Things You'll Need:
- At least a basic understanding of the goaltending position
- Patience (for your students)
- Patience (with their parents)
- Supportive nature
- Encouraging nature
- Library card and or a computer
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Step 1
Even if your understanding of hockey, or even goaltending is excellent, you must remember you are instructing new youth goalies. So hit the local library for books about just that, coaching youth hockey, to get ideas on how to effectively communicate your knowledge. The internet is also a virtually limitless source of information. Change up your search to pull up different perspectives. Try searching "coaching youth hockey"; then modify it to "coaching youth hockey goalies," or even "goalie techniques."
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Step 2
“Welcome” your new goalies to the position. Let them know how valuable they will be to the team. Unfortunately in Youth Hockey coaches will sometimes put lesser skaters as their goalies. Worse yet, once these players are assigned as goalies, they most times simply become “targets” This can lead to discouragement and frustration, so letting them know from day one that you will be working with them will help boost their confidence.
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Step 3
Encourage them to get as much skating practice as possible. Skating at team practices will not be enough and even if they are a decent skater, the position of goalie requires additional skating skills. They will have to be able to cut and change direction quickly, be better balanced so if they drop to the ice they can get up quickly. Skating backwards strongly will also be a big plus in their development.
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Step 4
Do not coach a particular style at first, possible at all in a first year depending upon the age group. New youth goalies must first learn proper positioning and basic technique before worrying about being a butterfly goalie, stand-up goalie or even a paddle-down goalie. Teach and drill into them “See the Puck, Stop the Puck.” It doesn’t have to be fancy, just effective.
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Step 5
Encourage them to watch more accomplished goalies as much as possible. If your city has a professional team, or even a minor league team they will learn so much by watching the position be played. A word of caution, this can not be done by watching hockey on television. High School hockey games are an inexpensive way to expose youth goalies to how the position should be played.
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Step 6
Give them “dry land” exercises or skill sharpening drills they can do at home to help improve on the ice. Some examples include the following:
1. Tell them to try Ping Pong for hand/eye coordination.
2. While the goalie is on his or her knees, have someone one-bounce balls off a wall from behind them so that they make quick reactions to catch or block them.
3. Have the goalie put leg pads on; then have someone shoot balls or pucks at the goalie's legs. The more the goalie gets hit with pucks or balls, the quicker he or she will get used to being hit--and then concentrate on stopping them. -
Step 7
Make an appointment with your new goalie’s parents to discuss what is coming. Unfortunately, at the youth hockey level, a goalie can be blamed by teammates and even their parents for the whole team’s performance. It is unfair and can be very difficult for the parents of the goalie to see and hear. If they know that your support and encouragement will be strong, it will help them deal with the rough times. It is very important that they know there will be rough times in and out of the net.
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Step 8
Meet with your new goalie and their parents together to go over the practice expectations at and away from the rink. Discuss the uniqueness of the position and how it is viewed by teammates and opponents. Encourage their questions and answer them as honestly as possible.
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Step 9
Provide your goalie with a detailed performance “report card” at the end of the season and provide them and their parents with some information on hockey skills camps specifically for goalies of all ages they might be interested in if they are serious about the position.
