10 Year Old Son

Question
Good Morning Rob,

Where to start, I have a 10 year old son who now plays goalie but up until 3 years ago had no clue what hockey even was. Took him to a NJ Devils game with tickets a received from work. I'm a huge fan, but my son never showed interest. Well we went to the game and between the game, the sites and the fact that there was a mite hockey team sitting in front of him, he fell in love with the sport. So I that winter I put a 20x40 ice rink in my yard and threw him to the wolves to learn to skate with me. Since then he's been to many skating clinics and a goalie clinic, but never has played an ice game. Last year we entered him in the local recreation roller hockey and then after he joined the travel roller team. He didn't get much playing time, maybe on average a period a game. Well this year he is back in the rec roller league and he was actually called up to play on the Jr. level (grades 6-8) along with his age group which is the midget division (grades 4-5). He was planning on playing travel again this year, but they had to cancel the season due to lack of commitment.

Knowing how disappointed he was started calling the local ice rink and league's to see if anything was available. This past Friday the rink where my son has taken his clinics called and said they indeed needed a goalie for one of their house league teams. They have already started their season and I believe are 4 or 5 weeks into the season, but still have another 13 weeks left. They asked us to please come tomorrow morning for practice. We went to the hour long practice and my son performed decent, but yesterday it was game time and he looked awful. I know it was his first ice game and I know he was nervous, but it was bad, he was just flopping himself all over the place and looked like he had no skill what so ever. Now me hearing house league I figured that there would be children with the same skill level as my son, but boy I was wrong and the parents were just as completive. It was so bad my wife decided it was better to wait in the car after hearing the parents and feeling embarrassed. I asked the coach after the game if he felt this may be too completive for my son and he said know he just needs some practice and ice time. I asked my son if he had fun and wanted to continue and he said yes, but he did mention to me later last night that some of his new teammates were taunting him a little after letting an easy goal go through.

So now after my long detailed story my question is, do you feel that this is right for my son or would it be beneficial maybe to pull him from the league and put him into some more clinics and then get him back on the ice next year for the start of the season where he can get some practices in with his team before the games start. I'm at a loss here, my son is very passive and though he tells me he wants to play, I'm worried another game or two like this and his teammates taunting him that he'll not want to play anymore and his hockey playing days will be done. He really loves the sport and this seems to be his true love of sports even though he is a really good baseball player. Any suggestions or advice is appreciated.

Sincerely,
Dan

Answer
Dan,

Thank you for writing.  First lets talk about your child before we get into the adult's in the stand issue.  There is no better game in the world then hockey and there is no better position in hockey then a goalie.  Why?  Because the goalie get to play the whole game while others have to sit out every two minutes or so and watch.  Plus, there is no better feeling in the world, then robbing a player from the other team, from his victory dance.

Technology for the position has really come a long way since I played.  Back then, coaches were yelling at me to stay up...don't go down all the time.  But in todays world, all of the top goalies come from Quebec and they are teaching all of these goalie's to go down all the time.  Why?   If you take two strings and tie each string to the top corners on each side of the net, then take those two string and clip those two string to the stick blade of a shooter on the slot area, you will see that when he goes down, the string are just above his shoulders.  It would be difficult for a player to so called, "thread the needle" over his shoulder with the puck.  Now with those strings, you can teach him how far he can come out to cut down the angle to prevent the shot from going over his shoulder and into the net.

There are a lot of things you can do to teach him the position, that is very easy.  But the most important thing you can teach him is not physical play, but mental play.  This position is like no other.  The goalie is the last line of defense.  He is the last person on the team that can do anything to keep the puck from going in the net.  Why? Because the other 5 players on the ice have not done there jobs correctly and now he has to save their sorry asses.

When I am on the bench, I ask my players this question..."When the other team has the puck, how many defenseman do we have on the ice?"  9 times out of 10 you will hear kids and a lot of adults say...(2) we have 2 defenseman on the ice coach!  aaaah, wrong answer, we have 5 defenseman and a goalie when the other team has the puck.  It is the teams responsibility to regain control of the puck and not just the defenseman or the goalie to save your sorry asses.

Next, if I ever hear a kid bad mouthing his team mates...he sit the bench, plan and simple.  There is no room on a team to have each other taking shit about the other guy on the bench.  I am the only one that gets to talk shit on the bench and the only thing I want to hear come out of their little mouths are..."Dude, get pass, great save, great shot...etc.  If they don't like the goalie, then I suggest they shut the hell up and don the pads and let see how well you can do the job.  That always gets them to think about there attitude.

As for parents.  They drive me crazy the way they act.  Yes, I have a daughter and yes, I live my life through her like every parent does.  Why?  Because we are parents have invest a lot blood, sweet, and tears on them and she bring me joy when I see her great accomplishments.  But, parents take things too far sometimes.  In fact, when I coach a youth team, I have a meeting and show this video to all of them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWjBvcfhRX0

This video generally bring to the forefront how stupid they are and how they have been acting in the stands.  I don't have to yell at my parents, or tell them how ridiculous they look...just the video.

As for your boys game...don't take him out.  Leave him where he is. Taking him out will only re-enforce that when things get tough, it easier to change or do something else to make every thing alright and comfortable, instead of work though those hard times and challenges.  I know this sound kind of corny, but as a coach, it's my job to help your child win and not just win on the ice, but I want him to take the things I teach him out into the real world, when he steps out of the rink.

Here's what I am going to do.  Now, if you want, I can help you and recommend somethings to help him with his game.  But, you are going to have to send me your email address so I can work with you via email.  Why?  Because the stuff that I am going to share with you will not fit on this website and the system will kick me out do to, too many words in one posting.

So you have the next move.  I hope that some of the things that I have posted here will help.

Rob Lopez - CEO / Commissioner
Pass the Puck, Inc / University Ice Hockey League - Mexico
www.passthepuck.net / www.toroshockey.com.mx
[email protected]