GOALIE SKATING COMES BEFORE GOALIE SAVES.™ A Goalie who cannot move with balance, control and purpose will struggle to arrive square, recover efficiently or stay connected to the play.
Goalie Coach Gary™ teaches skating as a foundation, not as a warm-up. The objective is not to rush young Goalies into complicated crease patterns. It is to build movement they can repeat under pressure.
COACHING IS TEACHING™
LEARN BEFORE YOU TEACH.™ Before teaching a movement, the Coach should understand what the movement solves, what the body must do, what usually goes wrong and what mastery looks like at that stage.
EXPOSURE IS NOT LEARNING.™ One demonstration is exposure. One clean repetition is not mastery.
A LESSON IS NOT TAUGHT UNTIL IT IS LEARNED.™ The Goalie should be able to repeat the movement, stay balanced, arrive under control and eventually use it in the right situation without constant instruction.
Goalie Coach Gary™ Development Path
U7–U9 • U10–U12 • U13–U15 • U16–U18 • Junior
U7–U9 — Learn to Move Before Learning to Save
Lesson
Start with stance, small shuffles, controlled stops and simple edge use. Teach one movement at a time: move, arrive, get set.
Practice
Use short crease routes without pucks. Shuffle from centre to angle, stop under control, reset and return.
Common Mistake
The Goalie moves quickly but arrives off balance. Speed is not progress if the Goalie cannot get set.
How to Recognize Mastery
The Goalie repeats the movement several times while staying balanced and finishing in a usable stance.
When to Move On
Add a puck or simple visual cue only when the movement remains controlled without constant reminders.
U7–U9 takeaway: MOVE. ARRIVE. GET SET.™
U10–U12 — Connect Movement to Angle
Lesson
Connect skating to positioning. The Goalie should move because puck location demands it, not because a drill pattern says so.
Practice
Place pucks at several shooting locations. Point to one, have the Goalie move into position, get set and hold briefly.
Common Mistake
The Goalie races to the spot and drifts after arriving. The correction is not “move faster.” It is “arrive under control.”
How to Recognize Mastery
The Goalie can move to basic angles, stop under control and establish a stable stance.
When to Move On
Add slow shots only when positioning remains consistent through repeated movement.
U10–U12 takeaway: MOVE TO THE PUCK. ARRIVE READY.™
U13–U15 — Choose the Right Movement
Lesson
Shuffle, T-push, rotation and recovery should not become isolated tricks. The Goalie must select the movement that fits the distance, speed and play.
Practice
Use controlled puck movement around the perimeter. Let the Goalie track and choose rather than follow a memorized sequence.
Common Mistake
The Goalie uses the same movement for every situation because it feels comfortable.
How to Recognize Mastery
The Goalie starts selecting the appropriate movement without waiting for the Coach to call it.
When to Move On
Add more pace and shots when movement choice stays correct under moderate pressure.
U13–U15 takeaway: CHOOSE THE MOVEMENT THAT FITS THE PLAY.™
U16–U18 — Skate Early Enough to Stay Calm
Lesson
Skating quality should create time. The Goalie who reads early and moves early should need fewer emergency recoveries.
Practice
Use east-west puck movement, low-to-high changes and broken-play recoveries. Move, arrive and get set before the shot whenever the play allows it.
Common Mistake
The Goalie waits too long, then tries to solve the problem with explosiveness.
How to Recognize Mastery
The Goalie stays connected to the play with fewer emergency movements and more controlled arrivals.
When to Move On
Increase unpredictability when the Goalie preserves balance and positioning as puck speed increases.
U16–U18 takeaway: READ EARLY. MOVE EARLY. ARRIVE CALM.™
Junior — Make Skating Part of the Read
Lesson
At Junior, movement selection becomes part of the total read. Puck location, traffic, passing threats and recovery options all influence how the Goalie moves.
Practice
Use competitive sequences with changing puck routes and second-chance situations. The Goalie solves the movement problem instead of reproducing a script.
Common Mistake
The Goalie makes technically clean movements that do not match the actual pressure or next threat.
How to Recognize Mastery
The Goalie moves efficiently, arrives set more often and chooses movement based on the play rather than habit alone.
When to Move On
At Junior, moving on means adding complexity and pressure while protecting the movement foundation.
Junior takeaway: SKATE TO SOLVE THE PLAY.™
GOALIE COACH GARY™ TAKEAWAY
DON’T TEACH MORE. TEACH BETTER.™
LEARN BEFORE YOU TEACH.™
A LESSON IS NOT TAUGHT UNTIL IT IS LEARNED.™
As always, thank you for being part of The Hockey Resource Community.
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