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Camp includes 5 full days of goalie related activity including 10 hours of on-ice instruction, 10 hours of off-ice dryland, 5 hours of classroom sessions, and 2.5 hours of cognitive training. Instructor to goalie ratio will be a max of 1:3 and on-ice sessions will be split between puck drills and skating. Puck drills will have video recording that will be uploaded to a private account on our video app that can be reviewed at any time. Lunch will be provided each day and merch items will be provided for camp participants. A maximum of 24 spots are available, with a max 12 goalies per group. Camp is located at the Beaumont Sport and Recreation Centre.

by Nathan Park Goalies are often left out from their practices and do not get the development they need. A lot of this stems from a lack of knowledge from coaching staff who simply have little to no exposure on the goaltending position. So how can we address that? Well a few simple adjustments in the way a practice is structured can allow a goalie to thrive just as much as the players. This article covers the following points: Warm Up and First Drills Shot Separation Keeping Goalies Involved Allow Goalie Time Play Out Pucks Communication Fun/Compete Warm Up and First Drills One of the buzz phrases when it comes to hockey practices is "warm up the goalies." Despite a lot of coaches saying this, what does this even mean. Most coaches, when asked, will give you responses such as "shoot for the pads," "no head shots," "don't shoot to score yet," or other variations. So what can we do, and what can we tell our players to ensure our goalies are warmed up properly? For the first few drills, players shouldn't be told where to shoot or how hard to shoot, but rather where to shoot from. The biggest way to help a goalie to warm up is to allow them to effectively track the puck. This is done by allowing them adequate distance to watch the puck leave the shooter's blade all the way until contact with their body. Ensure you communicate with your goalie that this is the time they should really be honing in on this skill, and that every shot should have their eyes and their head tracking the puck into their body. The location that the shots ideally come from will vary based on age and skill, but it should be set up to allow enough time to track properly. For example, first year U9 players could be given the top of the circles to shoot by, whereas Junior level players should be encourage to shoot a step or two inside the blue line for the first drill or two. Not only does this help the goalie track effectively, but it will also allow the players to improve at hitting the net from all areas of the offensive zone, instead of just five feet from the crease. Since the goalie has adequate time to track the puck into their body, players should be encouraged to actually shoot anywhere, and shoot to score. Remember, the location they shoot the puck from is the most important factor in a proper warm up drill. Shot Separation How often have you ever seen a game of hockey (not shinny or pond hockey) played with more than one puck? If the answer is anything more than 0 times, please send me the link as I would love to watch it. With that being said, a goalie is not expected to have to face more than one puck at a time. And yet, there are so many times where practices contain drills where shots happen two seconds apart, or sometimes even two shots are happening at once. Yes, sometimes the players can make mistakes in the drill and get the timing off and this happens, but in that situation the player(s) should have the mistake corrected in order to time the drill better (take ice, leave their line later, come down lower to receive a pass, etc.). The player learns to time their game better, the goalie isn't stopping two pucks at once. Win-win. So when planning a practice, the drills should be set up to give the goalie enough time to be able to execute a save properly (tracking it into their body, and off of their body if there is a rebound), then be able to locate the next puck, make a proper push across, and get their feet stopped and set before another shot is taken. This spacing will vary from skill level and age, but a coach needs to have the ability to recognize that their goalie isn't getting set in time and adjust the drill accordingly. This can be done by telling players to adjust their route, or waiting an extra second before their rep, or a wide variety of other options that help space out shots better. Spoiler alert, the drill where the whole team starts in the corner with a puck and skates up around the circle and shoots, then one second later the next player is shooting, is a personal pet peeve of mine. The most important reason why spacing out shots properly is important is because of safety. A goalie who isn't looking at one shot because they are looking at another one could get hit in the side or the back where there is no padding. Goalie equipment is designed to take shots straight on, not from the side. Goalies could also potentially pull a muscle trying to make desperation pushes to get from one shot to another that is unreasonably spaced out. The next big reason is that improperly spaced out shots result in bad habits. Goalies are not getting on their proper angle, not squaring up to pucks, not getting their feet set properly, not tracking the puck properly, etc., if they are not given a chance to get themselves set for each shot. It also is a psychological and emotional drain on the goalie, as frustration sets in because they are usually getting scored on a lot and don't feel comfortable in their net. Goaltending is made or broken with the mental game, and a poor mental state that starts in practice is usually translated into a game. Keep Goalies Involved This is probably one of the hardest things for coaches who have no experience with goaltending. Systems are a very important part of the game of hockey, and usually systems drills are very slow and involve a lot of teaching for the players. This is fine, players need this time to work on their game and to learn the team's systems. The problem is, a lot of times the goalie is left standing in the net looking at some Bantam B '86-'87 regional championship banner and trying to see if they can read the 13 year old autographs to make out what the names of the players were. Yes, there should be some onus on the goalie to take charge and do something like crease movements, but realistically (especially the younger goalies), the goalies don't have the understanding that this is time they could be taking to improve on something, or they just don't know what to do. So, as a coach who is there to try and develop ALL of the players on your team, you need to take some action and give them the tools to succeed. So what can be done? Well the most ideal situation during practice down times is to give the goalie some goalie time where they get to specifically work on their skills. This will be addressed in the next section so we won't dive too much into it here. Another option is to design the drills to involve the goalies a little bit more. Are you doing a break out drill? Get the goalie to come out and stop dump-ins. Maybe you can even have a breakout option where they pass to their defenseman. Or you could even have your dump-ins be shots on net. Your players are power skating? Power skating isn't bad for goalies. They may have to do some modification on some edgework drills, but anytime they can learn to control their edges is a big win. Are you doing stop and go defensive coverage? Add a portion to play it out in zone for 30 seconds at the end of the rep. Trying to include shots or in zone time during these types of slower drills will help keep the goalie, and quite frankly the players, more engaged. If this isn't possible, and trying to get the goalie out to handle a puck during the drill isn't possible, then encourage the goalie to do crease movements or some stick handling work on their own. Allow Goalie Time This was alluded to in the previous section, but being able to allow goalie time for your goalies will go a long way in their development. I understand this is tough if you do not have a coaching staff member with any knowledge of the position, but even providing just some basic things to work on in a window as short as even five minutes will help to start the compounding development effect. Fortunately, we live in a day and age where access to information and resources is easy, instant, and most likely free. There are a ton of Youtube videos, Facebook groups, Instagram accounts, and web pages dedicated to goalie drills and goalie information. Just a quick search on crease movements, or basic goalie drills will start to lead you down a pretty far rabbit hole. Even reaching out to your local, regional, and national associations for resources may help steer you in the right direction. A bit of a starting point for some basics to research to help teach your goalie are as follows: Puck Tracking (using their eyes to watch a puck from the blade to their body) Simple movements (c-cuts, t-pushes, shuffles) Advanced movements (t-push recoveries, inside edge pushes, knee shuffles) Rebound control (covering pucks, sticking/blockering pucks to corners, catching pucks, chest saves) Post play There are so many more elements to goaltending, but this points will cover a majority of what your goalie needs to know. If you can search up some of these terms and find some videos or drills, you can then bring that to your next practice and take them aside for 10-15 minutes while your team is getting bag skated for letting 12 breakaways past them in the weekend games. Play Out Pucks This one is, once again, a great way to help improve both your goalies and your players (funny how that seems to be a recurring correlation). Set up drills that allow for players to play out rebounds if there are any. 3 on 2 drill? Play it out until the puck is cleared, the goalie covers it, or it's in the net. You can't technically teach a goalie athleticism or battle like you can teach them a stance or a butterfly, but what you can do is put them in situations that encourage them to battle and they will naturally get better at it. This will also help your players get better at hunting rebounds and putting them in the net. This can also encourage the goalie to get better at rebound control so they don't have to play pucks out at all. Just make sure you tell your players that they don't make 6 or 7 passes for a back door tap in. This can lead to injured goalies but is also not very realistic for the players. Limit them to 1-2 passes per rebound Communication Communication is one of those things that doesn't happen enough in pretty much every practice, and this includes players and goalies. Make sure your goalies are encouraged to talk loud with their players. This will help them communicate in the game, and get your whole team on the same page. This can be things like "I've got the shot," "take the pass," "can't see," "man on," "wheel," "reverse," "man back door," etc. Anytime a drill allows for a situation where your goalie can communicate with your players, encourage them to do so, and stay on them until it becomes a habit. This will help your whole team as the season goes on. Fun/Compete Fun is ultimately why we play hockey, and sports in general. It helps distract us from the daily grind, helps to regulate emotions, stay healthy, and fuel our competitive nature. In practice, help to nurture the fun and the compete of both your players and goalies. Battle/compete drills help to challenge your players. Players try a little harder to score, goalies try a little harder to stop them. As stated before, you cannot physically teach a goalie to compete and be athletic, but you can put them in situations where they develop simply from exposure. These drills not only help to increase the compete level, but they help the athletes have fun. This keeps them coming to the rink and wanting to get better, wanting to make the big save, wanting to hear the cheers and the "ooh"s and "ahhh"s. At the end of the day, it is a game, and fun is the only thing more important than the development.

SERVING EDMONTON GOALIES WITH QUALITY GOALIE COACHING SERVICES A variety of goalie coaching services designed to truly break down goaltending and provide a foundation for a consistent game. Learn more about our mission and our team. About Us Upcoming Edmonton Goalie Camps Our 2023 summer goalie camp will be taking place during the week of August 14-18 at the Beaumont Sport and Recreation Centre. Our camp will be focused on maximizing the development of our goalies throughout the week. Learn More Recent Blog Posts Nov 29, 2022 How to Run a Goalie Friendly Practice by Nathan Park Goalies are often left out from their practices and do not get the development they need. A lot of this stems from a lack... Get the latest updates on new Edmonton goalie coaching sessions and goalie camps Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting! Upcoming Edmonton Goalie Coaching Sessions Minors Friday, May 19, 5:00-6:00 PM, Attack Zone Hockey Friday, May 19, 6:00-7:00 PM, Attack Zone Hockey Book Now Adults ​ Friday, May 19, 7:00-8:00 PM, Attack Zone Hockey Book Now Book your Edmonton goalie coaching sessions and Edmonton goalie camps today August 14-18, 2023 Summer Camp 950 Canadian dollars $950 Book Now (MINORS) Attack Zone Goalie Session From 70 Canadian dollars From $70 Book Now (ADULTS) Attack Zone Goalie Session From 70 Canadian dollars From $70 Book Now To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key.

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About True North True North Goaltending is dedicated to providing quality goalie coaching for goalies of all ages. Whether you have a little goalie trying out the position for the first time, or you are a beer league goalie who has played for 20 years, we can help improve your game. ​ We are focused on the quality of the coaching we provide, and not about the quantity. During each session, we will take the time to work with our goalies and provide personalized feedback during the drills so any tweaks can be implemented in real time. Every session is also videoed, with the video uploaded to a private account through the video app we use. For an additional cost, the video will also be further broken down for the goalie to review after the session is over. (Learn more about our video breakdown ). Check Session Availability Testimonials from actual goalie clients: Our son loves his sessions with True North. The focus on fundamentals and developing good technique has helped our son grow as a goalie. With targeted drills, True North is able to help each goalie continue to work on their strengths, but also target areas that need to be developed further. ​ - Julie D. True North is definitely focused on the quality of the save over quantity of the shots. They challenge the goalies to make the saves the proper way every time. - Scott S. Our Team Head Instructor and Founder Nathan Park Nathan has just under 20 years of playing experience as a goaltender, including 4 years of Junior A with the Spruce Grove Saints, Selkirk Steelers, Fort Frances Lakers, and Portage Terriers. During his junior career, Nathan won an SIJHL and an MJHL championship, including SIJHL playoff MVP. He also won goaltender of the year honours in the SIJHL and MJHL. ​ Nathan finished his career with 2 years played at NAIT, where he had an opportunity to play against the Oilers rookies, making 30 saves in half of a game en route to a 2-0 win. This also led to the opportunity to be the Oilers emergency backup goalie over 12 games, although he never got to leave the stands and suit up. ​ Since playing, Nathan has been coaching since 2017 with a focus on breaking down the position and helping goalies understand the why of goaltending. Nathan has coached goalies of all ages, from U9 beginners to Junior to adults.