Let’s dive into this week’s Goalie Training Pro live Q&A session with exercise physiologist Maria Mountain, who specializes in off-ice training for hockey goalies. Maria recently hosted a free 5-day online clinic focused on movement skills for goaltenders, and she’s here to share her insights and answer your questions.
The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Goaltender Development
During the live session, Maria emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to goaltender development. She explained that there are five pillars to the “Net Nexus Pro” framework she uses, and that each of these pillars is crucial for a goalie’s success.
“A lot of times, when you don’t know the science behind it all, it’s like, ‘Oh, well, I just want speed, so I’m going to do speed exercises,'” Maria said. “But they really are pillars. It’s like if I was trying to build a house and I was like, ‘Well, I just really want the home theater part, so let’s not worry about digging the basement and all that.'”
Navigating the Challenges of Goaltender Development
Maria also touched on the unique challenges that come with being a goalie, both on and off the ice. She emphasized the importance of keeping things fun and positive, and not putting too much pressure on young goalies.
“Every goalie is gonna have times when they’re the bottom, you know, so then it’s a time to just be like, ‘Well, remember we talked about how hard it was gonna be sometimes,'” Maria said. “But we have to go through this hard bit to get to those really fun bits.”
The Need for a Systematic Approach to Goaltender Development in Canada
One of the key topics that came up during the Q&A was the state of goaltender development in Canada compared to other countries, such as the United States and Sweden. Maria shared her observations and insights on this issue.
“I think there’s something in Canada, but I don’t know about it. I don’t hear about it, you know, because I’m not sort of on, maybe because I’m not on the inside,” Maria said. “Whereas in Canada, I think it’s just like, ‘Oh man, we got so many kids to play hockey. You know, let’s just figure it out.'”
Maria believes that a more systematic approach to goaltender development, similar to what she’s seen in Sweden, could be beneficial for Canadian hockey.
Advice for Parents of Young Goalies
For parents of young goalies, Maria had some valuable advice to share. She emphasized the importance of keeping things fun and not putting too much pressure on the child.
“If it’s not fun, then you don’t have to play hockey. We can do something different. We can go to bargaining instead, you know, so it’s always their choice,” Maria said.
She also recommended the book “How to be a Goalie Parent” by Brian Decord, a respected figure in the hockey community, as a valuable resource for parents.
00:00:06 Q & A
00:04:36 Does a full-time goalie have an advantage over a regular goalie
00:10:04 Canada’s Goalie Development
00:15:07 The Custom Goalie Bag
00:20:16 Johnny’s Goalie Injury
00:23:53 What Kind of Training Should I Add For Explosive Movement?
As always, if you have any questions for Maria, please reach out to help[at]goalietrainingpro.com
That’s all for today. Thanks for stopping by. Catch you here next time!