Young Goalies – Pay Attention to Hydration

It is even more important for young goalies to drink enough during practices and games

We have looked at hydration and goaltenders before and noted that it is a particularly important issue to consider because of our gear, and in especially in practices because goalies get relatively less rest than forwards and defencemen during drills.

Paying attention to hydration and to energy requirements is even more important for young goaltenders. Whether you are a young goalie, the parent of one or a coach this is information that you need to pay attention to.

An article by Dr. Oded Bar-Or or McMaster University and the Gatorade Sports Science Institute reviewed the research covering nutrition, hydration and young athletes. If you are a sports science junkie its a great read. If not, here is the key piece of information to consider in your game or your coaching:

• Like adults children underestimate their fluid requirements – but their core body temperature increases faster than adults as they become dehydrated. In other words - it is even more important for children to drink during exercise. Ensure kids arrive hydrated and enforce drink breaks.
• Taking body weight before and after training will tell you how much fluid is being lost. Our original article outlines how to do this and what to look for.
• Children drink more voluntarily when flavouring is added to their water – and even more when they are given a sports drink.

I don’t think every parent needs to provide a litre of gatorade for their kids every practice. You should, however, pay special attention to hydration – a small change will affect performance and presumably, learning the skills of goaltending. You spend lots of money on hockey – from fees to equipment to goalie schools. Ensure you maximize your enjoyment and your performance by paying attention to details like ensuring you drink enough during games and practices.