What scenerio would you rather see for your child?
1) Being a goalie on a strong team, not being tested much, but winning most games and receiving a shutout
OR
2) Being on a weak team and facing a tremendous amount of shots per game.

Personally, I prefer option 2 from the development aspect. My kid's are generally thick-skinned and can take it, but I have been questioned for making this decision as my D has had both options open to her.
We tried out for 2 different centers, and we chose the center where I felt she would develop the best and not be a prop in the net of a sandbagging team.

She doesn't win every game and has yet to get a shut-out. Her confidence seems fine, and her SV% is phenomenal. She is also the only goalie, where as she would have had to share net-minding duties on the better team.

Like any kid, she has lamented about how well the other team is doing. It is tough for her when she sees them skate away with the hardware.

My daughter is now Midget aged and has been on strong and week teams. While she was never on a team so strong as her play didn't matter, those years she probably developed least. She also developed most the years she was the only goalie. So depending on her age your choice was likely wise, as long as her confidence doesn't take too much of a beating.
Eventually, if she wants to progress, she will need to play on a team with 2 goalies to learn the system.

She is in 2nd year peewee right now, playing for the 2nd team in our association. I do hope that she will be sharing the net-minding duties next year at Bantam as I feel that it is important to her development as well.
We did have another goalie at the beginning of the season, but her parents summed up the team in front of her as "useless" and they bailed for another center.
I figure she is facing 30-35 shots a game, so if she can hang in there, she'll be that much stronger for it.

Thanks goaliiecoach for your input, much appreciated.

Your Goaler seems to have a pretty good gig going.
Lots of pipe time and lotsa rubber.
Ain't that be what a tender lives for?
As a PW, it's perfect.
Once she advances, and the games become much more demanding, I'm sure she'll appreciate pine time.

And do you really give a rat's a$$ that other's question your decisions?
No need to justify nuttin' to nobuddy.
Perhaps they're asking because they also see the results .........

Enjoy.

JAD

As a Goalie Coach and Goalie Parent I would say the worst thing for a Goalie's development is watching a game from ice level. But it is equally hard on a Goalie to never win. Once the kids get to Bantam they realize if they are really contributing or just taking up space in the net. I would suggest in the minor year play for a weak team getting lots of rubber and make sure she is getting good quality instruction. If the goalie coach never watches a game she plays this is not a good goalie coach. Then in the Major year put the goalie on the team where she can make a difference middle of the pack. Nothing like the look on a goalie's face after a game when they know they made the difference. And if you want your Goalie noticed stealing a game or two in a tournament will do this.

I prefer to have my D play on a slightly weaker team. She seems to thrive in this situation.

The other consideration to make in the entire decision is the strength of the team in front of them.

While you may only get a limited number of shots during a game, you will get lots of rubber from strong shooters during practices.

And as long as you get more practices than games, you'll develop as much or more from the practices than you will from the games.

As others have said, there is no right answer -- personal preferences, coaching, and gut instinct will tell you which is best.

Puck, pucks,pucks......the more the better. A one goalie ststem is ideal for a young goalie as they play all games. A weaker team is also best for development as they will see more pucks.....nothing mimics games, practice is good but game pressure and situations are where a player learns.

As always.....proper instruction is key! As goalies need to learn goalie movements and save selection, rebound conrol and tracking the puck. Playing other sports that are highly involved is also recommended. Encourage them to play the puck and handle the puck as much as possible, passing skills are an important skill set that a top goalie will have.

Key is parents......talk about a game for only a very short time, be supportive and realistic and keep fun in the game.





Play hard, play fair


The Diceman

My D has progressed through the ranks as in now playing PW. I agree pretty much with the advice given. Facing lots of rubber is the only way to progress but this must be intertwined with what Dice says....good instruction. Do not rely on getting proper instruction from your team unless you have a dedicated goalie coach. A goalie can "get by" in the early stages as, frankly, the shooters are not very good but it is all about learning proper technique because I can verify the shooters are going to get better and better every year! Three words of advice...Keep it Fun!

Great advise from everyone! This is what is so great about this forum.

Having a D in the net since 2001 in boys H/L for the first 3 seasons, then switching to girls for a season of H/L, moving up to Competitive after only one season, now in the P, I would have to agree with Dice totally, as he said it perfectly. Facing a ton of rubber is the best way to develop. Never ride a goalie about a missed goal is the best way to keep her positive. Before all games let her focus and stay light hearted when talking about the game at hand. Just play one period at a time, don't think the entire game through as it will likely not go as you expect. If things are going badly, don't jump on the bandwagon, like us, they already know. If a player has a bad game, she just doesn't score, if a goalie has a bad game, your team loses. When you are the goalie, it is a very lonely place to be when it goes bad. Give no time to the rightious people who question, WHAT HAPPENED? Also, when they do a GREAT save, remind them with huge smiles of encouragement when you get to the car. Like us at work and them at school, a well rested goalie will play much better. To be blessed by intelligent long term thinking coaches, as we have always had, is a huge bonus as well. Above all, as Dice said, "keep it fun", and also in perspective. All of our daughters in hockey are willing to put their hearts on the line for us to criticize, so go gently on the criticizing and huge on the success stories.

No, seeing a lot of rubber in a game is bad. All comments that support playing for a so-so team are out to lunch.
You have to remember that more puck action is take in the 2 or 3, 1 1/2 hour practices a week than in the half hour or so game. If the team is the best than the shooters in practice will be the best. Play for the best and then bathe in the victories. Winning is good.

I have seen more ineffective practices for goalies in my life then effective practices.....and nothing mimics real game situation better then real games. Pucks and lots of them in a real game....



Play hard, play fair


The Diceman

If one is playing on a winning team, I bet the practices are are well run. To throw out a general statement like you did Dice is not doing the up and comers any good. On a WINNING team a Goalie would look at 300+ quality shots per practice whereas a game 40+/- so-so shots. A WINNING team usually WINS and this is FUN and GOOD. SO 40 +/- shots turn into 15-20 shots in a game. Play with the WINNER!!!

Except, in game situations there is limited to no opportunity to correct bad habits, i.e dropping too soon, over committing etc.. Goalie coaches can step in in a practice to re-inforce proper technique but can't do that in a game.

The point is that you need to get some good game experience in on top of good training. It is absolutely useless to play for a team with such a strong defense that you might get 5 shots in an entire game. You can never replace the intensity of a real game situation with a practice environment. Most teams do not have a full time goalie coach anyways - even the best teams. Those that do, usually assign one of the parents as the goalie coach and do not know what they are doing. Sure your daughter will see better shots during practice, but with lack of coaching this will be almost useless. In any event you need to pay for a quality goalie coach that provides one-on-one instruction. It is the only way your daughter is going to improve.

I reside on the earth, you I am not so sure of.....at a young age Goalies need live pucks....as there is no way to mimic games in practices......at Midget is when I would start looking for a quality team.


Like I said in another post......I have seen far to many practices that hurt goalies as many coaches have no idea on how to design a drill that is good for goalies. To many coaches goalies are shooting targets.



Play hard, play fair


The Diceman

I guess by your observations Dice, one should have their daughters play on a team that can't hit the net.

On My earth at a young age goalies should try to play on teams that will give up lots of shots as they will develop much faster when facing lots of shots in a game....it really is not that hard to comprehend.

It is similar to players play at a skill level that they can not contribute at.....they also will not develop as they should. As a young player the focus should be on development. Place your daughter on a team that has a coach that focuses on Development and not on Win's and losses. There are many coaches who win hockey games coaching at the younger level who do not develop all of their players. These coaches think that they are coaching in the NHL or that some scout is watching and they will be offered a job coaching......it is not about you. It is about the players, develop them all, play them all. I hate the mentality that this is Rep hockey and we are playing to win....horse crap....it is a recreational sport and the players are paying to play not watch!

You talk about practices on a good team being better then games as they face quality shots......but I say in most cases that you are incorrect. Not many practices are ran by a coach who understands how to design drills that are effective for a goalie. Even if the goalie gets lucky and has a coach that can run drills that will help a goalie, there is no substitution for games, as there is pressure during a game and not in practice.

A great goalie does not like to get scored on.....even in practices, but if the drills are ran the way most are in practices it hurts more then helps the goalies as pucks are being shot from everywhere without the goalie being ready, drills lack timing and in many cases there is no finishing of pucks and in some cases there is never a finishing of pucks incorporated into a drill. The goalie is not practicing controlling rebounds and freezing the puck to stop the play. The drills simply have a player shoot or deke a goalie without enough space between players so the goalie can get set. I can write more but most can get the jest of what I'm communicating.

So in my humble but experienced opinion, a goalie will develop better and faster when facing a lot of pucks.



Play hard, play fair


The Diceman