Establishing Consistency in Practice and in Your Pre-Game Routine

Consistency should be the ultimate pinnacle of success for goaltenders of all ages. Achieving consistency is a difficult process. It is a process that requires dedication to a high standard day in and day out, on the ice as well as off the ice. My belief is that the path toward consistency starts in practice. A goaltender must compete hard in every drill and shot in practice. When a goaltender competes hard in practice, this quickly becomes a habit, and this habit or standard then becomes a mantra that leads to consistency. Legendary Toronto Maple Leafs coach, Mike Babcock, stated during a press conference in reference to Leafs’ goaltender, Frederik Andersen, “if you compete hard every day in practice it becomes natural to compete hard in games. If you take practice off, then you become a guy, who shows up 50% of the time.”

Aside from competing hard in practice, which I believe is undervalued by many young athletes, a goaltender can establish consistency in their pre-game routine. A pre-game routine is not formed by one game. It is not a “I played really well in this game, so I am going to do this before every game.” A pre-game routine should be viewed as a formula that is constantly being tweaked to get the same results every game. If you are serious about your game, then you must dedicate yourself to your game. This is not meant to be easy. A pre-game routine starts the day before a game. Are you drinking plenty of water? Are you going to bed early or are you staying up late? Start thinking about the game, vividly utilizing visualization or imagery. Imagine yourself making saves, and how your body feels making these saves. You should be engaging all your senses such as hearing the crowd, or the smell of the ice. There are plenty of articles written regarding imagery. Here are two articles that will help you get started using imagery:

Visualization is crucial. I compare it to taking a test, where you have all the answers then take that same test a few hours later. Visualization enables you to play the game before it happens. Therefore, during the game you are prepared since you have already played the game out in your mind beforehand.

On game day, I found that doing light exercise in the morning helped my performance significantly. I would either do a very light jog for a mile or two or getting on the bike for 15-30 minutes. After that, figure out a meal that is not too heavy. Many athletes eat pasta before a game. Regardless, find a meal that is healthy, and places your body in the correct state for competition.

I arrived at the rink no less than an hour before hand. Once you arrive at the rink, do some light exercise also known as a dynamic warm up to get the blood flowing.After, you should go through a stretching routine that focuses on the hamstrings, hips, and groins, but overall loosening your body. Then begin visualization using techniques discussed in the articles above. I also suggest to many goaltenders writing numbers down on a racquetball. While throwing the racquetball against the wall, try to zoom in, and pick these individual numbers out while the ball is in mid-air. It is imperative that you warm up your eyes as your eyes are comparable to any other muscle in that they require warming up. I would listen to music before a game in order to escape the pre-game noise and chatter that goes on in the locker room.

Perhaps the most important detail, often overlooked, is that at most youth hockey games you have a three-minute warm up. Personally, I cannot think of many things I can do in three minutes. Therefore, you have to be ready to go before stepping out onto the ice. The warm up should just be a time that you are feeling pucks not actual preparation for the game.

Also, find your optimal level of arousal. Following your game, think about how you felt at puck drop. On a scale of 0-100 (100 being just amped the nth degree), rate where you were at puck drop. Your goal is to determine at what level of arousal do you play best, and to achieve that optimal level of arousal prior to every game.

This is only a starting guide or a suggestion for your pre-game routine. Figure out what works best for you. Constantly tweak your pre-game routine.

Consistency should be the goal for every goaltender. Do not expect yourself to be lights out every single game. Your objective is to give your team a chance to win every game. However, this starts in practice. Are you competing on every shot? Are you bringing 100% every time? This standard will not only help you on the ice but off the ice and in school as well.

As always, please discuss this with your Goalie Academy coaches as we are always here to help.

Best of luck and continued success with your season,

Zack Minsk