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Mid Season Form
By Richard Shulmistra

Now that the holidays have come on gone, let’s discuss some goaltending for the push to the playoffs. Normally, the holidays are filled with Christmas tournaments, Silver Stick tournaments, All-Star selections and preparations for the games…it can be a fun but stressful time. You have to remember to have fun! Take care of yourself. If you are an athlete, your body is a tool. Take care of it, keep it sharp. Get plenty of sleep, remember to eat and drink properly, and don’t overdo it with junk food.

I have been working with many goalies over the years and noticed a few things from playing and coaching. Goalies can be inconsistent during this time of year. The season is long, and you typically have a lot of focus during the beginning of the season. Similarly, at the end of the season, you can see the “light at the end of the tunnel” and can get motivated for that as well. This time of year, however, you have to learn to play while being tired, and you have to spend time focusing on the task at hand.

What I have noticed is that some goalies are lacking with their “hand-eye” coordination. As a goalie, this is obviously the top priority. In my opinion, you can perhaps have some weak fundamentals in skating and positioning, and that can be taught. Sure, it takes hard work, but with proper coaching of the proper technique, that will come. Hand-eye coordination takes a lot longer to develop, and it should be continuously worked on. I have worked with many goalies over the years, but the ones that stick out in my mind were the ones that improved their skating and positioning, but it didn’t matter since they couldn’t catch the puck.

This is a bigger challenge for a goalie coach, since it takes many months of continuous drills off the ice to improve. Tennis balls, squash, racquetball juggling, and many other activities will greatly help, and they should be done every day by the serious goalie. We teach these skills and drills in our off-ice conditioning, and many more at Huron Hockey. Join us and take your game to the next level!

All the best for the rest of the season: Keep kickin’!

Coach Shuey
Richard Shulmistra