To be a good goaltender you must be an efficient skater. Your goaltender does not necessarily have to be
the fastest skater on the team, but the best in terms of control and mobility. Pushes from post to post and
ability to get quickly to plays laterally are essential for goalies to be able to perform at a high
level.
Goaltenders must learn to push with strength and stop hard when needed. So when doing t-push or shuffle
drills it is suggested that everything is done in sequence. Example: a coach should be calling out for the
goalie to PUSH---STOP---PUSH---STOP---PUSH---STOP etc. giving one second in between pushes. This will give
the goaltender time to recover and will keep him from developing bad habits by doing the drill too fast.
The ability for a goaltender to change directions quickly is also an absolute must as today’s game is a lot
about trying to create a situation to get a goaltender moving in the wrong direction. In order to do this,
and be effective, skating drills are a natural part of goaltender development.
BEGINNER
• 75% movement and positional skills
• 20% save movement
• 5% tactics
Beginner development should be built on practicing individual technical skills 75% of total practice time
INTERMEDIATE
• 50% movement and positional skills
• 20% save movement
• 30% tactics and transition
Intermediate development should be built on practicing individual technical skills 50% of total practice
time
ADVANCED
• 35% movement and positional skills
• 10% post-save consequences
• 40% tactics and transition
• 15% advanced positioning
Advanced development should be built on practicing individual technical skills 35% of total practice time
