Welcome back to another weekly live Q&A! Maria here from Goalie Training Pro TV and goalietrainingpro.com. It’s a classic Southern Ontario kind of day—snow squalls, sunshine, and a whole lot of “what season is this actually?” energy. But that’s winter goalie life, right?
Grab your coffee, beer-league water bottle, or whatever fuels you, and let’s jump into this week’s questions.
How Low Should You Get on Breakaways?
This one pops up often, and I always preface it with the truth: I’m a strength coach, not a goalie coach. But I can share what works for me as a recreational goalie.
As the shooter comes in, I gradually get lower so I’m ready to drop into my butterfly quickly—but I stay patient. My issue historically? Dropping too early and basically telling the shooter, “Here’s the whole net, have at it.”
So now my goal is simple:
Make the shooter make the first move.
If I react to them and they still score, fine. But if I move first and give up the goal? That one bugs me.
And a quick PSA from someone whose stick likes to wander: keep that stick home unless you enjoy giving away your five-hole as an early Christmas present.
The RVH: Overused or Just Misunderstood?
Ah yes, the internet’s favorite punching bag: the RVH.
My take?
- It’s a perfectly valid save selection.
- It’s often used at the wrong time.
- It’s even more often executed poorly.
- And yes, it’s not exactly a spa day for your hips.
The matchup I was taught:
- Play coming from below the goal line → RVH may make sense
- Play coming from above → VH, post seal, or even the new-school panda move
But again, many goalies physically struggle to seal that upper corner with their head/shoulder positioning. Add mobility limitations and you’ve got that dreaded “RVH fail” gif fodder.
Funny how shooters score over the glove or blocker all the time and nobody screams “GLOVE FAIL!” though…
Can I Still Do My Old Workout While Starting In-Season Training?
Short answer:
I can’t know without seeing the workout.
Long answer:
It’s like buying a Jamie Oliver recipe and then swapping out half the ingredients—you might make something tasty, but don’t blame Jamie when it’s not what you expected.
If you want my real advice, send screenshots of your current routine, what phase you’re in, and your goals. Then I can give you something solid.
Jet Lag Before a Tournament (Looking at You, Easton)
Two-hour time change? That’s baby jet lag.
Tips:
- Shift into the new timezone immediately.
- Stay up a little later your first night.
- Hydrate like it’s your job—flying is dehydrating.
- Remind yourself: this isn’t going to limit your performance.
You’ve likely played worse games after a long school day than what a two-hour time zone shift will do to you.
How Do I Stop My Hips From Sinking in My Butterfly?
This isn’t a core strength issue. It’s not even really a leg strength issue.
It’s a motor pattern issue.
Your body is dropping your hips because that’s the pattern you’ve been repeating unconsciously.
Try this:
Keep your head and shoulders “floating” at the same height and drop only your knees.
You’ll descend a bit (that’s normal), but the goal is to avoid collapsing your upper body.
You’ll move through the motor-learning stages:
- Unconscious incompetence (you don’t know you’re doing it)
- Conscious incompetence (you try and still mess it up)
- Conscious competence (you can do it when you focus)
- Unconscious competence (it becomes automatic)
You can’t skip stages—just keep practicing.
Best Conditioning Split for a 45+ Goalie (With 30–40 Minutes per Session)
Given your parameters, here’s how I’d structure it:
- 3 full-body workouts per week
- Mobility 4–6 days per week (15 minutes or less)
- Stamina depends on ice time:
- If you’re on the ice twice weekly: 1 “category 2” session + 2 interval/sprint sessions
And please don’t waste days on “core + stretching only.” Your core gets trained in full-body work.
How Much Should a 12-Year-Old Goalie Train?
Short version? They don’t need to train much at all.
At that age, the most beneficial things are:
- Playing multiple sports
- Power skating
- Puck handling
- Just having fun and building motor patterns
Kids’ brains and bodies are uniquely tuned to absorb movement skills. What they build now becomes “hardwired.” That’s why adults struggle learning hockey or skiing from scratch.
Let them be kids, not mini pros.
Doing Football-Style Team Lifts as a High School Goalie
It’s not ideal… but don’t worry about it.
Most high school athletes aren’t actually strong, so learning to lift well is hugely valuable.
Your priorities:
- Perfect technique > maximum load
- Stay ahead of your teammates in form, not weight
- Add goalie-specific mobility 4–6 days a week
- Sprinkle in hip/stability work when possible
Good-better-best applies here. What you’re doing is “good,” and with smart add-ons, you can make it “better.”
My 14-Year-Old Lost Flare Range After the Butterfly Challenge
Losing range is unusual, but here are three likely explanations:
- He overstretched during the measurement and triggered a protective muscle contraction
- He’s in a growth spurt—growth tightens everything temporarily
- There was a big gap between measurement sessions
The key:
He’s performing better on the ice.
That matters more than the measurement.
As for adjusting to higher shot speeds?
He needs reps with… higher shot speeds.
Look for chances to get on the ice with better shooters, skill coaches, or volunteer for sessions where he’ll face consistent, quality pucks.
Nerves Before Games
I get this one because I’m a chronic nervous competitor myself.
A few things that help:
1. Remember WHY you play.
“I choose to do this. I get to do this.”
2. Focus on your tasks, not your feelings.
Examples:
- Stick on puck
- Track the puck everywhere
- Good post integrations
- Patience on rush chances
When your brain is focused on a job, it can’t spiral into anxiety.
3. Expect the nerves to fade.
They always disappear a few minutes into the game.
Tell yourself:
“These nerves will be gone by the five-minute mark.”
It’s true, and it helps.
Are Prep Hockey Academies Worth It?
For some kids: yes.
For others: not necessary.
Things to consider:
- Is it a good environment for your kid?
- Do they offer real development opportunities?
- Are the academics solid?
- Does it solve a problem, like lack of playing time or competition?
It’s not a magic pill, but it can be a great fit depending on the situation.
Recovering From Knee Surgery at Age 13
First: I’m sorry—that’s brutal. Especially when it comes from a simple fall.
The roadmap is:
- Work with a sports-minded physical therapist
- Do every home exercise they assign
- Focus on safe movement patterns as you heal
- Re-enter the ice gradually:
- Skating in track pants
- Skating in pads
- Butterfly without transitions
- Controlled drills
- Practice
- Games
Be patient now so you don’t re-injure later.
That’s the full round-up for this week. Thanks for all the thoughtful questions—it was a long one, but a good one.
I’ll be here next Thursday if holiday chaos doesn’t kidnap me, but definitely not on Christmas Day because I’ll be cooking a turkey the size of a small goalie. Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to help[at]goalietrainingpro.com.
See you next time, team.