Parents: Help your child develop a game day routine

Another opportunity to make your game better without having to go on the ice. One of our most popular segments, since its inception. It's just the it brings parents and and the goaltenders together. You both have a reason to listen to the podcast, and we're very thankful that you do. Our parent segment brought to you by Stop It Goal Tending U, the app.

Hutch, I know you've got a a great angle for us today, but Stop It Goaltending U, the app, continues to make an impact.

Early in the season, goalies are busy. Right? Like, it's it's that time of year. School's back. Hockey's back.

Parents are running around trying to get everybody to ever time management and preparation are so important to getting through this type this time of year and having success. And that's why this week's primers on the Stop It Goaltending U app are all about time management and preparation. What can you do to make sure you're not wasting time? And one of the things you can do is just watch these quick one minute videos from the Stop It Goaltending U app. Every week, they call them their daily primers Minute, minute and a half, you don't need to invest a whole bunch of time.

Little things that will help you get better as a goalie, including this week's on time management. They've also got a longer video, so when you have time to sit down and digest a little more, Boston University goalie Brad Gilmore explains how to set goals and expectations for a season in a way that will ensure success. They've also got a load of high drill, so that's something you need to work on in your game whether you're a coach, a goalie coach, or a goalie. You're looking for ways to get better on that particular play, which we see increasingly in the at all levels, NHL and and all levels below. They've got a drill that will help you work on some of the keys, and they outline that all on the Stop It Goaltending U, the app.

And remember, anytime you get a subscription to Stop It Goaltending U, the app, you also get a script subscription to InGoal Magazine Premium and all those ProReads we just talked about earlier. Hutch.

This week, we're gonna talk about having a game day routine. Might fit in with what Stop It Goaltending is doing this week, talking about time management. So the question is, parents, does your goalie have a game day routine, or do they just show up at the rink and wing it? I'd like to talk about the importance today of having a routine. It's it's a way that you can work with your child to develop one, and I've even got something for the youngest goalies out there and those who already have a routine.

So stick around till the end. As Kevin has told us before, Ian Clark says that, tension is the enemy of goaltending. And while he was referring to physical tension and the need to play relaxed, I'm sure he'd agree that mental tension can be just as damaging. Having a routine allows you to step on the ice confident that you're prepared. Nothing's been forgotten.

You've done everything you can to be ready. It removes uncertainty. You know that no matter how you feel before the game, you're gonna play well because you've done the same things every time. You're prepared. A routine also reinforces that every game is the same.

None is more important than the other. I've said it before, when you hype up a particular game by changing your approach, you create pressure. Routine minimizes pressure. Plans can change, and that's okay, but it's much easier to adjust a plan than to wing it without one. Now I'm not talking about being rigid.

It's important for your child to understand that things will change. Traffic happens. Coaches make requests. Siblings have commitments. That's life, and that's okay.

I asked her son about this once, and I said, what if there's a snowstorm and your bus arrives just before game time? He said, that's okay. I pick one or two of the most important things for me, and I do them. So what can a routine include? A pregame nap perhaps.

When's it gonna happen? How long will it be? Some light physical activity after the nap, like a brisk walk. Nutrition, not just the pregame meal, but snacks at the rink or even between periods. If you're in one of those leagues where there's floods, when are you gonna pack your bag?

When are you gonna leave for the rink so that you arrive when you need to? Maybe an hour before, maybe more at higher levels. A dynamic warm up, foam rolling for Woody, ball work, eye work, visualization. What are your on ice habits in the warm up? Maybe a short skating routine.

What I don't mean is superstition, like the order you put your gear on. If you've got a little ritual, that's fine, but don't become dependent on it. If you can't do it one day, it shouldn't throw you off. Now for our younger goalies, like the u eights, for example, this might sound like a lot, and it is. At that age, hockey should still be about fun, being carefree.

So start simple, packing the bag. You may need to guide them, but don't do it for them. I know it's easier, but this is a great step towards independence. Help them build a routine so nothing's forgotten. For us, it was imagining putting your gear on in the order that you pack it.

Underwear first, then the cup, then the knee pads, and so on. They'll need some help at first, but you're building for the future. Now for older goalies, the routines can get more detailed. You might even have different versions, maybe a shorter one for weeknight games, a longer one on weekends, and I'd consider writing them down in your journal if you use one. Now parents, it's worth reviewing the plan together with your goalie, even if less frequently as they get older.

Maybe the night before or earlier on game day, it's a good reminder to them that plans can be flexible and that adjusting them is part of the process. And for those thinking, we already do most of this, I would ask you, do you have a practice day routine? It doesn't need to be as detailed, but it's worth having one. Too many goalies waste valuable practice time by showing up unprepared, rushing to get dressed, rushing onto the ice, and then just messing around until the first whistle. K.

So what did I miss? What would you include in your game day or your practice day routines? Let me know. parents@ingoalmag.com.

Great guidance as you shepherd all of the parents along, trying to make them better, more supportive, also allowing the goaltender to blossom and become more mature. And I think that's a that's a difficult thing at times.

Well, it is because we all lead incredibly busy lives, and isn't the easiest thing just to do it for them? Order them around, maybe do a few things and just have them off to the side because we are busy. But, we all try and do everything we can for our kids to help them become better goaltenders and to grow as people. And so I think maybe having a resolution this week that you're gonna consider a a game routine would be half an hour or an hour well spent.

It also ties into Valiquette's interview that's coming up. You're gonna hear some things of him with about his feelings about kids showing up unprepared to the rink. So from Stop It Goal Tending and they're, you know, making sure that Time management. Time management and preparation was part of that daily primers to you talking about the importance of a game day routine. Now we're we'll get to hear from a coach who will tell you how important it is to him that you show up ready to go.