Off-Season Goaltending Considerations
A few months ago, I was asked to do an in-service Q&A with an outstanding performance company in Rochester NY. Towards the end of our chat, a bright, young coach asked:
“During your summer programming, do you program anything different for goalies?”
It was a great question. Our programming is simple and based on first principles, one of which is a solid understanding of biomechanics. The majority of all menu list items are identical regardless of position. The goal(s): move well, load (weight, speed, RFD, power), progress. Having said that, there are subtle nuances in programming that we implement with our goalies.
Warm-Up:
Motion is lotion – full hip mobility series (extension, IR, ER, scour)
Dynamic Pattern Specific Movement
Hand Eye: Juggling, vision work
Loaded Jumps
This year we experimented with loaded jumps focusing on abduction/adduction under load (VBT: 1.3ms)
Lifting
Debatable, but we do not traditionally barbell squat (front or back) our goalies. Deep squatting pushes the limits of internal rotation under load. A great commentary on pelvic/hip mechanics and squatting can be found on Zac Cupples YouTube channel
Posterior hip mobs. We do program self-mobs and mobs under load (cable row)
Structured hip strength – ISO, concentric, eccentric. Next year we will be experimenting with reflexive eccentrics
Truth is, you could argue that this could be programmed for both forward and defensemen as well, but these are the subtle nuances that we currently use for our goaltenders in small groups.
