3. Spotting a Goalie - What should you look for? 1.Athlete - should be one of your best kids 2.Quickness - looking for explosiveness 3.Aggressiveness - look for the kid with a nose for the ball 4.Toughness - who can mentally handle it 5.Leadership - do other players respond to them 6.Communication - are they a vocal player 7.Stickwork - should be one of your best handlers

4. What’s the #1 thing you can do to increase Goalie retention? Keep them involved in every drill! Goalies are field players too! Don’t just leave them in cage to get rocked all practice!

5. Where to start? 1. Stick A.create a good pocket; loosen pocket from sidewall strings 2. Helmet - proper fit; mounted throat protector 3. Other equipment - close fitting, minimal bulk possible (ie - no softball leg guards)

6. Stance 1.Athletic position A.Feet shoulder width; balls of feet B.Slight flex in the knees C.Shoulders back D.Arms up and out E.Hands 12-16” apart; top hand on throat of stick and bottom hand at middle of shaft

7. Stance

8. Stepping to ball 1.Draw line down middle of body A.Shots to right side, step with right foot B.Shots to left side, step with left foot C.Always lead with hands - head and body follow 2. Down the line - the most important drill for your beginning goalie A.High B.Mid C.Low 1.Head and shoulders over ball - shooter should see top of helmet 2.Should be able to stand up into “Ready” position

9. Individual Drills * Use tennis balls with beginning GK’s * 1.Down the line - no stick - emphasizes hands to ball 2.Down the line - boy’s field stick 3.Rebound off wall 4.Close eyes - open when you say “shot” GK’s need quality reps from coaches! Don’t rely on your players to warm up GK’s. You must CONTROL the shots!

10. Team Drills * Use cones to control where players shoot from * * Limit GK reps in drills with lots of shots * 1.1 v 1’s, 2 v 2’s, 3 v 3’s (US Double Drill) A. Use GK as attacker & defender too 2.8 meters 3.Transition (man up, down, even) 4.Settled 5.Clears (Greatest Drill Ever) A. Bring GK out of crease 6.Ride A. Use GK as a defender out of crease

11. Other things for GK’s to do when not facing shots 1.Jump Rope - one of the single best things for a GK 2.Fast feet / Ladder 3.Juggle 4.Wall ball 5.Clear to trash can (How many can the make in 5 mins) 6.Be a feeder in team drills 7.Play offense and defense in drills