Comments on: 4 Things Coaches Do to Harm a Goaltender’s Mental Game (without knowing it)! http://www.coachchic.com/4-things-coaches-do-to-harm-a-goaltenders-mental-game-without-knowing-it/ The place to come for REAL results! Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:29:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Dennis Chighisola http://www.coachchic.com/4-things-coaches-do-to-harm-a-goaltenders-mental-game-without-knowing-it/comment-page-1/#comment-2173 Dennis Chighisola Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:13:20 +0000 http://www.coachchic.com/?p=4051#comment-2173 My reason for delay in answering you, Pauline, is that I really don't have a great solution to what you've outline. The problem, as I see it (over about 40-years), is that you've pretty much described the norm. Oh, I know any parent (like you) is going to think such things only happen within the one team, but that's far from the truth. Again, it's been the norm as I've gotten around numerous rinks over numerous years. As a coach, I've been aware of that stuff for probably the last three quarters of my career. So I take my goaltenders into consideration when I design each practice plan, and I even consider how they'll get rest between some of the more intense drills. What I've also done is (whenever I can) have a goalie coach present at all practices. (With young goalies, this doesn't have to be a true specialist, but someone who can still dig through texts to help the kid/s.) This ensures my goalers are getting attention for the entire practice, and it also ensures that I don't have to make every drill in an hour be a shooting drill (whatever). As a parent, I guess it has always been easier that my two guys (a son and then a grandson) were skaters. So, while I bit my lip most of the time and just shrugged at wasted practice times I had to watch, I knew I could help the both of them away from their team practices. All that said, I promise to think more on this from a goaltender's perspective, as I also hope others might jump in here. Help!!! ;) My reason for delay in answering you, Pauline, is that I really don’t have a great solution to what you’ve outline. The problem, as I see it (over about 40-years), is that you’ve pretty much described the norm. Oh, I know any parent (like you) is going to think such things only happen within the one team, but that’s far from the truth. Again, it’s been the norm as I’ve gotten around numerous rinks over numerous years.

As a coach, I’ve been aware of that stuff for probably the last three quarters of my career. So I take my goaltenders into consideration when I design each practice plan, and I even consider how they’ll get rest between some of the more intense drills. What I’ve also done is (whenever I can) have a goalie coach present at all practices. (With young goalies, this doesn’t have to be a true specialist, but someone who can still dig through texts to help the kid/s.) This ensures my goalers are getting attention for the entire practice, and it also ensures that I don’t have to make every drill in an hour be a shooting drill (whatever).

As a parent, I guess it has always been easier that my two guys (a son and then a grandson) were skaters. So, while I bit my lip most of the time and just shrugged at wasted practice times I had to watch, I knew I could help the both of them away from their team practices.

All that said, I promise to think more on this from a goaltender’s perspective, as I also hope others might jump in here. Help!!! ;)

]]> By: Pauline http://www.coachchic.com/4-things-coaches-do-to-harm-a-goaltenders-mental-game-without-knowing-it/comment-page-1/#comment-2170 Pauline Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:05:57 +0000 http://www.coachchic.com/?p=4051#comment-2170 I think a goalies 'mental' game can be affected even before a game! Our U10 goalie, has just been on a fantastic goalie camp here in the UK (Nathan Craze Elite Goaltending) , learning specific goalie techniques, warmups, moves, mental training, positioning, nutrition, etc., etc. When he arrives for team training - he has to do skating drill with the regular players - with no allowance for his specific goalie warmups that are required in order that injuries to him don't happen. Being a hockey mum, but also a team manager and a player myself - i must say that I find it quite insulting that when I asked the coach if my son could do his specific goalie warm ups instead of the skating drills - I more or less got told to * off and that he needed to do the skating drills - end of. After that, training continued, and my goalie then becomes target practice - Not in my mind developing the goalie at all. His knowledge learnt at his camp - which was an immensley intense week - I am worried will be forgotten as he hasn't been allowed to cement what he has learnt into his training session, and it feels as though the main coaches aren't interested in him - he's just the goalie after all. With the season about to start, and almost 40 games lined up for him (yes 40, as he's playing U10's and U12's), I find it quite upsetting and unbelievable! Goalies should be treasured & developed and looked after as there is an awful alot of pressure on them during a game and they are very much a one man band at the end of the day who are trying to pull back a game if their defence isn't so hot! So I guess what will be will be for this season. We've pulled him from training for a couple of sessions, as the last time one of his team mates ran into him & causd him to injure his shoulder - something else that doesn't get addressed - players getting into his crease!! aaarrgghhh! All this really can't be good for his mental edge... can it? Ok - that's my rant over! P Hockey Mum / Player / Manager! I think a goalies ‘mental’ game can be affected even before a game!
Our U10 goalie, has just been on a fantastic goalie camp here in the UK (Nathan Craze Elite Goaltending) , learning specific goalie techniques, warmups, moves, mental training, positioning, nutrition, etc., etc.
When he arrives for team training – he has to do skating drill with the regular players – with no allowance for his specific goalie warmups that are required in order that injuries to him don’t happen.
Being a hockey mum, but also a team manager and a player myself – i must say that I find it quite insulting that when I asked the coach if my son could do his specific goalie warm ups instead of the skating drills – I more or less got told to * off and that he needed to do the skating drills – end of. After that, training continued, and my goalie then becomes target practice – Not in my mind developing the goalie at all.
His knowledge learnt at his camp – which was an immensley intense week – I am worried will be forgotten as he hasn’t been allowed to cement what he has learnt into his training session, and it feels as though the main coaches aren’t interested in him – he’s just the goalie after all.
With the season about to start, and almost 40 games lined up for him (yes 40, as he’s playing U10′s and U12′s), I find it quite upsetting and unbelievable!

Goalies should be treasured & developed and looked after as there is an awful alot of pressure on them during a game and they are very much a one man band at the end of the day who are trying to pull back a game if their defence isn’t so hot!

So I guess what will be will be for this season. We’ve pulled him from training for a couple of sessions, as the last time one of his team mates ran into him & causd him to injure his shoulder – something else that doesn’t get addressed – players getting into his crease!! aaarrgghhh!

All this really can’t be good for his mental edge… can it?

Ok – that’s my rant over!

P
Hockey Mum / Player / Manager!

]]> By: Todd Jacobson http://www.coachchic.com/4-things-coaches-do-to-harm-a-goaltenders-mental-game-without-knowing-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1187 Todd Jacobson Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:52:18 +0000 http://www.coachchic.com/?p=4051#comment-1187 Coach Johnson, Great Article. I'm a high school coach and a goaltending instructor and two stories come to mind reading your article. On pulling a goaltender. 2 seasons ago we won a league championship with two pretty solid goaltenders. We qualified for our state tournament and faced the #1 seed in the first round game. I started my Senior who stole a game against the top team in our league earlier in the year which allowed us to win the league. She gave up a goal early on a shot that handcuffed her, then a second one on a scramble in front and a third goal that was actually kicked in but allowed. All this in the first 6 minutes of the game. I had to make the change. I sent my Junior in to play already down 3-0 on the road in a hostile environment. I knew the Senior was upset on the bench. I waited a minute or two then walked down the bench leaned over and said in her ear "You're one of the main reasons why we are here tonight, you have nothing to hang your head about". After the game while being interviewed by a local newspaper I told the reporter that was the hardest decision I have had to make in 17 years of coaching. I did get a chance to speak with her after the game and she told me I made the right decision taking her out. I also used to tell both of them about two days before the game who was going to start. I felt that a few days notice was good for them to prepare mentally and physically for that specific team. Keep up the good work, Coach J. Coach Johnson, Great Article. I’m a high school coach and a goaltending instructor and two stories come to mind reading your article. On pulling a goaltender. 2 seasons ago we won a league championship with two pretty solid goaltenders. We qualified for our state tournament and faced the #1 seed in the first round game. I started my Senior who stole a game against the top team in our league earlier in the year which allowed us to win the league. She gave up a goal early on a shot that handcuffed her, then a second one on a scramble in front and a third goal that was actually kicked in but allowed. All this in the first 6 minutes of the game. I had to make the change. I sent my Junior in to play already down 3-0 on the road in a hostile environment. I knew the Senior was upset on the bench. I waited a minute or two then walked down the bench leaned over and said in her ear “You’re one of the main reasons why we are here tonight, you have nothing to hang your head about”. After the game while being interviewed by a local newspaper I told the reporter that was the hardest decision I have had to make in 17 years of coaching. I did get a chance to speak with her after the game and she told me I made the right decision taking her out. I also used to tell both of them about two days before the game who was going to start. I felt that a few days notice was good for them to prepare mentally and physically for that specific team.

Keep up the good work,
Coach J.

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