Pp.20-21.

7.      Corsi, Jim and Hannon, John.  The Hockey Goalie’s Handbook. New York: Contemporary Books, 2002. P49.

8.      Korn, Mitch. Goaltender Manual: A Guide for Players, Coaches and Parents. Goaltending Styles. Buffalo: Self-published, 1996.

9.      Constantine, Kevin. Goaltending: Fundamentals and Drills. Self published. P.12.

10.  Corsi, Jim and Hannon, John.  The Hockey Goalie’s Handbook. New York: Contemporary Books, 2002. P49.

11.  Allaire, Francois. Hockey Goaltending for Young Players: An Instructional Guide. Buffalo, Firefly Books, 1995. P.17.

12.  USA Hockey. 2001-2003 Official Rules of Ice Hockey. Chicago, Triumph Books, 2001. P.ix