The audio segment published here takes you directly to the Parent Segment from this episode.

In our Parents Segment, presented by the Stop It Goaltending U app, we talk about ways young goalies can begin to learn to “Be a Pro” taking more responsibility for their game and their development – while keeping in mind the importance of also being a kid and having fun.

We include 4 simple tips you can work on with your young goalies.

Summary

Listen to the Comrie interview. It’s that simple.

We’ll provide a short clip of “trust the process” you can forward to your kid… I did to mine.

Click here to listen to the clip

But I had something else prepared today….

We often hear of young players coming into the NHL having to “learn to be pros”

While there are a lot of levels to what that means that you’ll never get a head start in minor hockey – the grind of an 82 game schedule, long travel, balancing family life with hockey…

There are a few things you can start to learn as a young goaltender. Parents you can support this.

Now first – I’m not suggesting we take all the fun out of the game for young kids and get all business all the time. I for one hate hearing minor hockey coaches telling kids on fun away tournaments to stay out of the hotel pool! And mini-sticks belong in the hotel too 🙂

But what are some small things you can do to teach a young goalie to be more “professional” and I put that in air quotes on purpose.

Because to me professional as a young goalie is learning to be responsible – for your equipment, for your time, for your training, for your game. It will come over time but there’s no reason you can’t start at any age.

When I see the top major junior kids – the ones you just know are headed for a career in the game – Dylan Garand comes to mind in the NY Rangers system who we’ve had the pleasure of skating with each summer for several years now.  Goalies like Dylan do all of these things just as a matter of habit at every goalie skate – no coach is telling them to do any of it. While others – even his peers in junior at the time or in the NCAA – were chatting about their day he was methodically going about his preparation. When they took to the ice and others were casually getting ready, Dylan jumps straight into his edgework routines, not joining the group until he was fully prepared.

A Few Tips

• You’ve heard me talk about helping your young goalie learn to be responsible for packing their gear, and knowing when it’s time to leave for the rink. Check out some of those articles and parent segments. 
• When you get to the rink – at a young age coaches often want you there early but there isn’t a lot of direction after that. So even if it’s simple things like laying out your gear to get ready, filling a water bottle or as you get a bit older having a warm up routine you follow without direction is important (even if there also is a team warm up). (one reason I don’t like those giant locker style bags….take up too much room on the floor and can;t set up like a pro.
• On practice days you hit the ice and there’s a lot of unstructured time to begin as players skate around and shoot pucks into the net. Too many goalies either go straight in the net (though most avoid it) or sit by the boards in that lazy groin stretch. I even see this i n game warm ups! Mom or Dad find a couple of the InGoal Warm up articles – say a Dustin Wolf or Sergei Bobrovsky skating warmup and help your youngster learn them in that unstructured time. Do you think there’s a coach telling Wolf to do that every day? Even a few minutes spent on edgework as others mess around will yield literally hours of extra practice in a minor hockey career.
• Have some good mindset practices at home – check out some of Pete Fry’s articles here – and like I said recently: Don’t blame others.

A pro goalie has a great mindset – as you’ll hear from Eric Comrie today. An 8 or 9 year old doesn’t need to do it all – though some might love it – and don’t get frustrated if it takes time. But a few good habits like this will have your young goalie well on their way to being a “pro”

As always – and even if you just need someone to vent with – hit me up via email at  [email protected]

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