Taking it to the Next Level, Vol. 1: Be An Athlete First, Goalie Second

Be An Athlete First, Goalie Second

Many goalie parents have the highest of hopes for what their child will accomplish as a hockey player.  Their child has dreams of one day playing in the NHL, or at least at the highest possible level.  As parents, we do everything in our power to facilitate that dream.  We make early morning drives to the rink.  We spend a fortune on travel hockey and private coaching and off-ice trainers.  Thousands of goalies are working hard to make the dream a reality, but what does it take to ACTUALLY MAKE IT COME TRUE?  It doesn't happen by chance, that's a certainty.

So I posed this question to one member of our Hockey Goalie Parents group.  Renowned goalie coach, Steve McKichan of FuturePro Goaltending has coached many a college, olympic and pro goalie to success over the years.  Here's a video showcasing just a few. Suffice it to say, Steve knows a bit about what it takes to make it to the Big Dance.

First topic up:  What's the best pathway to success as a hockey goalie?  Here's what Steve had to say:

Be an Athlete First – Goalie Second

One of the key things that NHL scouts look for are multi-disciplined athletes. If an athlete can learn and excel in other sports with different skill sets and physiological requirements than it bodes well for their ability to play the current sport at the higher professional level. An argument can easily be made that mutli-disciplined athletes have a far greater chance of success at the pro levels than one that doesn't.  I have been an NHL and junior scout and know first hand this is the reality.

The biggest issue I have witnessed in over 2 decades coaching goalies and running schools is the fact that too many athletes focus entirely on one sport. In this case, many goalies specialize in their position early in their athletic development, risking their future success.  We have all observed this early specialization in other sports. Amazing skills and feats are highlighted by 9 and 10 year olds on You Tube. It is cool to see the little boy execute perfect chip shots on the golf course but where will he be in 10 years?

I have several reasons for this opinion and it is important to walk through them and understand how early specialization can cause the opposite result from the one most parents want.

The first reason early specialization should be avoided:

“Young athletes who participate in a variety of sports have fewer injuries and play sports longer than those who specialize before puberty.” (Brenner 2007)

–     Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

If an athlete focuses entirely on goaltending before 15 – 16 they put themselves at a significantly higher risk of injury.  As well, 22% of athletes who specialized before high school, completely dropped ALL athletic participation once they were in high school. So putting all you eggs in the goaltending basket will see increased risk of injury and a significant risk of athletic burnout.

The second issue that arises in this discussion is the misguided belief that parents have with their children’s “careers”.  They don’t have careers…yet.   And too many parents see their childrens' participation as financial investments hoping that specialization will see their money returned when their kid gets to the NHL. They mistakenly believe that a strict focus on their chosen position and sport will increase the success rate of becoming a pro. This is wrong.

Using goaltending as an example, here are my personal guidelines:

1. Maintain your goaltending passion and hunger by not stopping pucks year round.
   Play during the winter and hit a camp or two in the summer. Play other sports and meet new friends in the spring and summer.  If we can ignore his personal transgressions for the moment, Tiger Wood’s actually had the perfect father for his development. On the driving range, Tiger would beg to stay longer because he loved practicing so much. He had to stay longer. Earl Woods would have none of that. He always left well before Tiger wanted to. This always left him wanting more.  Too many parents tell me that their kid loves hockey so much they really want to play all the time. By not allowing your goalie to play as often as they want is actually helping them instead of stunting their growth and development as a goalie.
   
2. Diversify into other sports so there is some latent learning that translates into helping your goaltending. In the new NHL athleticism is key to get to your positional targets and in the battle for loose pucks. Sports like lacrosse, tennis, racket ball, and soccer have great physiological inputs and hand / foot eye benefits that will easily translate into a higher save percentage.  Modern goalies are now growing up addicted to process and technique. Obviously they are important areas for goalies to develop but not at the expense of athleticism and plain ugly battling.
   By scrambling around in a squash court or lunging to score an amazing goal in lacrosse, we create an athletic diversity that will surely pay dividends down the road.
   
3. Once you reach the age of 15 – 16 then a more refined approach can begin and specialization will become a welcomed approach.
   When legendary goaltending coach, Mitch Korn scouted me as a junior he was very interested in my participation in other sports. I was a starting quarterback, played soccer, baseball and golf.

To reach your goaltending goals you must maintain hunger, passion and become gifted multi-dimensional athletes. Your goaltending development should be secondary.

Did you ever notice that the Vezina trophy winners are invariably dynamic, athletic and are not rigid cookie cutter goaltending robots?

UP NEXT:  What Are Scouts Looking For?

Goalie Guidance with Steve McKichan

I recently had the privilege of talking on the phone with former NHL goaltender and goalie coach Steve McKichan, owner of FuturePro Goalie School.  I posed a question to him that has been gnawing at me for some time.

Are kids so busy practicing, playing games and traveling to tournaments that they no longer WATCH hockey anymore?

Anecdotally, it seems that watching elite level goaltenders play the game is a great way for a young goalie to learn and implement critical techniques into his or her game.  Some may argue that doing is better than watching, but Steve had some very interesting thoughts on this topic.  He was kind enough to put them into writing for us.  Below is a piece Steve wrote exclusively for us here at Hockey Goalie Parents.  

Practice More! Play more Games! Do more Privates!

Of course! We all know that our precious little smurf is well on their way to a D1 ride or a starting spot ahead of Lundy in the Rangers. Especially, if they can practice every night of the week that they are not playing, going to their trainer or doing private lessons.

Let's take a step back and digest this:

•        Doing more private lessons won't get you any closer to the NHL podium.
•        Doing a million practices can actually make you worse.
•        Playing a ton of games won't necessarily give you the required experience and results.

As counter-intuitive as this sounds stay with me….

Many goalies work their technical game to a refined sharp point during private lessons. And in my experience, in the absence of the advice below, rarely it is maximized in game performance delivery.

The overwhelming majority of practices make the goalie worse with: poor gap in drills; little time to follow pucks post-save; and super unrealistic drills like 2-0s, endless non-pressured breakaways and the classic one-timers from a man shooting from the ladies' tee.

Simply playing a ton of games is not helpful, especially when uncorrected errors pervade and when fatigue causes sloppy effort and cheating in certain situations.

Here is my prescription and the hidden point from above:

• Be a kid. Practice less, Play less games and do fewer private lessons.
• Spend more time with friends.
• Spend more time on serious effort on your studies.

If you earnestly do the above three suggestions and follow the advice below you will be FAR ahead 5 years from now. 

Calculate your time spent in the car, time at the rink and time on the ice and MATCH that time with critical study of other people's hockey games.  Don't just watch other games. Study them with cause and effect in mind.

For instance, turn on an NHL game and use your DVR to go through all the scoring chances and puck handling touches. Ask yourself what the situation was. What happened? Why was the scoring chance successful? Why was the scoring chance denied?

Consider this: A goaltender does not stop a mid-speed rim. The puck continues on the the half boards where your winger lets you down. The puck ends up at the point. Then it is slap passed to a guy on the back doors and he one-times the puck bar down.

Now the goalie can blame the players and indicate that he had no chance because it was a sweet shot. But........cause-and-effect observations reveal the entire drama train could have been prevented, not with a huge back door save, rather if the goalie simply stopped the rim dump successfully in the first place.

Learning what you are actually looking for is a learned skill but it needs to start now.  So stop playing and mindlessly watching so much hockey. Get your "thinking brain" on and start critically analyzing games. Dedicate equal time to this as you actually give to the physical playing of the position.

In the future you will thank me and offer me game tickets instead of offering me fries with my chicken wrap.

There are many ways to achieve the kind of critical analysis Steve mentions in his piece. DVR games, as he suggested. The announcers often replay key goals and saves and offer an analysis of the play. Take your goalie to watch your local pro, semi-pro or college team play live and watch with an analytical eye.  If you don't know the game well enough to analyze it, buy a ticket for your goalie coach and ask him to come along.  Social media offers a wealth of information.  Steve posts great content on Twitter at @FutureProLive.  Greg Balloch (@GregBalloch) posts his "Six Saves" on Twitter every night in which he posts short video clips of the best saves of the night in the NHL.

Whatever method you choose, remember that it is critical to allow your goalie to not only execute physical motions but to LEARN and UNDERSTAND the game.  This is truly one of the foundational skills necessary for your goalie to take his or her game to the next levels. 

Ten Little Things: Tryouts

As tryout time approaches for many, I was inspired by a recent piece that renowned hockey trainer Maria Mountain published about one little thing that can make a difference in the way a coach perceives players at tryouts.   She was spot on with that advice.  Although I won’t do her piece justice, I’ll paraphrase her advice:  Look interested.  When the coach speaks, don’t sit there like a bump on a log with a blank look on your face.  It can be misinterpreted as apathy or lack of respect, and it reflects poorly upon you.

Maria’s piece made me think about other “little things” that can make a big difference in the tryout process.  Of course, talent is a no-brainer.  Every coach is on the ice looking for the most talented goalie that can help his team win the most games.  But there’s a lot more to what coaches are seeking in their players.  Given equal talent, it is often the little things that will sway a coach to pick one player over another.  How you represent yourself on AND OFF the ice during tryouts can play an unspoken, but BIG part in how selections are made.  Here’s a list of little things (that really aren’t that little) that you can do to show the coaching staff that you’re the goalie they want, and the positive message that each will portray.

1. Be Early.  Get there on time.  Be in the locker room early. Get yourself dressed and ready to hit the ice as soon as the door opens.  Coaches are looking for players they can count on.  They don’t want the player who always comes rushing in at the last minute, dressing in a hurry, and loping onto the ice just as practice starts. 

• MESSAGE:  You can count on me.  I’m reliable!

2. Assume They’re Watching.  From the moment you set foot on the rink property until the moment you drive away, assume that a representative from the coaching staff has his/her eyes on you.  In the waiting area, in the locker room, in the hallway…assume you’re being watched.  Chances are, you are.  Coaches often have eyes and ears in many places around the rink (including the stands…Parents, take note!).  Behave in a respectful and professional manner at all times.  

• MESSAGE:  I’m an upstanding person, no matter where I am and will represent you and the team well.

3. Stand Up.  Do not sit or kneel on the ice between reps.  Unless specifically told to take a knee, you should be on your feet AT ALL TIMES during tryouts.  Sitting or kneeling on the ice while other goalies are in the net portrays laziness.  

• MESSAGE:  I’m a hard worker.

4. Avoid Overconfidence.  Think you have this tryout in the bag?  Are you going through the motions of tryouts as a formality because you already know you have a spot on the team?  Think again.  Even if you’re the “obvious choice” or the “heir apparent”…never underestimate the power of another hard working goalie.  Many an incumbent goalie has been edged out by another player who is of equal, or sometimes even lesser, talent that shows up to tryouts and knocks the socks off the coaching staff with her work ethic.  

• MESSAGE:  I’m willing to work hard to keep my spot on the team.

5. Take Direction.  During tryouts, the coaching staff may make suggestions about ways to improve your technique.  It may be completely different advice than you’ve been given before by your goalie coach or past coaches.  DON’T ARGUE.  Never say something like, “That’s not how my goalie coach taught me.”  Take the advice, do your best to incorporate it into your play, and keep working hard.  Once you’re on the team, you can work out differences between coaching and playing styles, but save that for after you’ve secured a spot.  No coach wants to hear a player point out that they’re wrong, especially when they’re deciding whether or not to put you on their team.

• MESSAGE:  I’m coachable.

6. Don’t Horse Around.  Don’t mess around during tryouts.  If others are doing it, remove yourself from the area.  Horsing around during tryouts suggests that you’re not taking it seriously.  It also indicates that you will likely horse around during practices, too.  Ice time is expensive.  Coaches want to make the most efficient use of the time they have.  When players are goofing off, it slows down practices and renders them ineffective.  

• MESSAGE:  I’m serious about winning.

7. Be a Team Player.  It is important that you work hard during tryouts.  Often that takes the form of being first in line for drills and other actions that show your work ethic.  But don’t forget to take the opportunity to show your sportsmanship, too.  If two players race to be first for that drill, don’t be a jerk and edge the other person out.  Step aside and say “It’s ok, you go this time, I’ll go first next time.”  Be nice to everyone on the ice, even if it seems they have no business trying out at your level.  Show respect in all of your interactions.  

• MESSAGE:  I am not a threat to the cohesiveness and dynamic of the team.

8. Help Out.   Is the coach pulling the nets onto the ice and pegging them as tryouts start?  Help him out.  Did the staff ask for a few players to pick up pucks and cones after tryouts are complete?  HELP THEM OUT.  This shows that you’re aware of your surroundings and are willing to do some of the less glamorous jobs, because those jobs need to be done, too.  The coaches put a lot of time and effort into their jobs.  The least you can do is help them out.

• MESSAGE:  I’m humble.  No job is ‘beneath me’.   

9. Say Thanks.  Thank the coaches, staff and other support personnel who put time into running the tryout.  Everyone is there to make sure the process works smoothly.  They should be thanked for their hard work.  Thanking the coaches acknowledges that their job is difficult.  Selecting a team is harder work than most people realize, and despite what some may think, making cuts is one of the hardest things a coach will do all year.  

• MESSAGE:  I am appreciative of the opportunities given to me and for the work of others.

10. Be Gracious.  Uh oh.... you didn’t make the team.  Ugh.  It’s one of the hardest things to go through.  Rejection, disappointment, disbelief, anger, hurt….all of those emotions are swirling around in the perfect storm of negativity.  Do not….I repeat….DO NOT take the low road.  Rise above it.  Don’t take to social media to spout off.  Don’t badmouth the coaches or the players who DID make the team.  The hockey world is generally a very small community.  You never know when you will encounter the same coaches or players down the road.  Never burn a bridge.  It will most certainly come back to haunt you in the future.  Give yourself some time to mourn in private, but then move forward with a brave face.  Take the opportunity to reflect on the lessons you can learn from the experience and make the best of the other avenues open to you.  

• MESSAGE:  I’m classy like that.

Here is the link to Maria's original post:

http://archive.aweber.com/goalies/61.AT/h/READ_NOW_if_you_have_tryouts_in.htm

Thoughts on Nutrition in Youth Sports

One of the things that weighs heavily on my mind is a new trend toward the use of nutritional supplements in youth sports.   Younger and younger athletes are being pressured by coaches and trainers to increase their performance though the use of pills, powders and shakes.   

Although there may be some nutritional supplements, when used sparingly, that can augment an athlete's diet, the only fuel that a growing kid needs is a well balanced diet and maybe a daily multi-vitamin.   Nothing replaces lean meats, fruits, vegetables and grains as a source of energy to support performance.   

It is important for parents to understand that the neutraceutical industry is ENTIRELY UNREGULATED in the US.  There is no FDA or other agency to routinely check up on the GNC's of the world to see if what they say they're putting in their potions is what's really there. Companies can manufacture whatever "health product" or "performance enhancement" supplement they want, make fantastical claims about their powers, and no one will ever double check to see if they're telling the truth.   Recently, a disturbing story broke about an investigation by the New York AG into the contents of herbal supplements sold by major retailers.  The results were quite alarming and I believe that this is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  More and more of these stories will come to light.  These products are dangerous and should be avoided. 

Likewise, avoiding a diet of processed foods, fast food, high sugar beverages, heavily caffeinated "energy drinks" and other chemical-laden foods and drinks is critical to the health and performance of your child.  There's a saying..."garbage in, garbage out." That's a saying for a reason.   What your child puts into his body is all his body has to build muscle and bone, it's all she gets to support the oxygen carrying capacity of her blood, it's the only source of energy he has.  No fortress can be built on bricks of sand and dust.  Make sure the nutritional building blocks your goalie eats are solid ones!

Linked below is a video series by Maria Mountain of Revolution Conditioning in London, ON and sports nutrition specialist Lisa Cianfrini of NutraGeneRD.  They discuss some important points about nutrition for young athletes.   It is worth the watch!

https://youtu.be/kfjcWL4-P3A

https://youtu.be/mIqn9V8uOlE

https://youtu.be/OYwvjDDKr1Y

Big Advice - A Bantam Parent Reflects

It's over.    All done.   Yesterday, I watched my second-year Bantam play his last ever youth travel hockey game.   Yes, he will go on to bigger and better things in high school hockey and I'm excited for what the future has in store for his hockey career.

But what I wasn't prepared for was how hard and how incredibly emotional it would be to say goodbye to youth hockey.  How did it end so quickly?   Where did the years go?

There was a mite game on the ice before our championship game yesterday. The players were so little and cute and it made me reflect on just how much this sport has been a part of not just my son's life but our family's life. I remember the days when my goalie was shorter than the net and the team could hardly see over the boards even though they were standing up.   Wasn't that just yesterday?    Who is this big, smelly, goofy man-child that lives in his room now?

So my advice to you is this....embrace every single moment of today.   When the alarm goes off at 5 am and you're driving to the rink when it is still dark, remember that this is not forever.   The early practices, the long days in cold, smelly rinks sitting on hard benches, the occasional bad ref or pain-in-the-rear parent....those things don't matter.    They're the insignificant part of what you are doing right now.

Right now you're making memories that will last a lifetime.   You're forging bonds with other families that will be like no other friendship in your life.  Hockey family isn't LIKE family...it IS family.  You will spend countless hours in rinks and cars and hotels with them. You will celebrate holidays and birthdays with them.   You will support each other through life tragedies.  You will love them like your own brothers and sisters.    Get to know them.   It will be worth it, I promise.

Right now, you're teaching your son or daughter important life lessons.   He's learning how to be a good player and a good teammate and a decent human being.   Set a good example.   Don't cut down his teammates and coaches.  It poisons his mind with negativity that isn't conducive to being a good teammate.  Don't scream at the refs.  Most of them know the game better than you and even if they don't, it embarrasses your child.   They will never say it to you, but they cringe and avoid eye contact with their teammates every time your voice rings out across the rink.  (This is one I wish I had been better at myself).  Don't dissect his every move after every game.   All they need to hear from you is that you love to watch them play.   If they want your input, they will ask for it.   Keep your feedback positive.  Let the coaches coach.  Let the refs ref.  Let your player play.

Right now you're getting a unique opportunity to spend sequestered time with your family.    You'll spend hours in the car together.   You'll have down time in cities you may not have otherwise visited, if not for hockey.   Spend that time wisely.   Talk to each other in the car rather than burying yourselves in electronics.  You'll be amazed at the conversations that will occur if you unplug everyone for a while.  Go see some things while you're there.   The games are important, but so is allowing your child to see new places and experience new things.   Push yourself out of your comfort zone or your current interests and see what the local area has to offer.   Go see the giant ball of twine or tour the local microbrewery.  Open your mind and give things a chance that you may not have otherwise explored.  And take the team.   It is a great bonding opportunity.   When a team becomes a team, they play FOR each other, not WITH each other.

Most importantly, just keep it all in perspective.   There will be politics, there will be coaching challenges, there will be bad refs, there will be heartbreaking losses, there will be parental drama.   All of that is unfortunately part of the package. Don't focus your energy on those things.   Focus on the good stuff.  The friendships and the sportsmanship and the fun.  Those are the things that matter. Only the seeds that you water will grow.  Water the good ones!



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