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Generally,
goaltenders are on the ice each day for 2 hours during the morning
session and 2 hours during the afternoon session. During these times
goaltenders will receive intense training which focuses on their: Skating
Skills, Movement and Balance, Angles and Positioning, Save Techniques,
Recovery and Reflexes, Puck Control, and much more...
Skating
Skills:
Strong skating skills are one of the most valued assets a
goaltender can possess. Everything a goaltender does, relies on
this skill… movement,
positioning, balance and recovery. These are all important
elements to good goaltending. Therefore, this is why 30% to 50%
of our program focuses on proper skating techniques. |
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Movement
and Balance:
Whether a goaltender is moving from side to side or making a save,
proper techniques are important to ensure that balance is maintained,
and recovery for the next shot is possible. |
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Angles and
Positioning:
Being at the right place, at the right time, makes goaltending easier.
Many goaltenders have the notion that playing far out from their crease
is better for cutting down the angle. Likewise, playing deep inside
their crease allows more time to react to the shot. These are
misconceptions, as there is a fine line between playing out too far and
playing in too deep. |
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Save
Techniques:
There are many different ways to stop a puck. Some methods are favored
more than others. In our program we teach our students to be versatile,
so that they may be better equipped to deal with different game
situations and challenges.
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Recovery and
Reflexes:
Stopping the first shot can sometimes be a challenge, but not being in
the position to recover, or have the reflexes to react to a rebound,
makes it nearly impossible to stop the second shot. The importance of
these elements does not go unnoticed at Muskoka Goalie School, as we train our goaltenders to focus and
follow through with the save as if they are in a game situation.
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Puck
Control:
Steering the puck to the corner with his/her pads, skates, or stick, or
passing to a teammate, are all very important parts of a goaltenders
game. Students will be exposed to various game situations in which to
use any one of these techniques, and appreciate the fact that
goaltending is not just about stopping pucks.
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And
Much More:
In light of what has just been mentioned about our program, there is
much more….communication, dealing with victory and defeat, and
understanding that you are a team player, are all topics that are dealt
with at Muskoka Goalie School.
This aside, the most important concept to understand, is that hockey is
a game and games are meant to be fun.
In
addition, there are Skills
Competitions throughout the week. These are designed to help the
goaltenders develop their skating and puck handling skills. It’s a
race against time as goaltenders have fun and compete with their peers. |
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