The physical game of hockey - the action of goaltending.
During your games you must allow all your hard work to come to fruition.
Have fun. Enjoy the challenges that the game of hockey presents - there will be many. Always remember that stress kills ability, so learn to relax. Be like water. Learn to flow with the game. Here is what Ken Dryden, a three-time Vezina Trophy Winner and four-time Stanley Cup Champion, says about goaltending in The Game:
"If you were to ask a coach or a player what he would most like to see in a goalie, he would, after some rambling out-loud thoughts, probably settle on something like: consistency, dependability, and the ability to make the
big save. What these qualities suggest is a certain character of mind, a mind that need not be nimble or dexterous, for the demands of the job are not complex, but a mind emotionally disciplined, one able to be focused
and directed, a mind under control. Because the demands on a goalie are mostly mental, it means that for a goalie the biggest enemy is himself. Not a puck, not an opponent, not a quirk of size or style. Him. The stress and
anxiety he feels when he plays, the fear of failing, the fear of being embarrassed, the fear of being physically hurt, all are symptoms of his position, in constant ebb and flow, but never disappearing. The successful goalie
understands these neuroses, accepts them, and puts them under control. The unsuccessful goalie is distracted by them, his mind in knots, his body quickly following.
The great satisfaction of playing goal comes from the challenge it presents. Simply stated, it is to give the team what it needs, when it needs it, not when I feel well-rested, injury free, warmed-up, psyched-up, healthy, hap-
py, and able to give it, but when the team needs it. On a team as good as the Canadiens, often it will need nothing; other times, one good save, perhaps two or three; maybe five good minutes, a period, sometimes,
though not often, a whole game. Against better teams, you can almost predict what and when it might be; against the rest, you cannot. You simply have to be ready."
During your practice sessions, be the hardest worker.
Ian Clark joined the Columbus Blue Jackets as goaltending coach on June 6, 2011. He joined the organization after serving as the Vancouver Canucks goaltending coach and consultant from 2002-10. Clark was also a member of Team Canada's coaching staff at the World Junior Championships from 2003-06, winning silver medals in 2003 and 2004 and capturing gold in 2005 and 2006. He also served as the Florida Panthers goaltending consultant in 2001-02. The list of goaltenders he has worked with includes Roberto Luongo, Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fleury, Cory Schneider, Andrew Raycroft, Johan Hedberg and Mathieu Garon. Here is what he has to say about a goaltenders work ethic:
“You play the most critical role on the team. No one has a greater potential individual impact on the outcome of a game than the goaltender. So if we can agree on that and therefore agree that we play arguably the most critical role it would make no sense for you not to be the hardest worker on the team. It makes no sense that the guy with the greatest responsibility would be the poorest worker.
You play the most critical role. You will be the hardest worker. You play the most critical role. You will be the fiercest competitor. These are the non-negotiables.”
(source: InGoal Radio Podcast: Episode 35)