tips for youth goalies
over the years I have seen hundreds of games at the youth level. I am always surprised by the number of players in the cage with poor fundamental skills, poor techniques, and little knowledge of the position.
being a goalie myself, I know that although many of us have played this great sport, only a small percentage have actually spent any time between the pipes. most youth coaches don't have the knowledge or the time to spend on goalie development
In the most basic of terms, here are 3 key pointers to teach young players as they experience one of the most unique positions in all sports.
1/ holding the stick correctly.
one of the most overlooked fundamental skills is simply the way they hold the stick. it should be held with the thumb and forefinger or with two fingers and the thumb. choking the stick or a full hand grip limits flexibility.
the hands must be 12-14 inches apart, with the top hand near or on the plastic "throat". I teach goalies the "eye, thumb, ball" method. make sure the stick is kept at eye level, use the thumb as a gauge how high to hold the stick head. a low stick means a goalie has to make two moves to make a save. if you have to make a move up then over its too late. make sure the arms are away from the body and the bottom hand is extended further out then the top.
note: tapping the pipes too much is a bad habit and spinning the goalie stick should be discouraged as well.
2/ footwork.
unfortunately i have seen youth goalies jumping all around the cage, wandering outside the pipes, standing out in front 3 -4 yards, or standing in the middle when the ball is at GLE.
I stress the "short track" or just a slight arc for youth keepers. the less movement from pipe to pipe the better. they also need to learn at a early age how important it is to step towards every save. drills teaching kids to step every time are critical to making saves and developing an "attack the ball" mentality. I stress sticking tight to the pipe as long as possible to goalies this age. young shooters tend to get nervous when moving towards the hole area and miss wide quite a bit. staying on that post decreases shooting angles and increases saves.
3/ warm up and practice shots
youth goalies are generally inexperienced. they need shots they can save and need to be told where they are coming from. warm ups are for goalies NOT SHOOTERS. it is crutial to take the time to warm up goalies thoroughly. start with easy shots 8-10 in each area. start stick high, then in progression, off stick high, stick side hip, off stick hip, stick side low, off stick low, bounce shots and finally 5 hole. I use the same progression every time. take this time to teach stance, stepping, stick position, etc. if you don't have enough time reduce the shots to 5 or 6 in each spot.
shoot with tennis balls to eliminate young keepers from ducking, blinking, and fear of the ball.
I must thank Jon Weston, Bill Pilat, and Mark Ward for their excellent teaching clinics, camps, and DVD's. Many of my teaching skills have been "borrowed" from them.
i will list some great drills soon to help them improve...
being a goalie myself, I know that although many of us have played this great sport, only a small percentage have actually spent any time between the pipes. most youth coaches don't have the knowledge or the time to spend on goalie development
In the most basic of terms, here are 3 key pointers to teach young players as they experience one of the most unique positions in all sports.
1/ holding the stick correctly.
one of the most overlooked fundamental skills is simply the way they hold the stick. it should be held with the thumb and forefinger or with two fingers and the thumb. choking the stick or a full hand grip limits flexibility.
the hands must be 12-14 inches apart, with the top hand near or on the plastic "throat". I teach goalies the "eye, thumb, ball" method. make sure the stick is kept at eye level, use the thumb as a gauge how high to hold the stick head. a low stick means a goalie has to make two moves to make a save. if you have to make a move up then over its too late. make sure the arms are away from the body and the bottom hand is extended further out then the top.
note: tapping the pipes too much is a bad habit and spinning the goalie stick should be discouraged as well.
2/ footwork.
unfortunately i have seen youth goalies jumping all around the cage, wandering outside the pipes, standing out in front 3 -4 yards, or standing in the middle when the ball is at GLE.
I stress the "short track" or just a slight arc for youth keepers. the less movement from pipe to pipe the better. they also need to learn at a early age how important it is to step towards every save. drills teaching kids to step every time are critical to making saves and developing an "attack the ball" mentality. I stress sticking tight to the pipe as long as possible to goalies this age. young shooters tend to get nervous when moving towards the hole area and miss wide quite a bit. staying on that post decreases shooting angles and increases saves.
3/ warm up and practice shots
youth goalies are generally inexperienced. they need shots they can save and need to be told where they are coming from. warm ups are for goalies NOT SHOOTERS. it is crutial to take the time to warm up goalies thoroughly. start with easy shots 8-10 in each area. start stick high, then in progression, off stick high, stick side hip, off stick hip, stick side low, off stick low, bounce shots and finally 5 hole. I use the same progression every time. take this time to teach stance, stepping, stick position, etc. if you don't have enough time reduce the shots to 5 or 6 in each spot.
shoot with tennis balls to eliminate young keepers from ducking, blinking, and fear of the ball.
I must thank Jon Weston, Bill Pilat, and Mark Ward for their excellent teaching clinics, camps, and DVD's. Many of my teaching skills have been "borrowed" from them.
i will list some great drills soon to help them improve...
posted by 313 LACROSSE at
1:54 PM
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