New England Hockey Journal - December 2015 - 58

THE GOALIE GURU

Smart ways to succeed at the goalie gear game

his month, I originally intended to write about the
benefits of yoga for the hockey goaltender, but circumstances intervened. Over a
five-week period starting in early October,
I met no fewer than a dozen parents who
were absolutely bewildered by the vagaries of outfitting their young goaltenders.
It's a little unsettling to see
so many young goaltenders
coming to our clinics ill-prepared to face pucks.
The reasons for this are
numerous, but almost all
come down to one simple
fact - most parents and
coaches aren't familiar with
the gear. I don't really blame
BRION
either group, especially given
the changes in equipment
in the past decade. But if
you have a child who wants to play goalie,
whether that child lives under your roof or
is on your team, you have an obligation to
learn about the gear, and how to put it on
correctly (because protective equipment
works best only when its worn properly).
That said, I put even more respon-

sibility on the owners and managers of
retail stores. If you sell goalie equipment,
you need staff members who know how
to size it properly and should be able to
instruct goalies and their parents about
how to wear it. There's simply no excuse
for letting customers leave without a full
understanding of how to put the gear on.
So, since it's been a while, I'm reprising some thoughts on purchasing goalie gear. With the
upcoming holidays, I predict
there will be dozens of young
goaltenders begging mom and
dad to head to their local hockey shop for a little shopping
spree. Why not? The fact is, all
that cool gear is one of the major reasons so many kids want
to play the position these days.
Older goalies (like me) recognize that playing goal "back
in the day" was a calling, for one simple
reason. You got hurt. It wasn't unusual
for me to finish a skate with several welts,
each one recording a save. The equipment hadn't caught up to the curved
sticks and slap shots, and getting hit by
a puck was going to be painful, period.

O'CONNOR

VITAMIN H
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Hockey builds strong, well-balanced kids.
Visit USAHockey.com to learn more.

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58 NEw ENGLAND HOCKEY JOURNAL December 2015

12/5/14 8:50 AM

Things are different today. The gear has
never been better at protecting the player,
but that security comes at a cost.
I appreciate the financial commitment that playing goal brings. Pro-level
leg pads, made north of the border, run at
least four figures, with the starting point of
roughly $1,200. There are exceptions to the
rule, such as Simmons, a solid pad manufacturer that doesn't spend big bucks on
pro sponsorships. But pads from the major
players - Vaughn, Reebok, Bauer, Brian's,
CCM - all cost a pretty penny.
So what's a goalie parent to do? First, if
your young netminder is still growing (ages
6-16), don't go crazy on top-notch gear. Kids
will want matching gear, probably the same
stuff their heroes wear. Don't do it. Get them
what they need, and save what you can (you'll
need it later if your goalie stays with it).
Younger goalies (Mites and Squirts)
don't need bulletproof protection, because
their teammates can't shoot the puck that
hard (the coaches might get carried away,
but that's another story). Don't take the
"he'll grow into it" approach. Equipment
needs to fit correctly and be relatively
lightweight. If the pads don't fit, you're setting your child up for frustration at best,
and failure and injury at worse.
In this regard, secondhand gear is a
great choice, because it depreciates so
quickly, and you can find reasonable
prices online at sites such as Craiglist, or
stores like Play It Again Sports and Replay Sports. I've had great luck on eBay,
but that's because I know exactly what I'm
looking for. That's a little trickier for parents, since you're buying the item "blind."
If you're new to the world of goalie gear,
you want to actually see the stuff you're buying, and you want to make sure it's a good fit.
Most importantly, make sure your child's
knee (with skates on) fits squarely into the
middle of the knee cradle of the leg pads,
and that the elastic cradle strap will keep
the knee in place (if that strap has lost its
elasticity, replace it). Newer pads are specifically designed to move with the goaltender, but only if they fit correctly. Likewise,
the chest and arm protector should fit comfortably - buying this item over-sized will
only prevent your young prodigy from being able to move without difficulty.
Because your young goalie will be using
the pads for just a season or two, you might
opt for newer pads on the lower end of the
price spectrum. To help take the sting out
of outfitting a young netminder, most major
gear manufacturers now offer equipment
made overseas, and the quality of this gear
has improved dramatically recently.
Again, make sure to deal with a shop that
has people who can show you the correct
way to put the pads on (pay special attention to the toe strings). We've had kids get
on the ice with the pads on the wrong leg

(yes, there are "left" and "right" pads). Remember, putting on pads, for most parents,
is akin to me changing the brakes on my car.
If you've never been shown how, it can be
puzzling. Take the time to learn, and encourage your young goaltender to do the same
(for example, newer pads are designed to be
worn loose, so the pad can rotate when the
goalie drops into the butterfly).
Likewise, show them how to take care
of their gear (don't, for example, let them
just leave it in the bag, where mold and
mildew will flourish). Get a stick that fits
properly - with the blocker hand at the
top of the "paddle," the stick blade should
rest on the ice when the goalie is in a
nice, comfortable stance, with knees bent.
Don't go crazy with taping the stick; that
only makes it heavier and more unwieldy.
Gloves should open and close relatively
easily and allow the young goalie to hold
the stick properly. Goalie skates might
seem like a luxury, but they're far superior to regular skates for the specific movements the position requires.
For PeeWees and Bantams (ages 11-15),
you want to emphasize protection. Kids
start shooting faster and harder, and the
puck isn't getting any softer. Better gear is
not just an option; it's a necessity. Upgrade
goalie pants, chest and arm protector, and
probably a mask with a plastic neck protector (or dangler).
Knee/thigh pads are also important.
Many smaller, kid-size leg pads expose
the area just above the knee, just below
their hockey pants, when a young goalie
drops on the ice. Some pads have "thigh
boards," but in less expensive models,
these boards rarely stay in place. Knee/
thigh protectors are an inexpensive piece
of gear to prevent injuries to this very susceptible (and sensitive) part of the leg.
Again, go the secondhand route if money is a concern. You can find good gear
at 25 to 40 cents on the dollar, and your
child will benefit from the added measure
of safety. Compared to my gear from the
1970s, today's equipment is far superior,
which is one of the biggest reasons goaltending is becoming so popular. It simply
doesn't hurt as much. That's a good thing.
Just make sure you know what you're
buying. Ask lots of questions. If you're
not getting answers that you're comfortable with, find another shop. Because it's
not worth risking your young netminder
getting hurt.
And be sure to check back next month
for my thoughts on yoga as part of your
fitness regimen.
Brion O'Connor is a Boston-based writer and owner of
Inspired Ink Communications. He is also a longtime hockey
coach and player, specializing in goaltending instruction.
Learn more at TheGoalieGuru.com.
feedback@hockeyjournal.com

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New England Hockey Journal - December 2015

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