Lacrosse Goaltending

Billy Daye Warming Up Boston Cannon Goalies

2010-06-07T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is a great two minute clip of Billy Daye of the Boston Cannons Warming up the goalies for pre game. Pretty cool.

You can check him out at

Great new post about Lacrosse Goalie Clears

2010-03-31T01:45:00.000-07:00

Blog Post and Video about Easy Lacrosse Goalie Clears

Go check it out now.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.LacrosseGoalieTips.com

Lacrosse Goalie! Do You Know Mr. Millimeter?

2009-07-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

Are you watching the Tour De France?

I've been a fan for all my life. You've probably heard of a guy named
Lance Armstrong by now. He won the thing seven times and then took
a four year "retirement." Now he's back racing again, and he's tied
for the lead!

They call Lance "Mr. Millimeter" because of his attention to detail.
His seat post must be a certain height. His pedals a certain fit.
When he races the time trials he wears an aero helmet and booties
that cover the straps on his shoes. He leaves nothing to chance, and
most importantly, he comes to the line, every race, with all of his
equipment in perfect order.

Do you?

I'm always surprised just how many goalies don't take care of the
little details of the game. Their stick may be fraying with laces
that may break during the game. They don't have a butt end, or a
ball stop in their stick. Their gloves may be worn, or wet from the
previous practice where they never let them dry out. Or they
come to the field with the wrong cleats.

All of these little details can really effect your game. They put
you behind the eight ball even before you step on the field and
why would you want to make goaltending harder than it is in
the first place?

Your goal, everyday is to come to the field with everything
in place. Nothing should be artificially holding you back.
Bad fitting equipment. Unprotective equipment. Heavy
sticks with bad pockets. All of these things keep you from
focusing on the reason you are really in the cage and that is
to stop the ball.

So be like Lance. Come to the line, everyday, with everything
in order so you can work on being better.

Cool story about Lance too. When he won his first tour he really
raised the bar with the attention to detail that he took. In the time
trials, where a rider rides alone against the clock, Lance came to the
line in a custom aerodynamic helmet, booties for his shoes, and a
bike made custom for his size and shape on the bike. Some of his
main rivals came to the line in their normal helmets, non-aero
suits, and time trial bikes that didn't have all the aero components
that Lance had.

Why? These guys were giving up time before they even started
to pedal! Crazy. Why would you do that? For everything they
gave away in equipment they hoped to make up with their body
and at that level you're just not going to be able to do that.

So keep that in mind the next time you hop in the cage. Ask yourself,
What part of my equipment is holding me back? Now go and fix it.

Kick butt,

Let me hear your comments below!

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

How To String a Lacrosse Goalie Stick

2009-06-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

Rachel writes: hi.so i have a question for you.i am wanting to restring my brine money stick and this would be the first time i have restrung a stick.do you have any links or tips on how to do it.

Thank You
Rachel

Answer: Hey there Rachel. If you like your current string job here's what I'd do. Get a second stick (you should have two on the go at all times) and copy your string job into that second stick. Break it in, then go back and redo the first one.

If you aren't going to get a second stick right now then take some digital photos of the current stick. Get up close to some of the critical points where knots are tied off and lacing is done etc. That way you've got some reference to look at while you're doing that new stick.

Make sure you use hard mesh. This will break in the best long term. I also soak my mesh over night before I string it up. It makes it easy to work with. Then I put some weights in there, or you can use some big soup cans or a jug of milk and put it in the stick over night. That way it dries in the stretched position. Most goalies will string a stick up and then that first time they play in the rain it shrinks up and gets ruined. By getting the mesh wet to start and then letting it dry it saves you a lot of time later.

Hope that helps Rachel. Let me know if you need anything else.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrosseGoalieTips.com

New Site is UP!!!

2009-05-30T21:41:00.001-07:00

Check out www.LacrosseGoalieTips.com for all the latest.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

New Lacrosse Goalie Tip Blog Over At www.lacrosssegoalietips.wordpress.com

2009-04-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that I have started a second blog over at www.lacrossegoalietips.wordpress.com.

Ultimately we'll be turning that one live, this one will still be here.

You'll want to sign up for the ezine to be up to date.

We will also be starting a membership only site on that blog for more in-depth articles and discussions on lacrosse. It will be an intimate coaching community of goalies and coaches who are looking to improve their game and become All-Americans. Hope you like it.

www.lacrossegoalietips.wordpress.com

Great Article on Princeton Lacrosse Goalie

2009-04-22T01:36:00.001-07:00

Found this awesome article on the women's goalie from Princeton. There are some great take away's in this article about going to college. Playing from a state that isn't recognized for lacrosse. As well as the mental side of goaltending. Hope you like it.

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/04/22/23478/

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Great Lacrosse Goalie Video of TJ Yost from Michigan

2009-04-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

This is a great video of TJ Yost graduating this year from Brother Rice in Michigan.

Couple things about this goalie:

Not that big in the cage. Kinda short.

Great stick and stick handling ability.

Always looking upfield for a quick outlet pass and his whole team knows that he can hit them with a pass so they are ALL breaking on the clear hoping to get a pass.

My one complaint is that sometimes his passes to the middle of the field are ill-advised.

Secondly, when he backs out of the back of the crease he heads too far back. This will work in high school but in college he would get jumped by a speedy attackman.

Just little things but this goalie is an All-american for a reason. Great job TJ.

Jonathan -

First Year Lacrosse Goalie Needs More Equipment

2009-04-18T22:54:00.000-07:00

Question: Hi jonathan, im a first semester goalie in high school and I have gotten down the fundamentals of being a keeper... with one major problem. After a head shot or many painful bruising shots,(especially during practice) I start flinching away from the ball badly, sometimes even exposing my sides to the ball. I don't know how to get out of this bad habit since I do it unconciously. I wear only the minimal padding for a girls goalie (chest, helmet, throat, hands, and legs) so should I get more maybe?

Answer: Yes, you need more equipment. At least until you get better at stopping the ball with your stick. It's a natural reaction of the body to shy away from a ball especially after you've been hit enough for it to really hurt. That is why I recommend that most goalies wear more than enough equipment to start while you are learning. I also tell coaches that they should ensure that their shooters in practice shoot from far enough away that the goalie can react to the ball.

If you are flinching so much that you are turning your body you aren't learning anything in the cage. Until you can face the ball and focus on moving to it to make the save you are just a target and I might add not a very happy one. I don't want to see you get hurt or worse, discouraged enough to quit. It's a fun position but you need to step into it slowly.

I would recommend some football pants to help cover your thighs. Make sure that your chest protector is protective enough and not too small. Many women I have worked with have chest protectors that shift and leave a breast exposed enough to really hurt when hit. We want to avoid that. Also, make sure you have a woman's cup (pelvic protector) Shoulderpads with shouldercaps also help.

Let me know if you need anything else. I'm here to help.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Hofstra Video from Insidelacrosse.com

2009-04-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

Some good saves on this video. Also, some really bad goals.

Olympic Weightlifter Mathias Steiner of Germany

2009-04-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Just something to inspire everyone. This guy, Matthias Steiner lost his wife just prior to the games in a car accident I believe. Either way, this is a really inspiring video as he wins gold at the Beijing Olympics. This clean and jerk was for 567 pounds! Hope you like it.

What Kind Of Lacrosse Cleats Should I Wear?

2009-04-08T10:32:00.001-07:00

Question: Dear Jonathan,

Thanks for your great blog. I am a post-collegiate club lax player who just started playing goalie about a year ago. My old (football) cleats are finally dying, and I need to get new ones. I have read lots of things but can't seem to get a straight and reliable answer. What kinds of cleats can a goalie wear? Can I use baseball ones? Or just soccer and football and lacrosse cleats? Trying to save a buck here, too. Am also concerned about toe protection from shots. Have been lucky in that area so far, but have been hit in the feet a few times.

Thanks!

Mike C.

Answer: Hey Mike. Great question. You can wear anything, typically, as long as they aren't steel. Some baseball cleats fall in that category. If you've got plastic screw in's you're fine. But if they are steel they might go against your league rules. Just double check.

Personally I wear molded football cleats. I find that most fields we play on are really hard under my feet so screw ins don't work because they don't sink into the ground. The molded ones tend to give me more grip and a flatter base to stand on. Also, they tend to work in most conditions and get my by.

I also find that most football cleats have a heavier duty toe on them. You want one that has a solid leather toe. Not one where the upper turns to nylon. Mine have a leather piece that runs right from the toe, to the laces. Hopefully you can visualize that.

You can also wear those football cleats playing baseball so you can save a few bucks.

Hope that helps buddy.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Box Lacrosse Coach Wonders How Much Things Have Changed?

2009-04-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Question: Hi Jonathon, I came across your blog and wanted to ask your opinion on coaching box goalies as I've just begun coaching a novice house team. I played in goal for 10 years as a kid but that was 20 years ago - have the fundamentals changed that much? I feel confident that I can coach based on the way I played (angles, angles, angles) but was curious about the basic set up. I was always taught to have my glove hand against my kidney so that my arm formed a sideways "V" and my elbow and upper arm would stick out. This also prepared me for making a shoulder save on the glove hand side. I also made sure my stick was on the ground as part of my set up. Is that still practical?

Any advice will help.

Answer: I'm mostly a field goalie coach but I've been doing a lot of help with box coaches lately so I'll give my two cents strictly from a technique standpoint.

I would say that no, things haven't changed much. The equipment has obviously gotten lighter, and larger. The shots still come the same but now with more velocity and more ability for fakes.

The bottom line on position in the cage is the same. You want to have a nice balanced position on the balls of your feet so you can move. Some goalies now take the stick off the floor just a bit to aid with stance. But they need to respect the low shots that can sneak underneath.

As far as that off stick glove I've got some thoughts on that. You want to have that arm in the V so that you do take up some space. The glove is turned over to protect the exposed palm. I would not tuck it as far back as the kidney as that may be a bit to far to the back. You want it to be useful and not hidden. (I'm waiting for someone to design a glove that can be turned over to act more like a catching glove but flat so you can't catch. But would allow for you to then grab the stick. This would put that arm in a much more aggressive position to stop shots to that side yet still allow you to throw.)

All in all you're going to be 90% there when you coach. Stay positive and stay relevant. You've got a chance to watch some great goalies up there in Vancouver so watch some games and see what the top guys are doing. You'll be right back on board fast.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you need anything else. I spend a ton of time in Calgary and was just out in Whistler racing bobsled nationals. Actually tried out for the Canadian National Field team a couple of years ago at that soccer complex in Burnaby. Love that area.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru.

Girls Lacrosse Goalie Getting Thrown in the Fire. Needs Some Help

2009-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Question: Hi, I am a junior and the varsity goalie for my high school girl’s lacrosse team and I am having some problems. I was on junior varsity last year, my first time playing lacrosse ever. I didn’t really have anyone teaching me so I just winged it and had some beginners’ luck, now the original varsity goalie is ineligible so they bumped me up and it’s miserable. Everyone expects me to know everything because I’ve played for one season. I’m working hard to step up but I really need some help. My defense just lets the attack wing come running down on the field and take a shot right on the crease. We get up to three yellow cards a game so the other team gets to take repeated shots from the hash line and I am supposed to save them with only one season worth of experience. I’ve read most of your blog and that was tremendous help already, I just want a little more personal of a diagnosis. Thank you

Answer: Hey there Steph. Smile for me, k? Ok let's get this going.

First off, you're NOT supposed to know everything. You can't. I can't. We're always learning and you're being thrown in the fire a bit. Now I want you to step up a bit and get excited for the opportunity. Sure, it's probably a little early but you can handle it. You know how I can tell? You took the time to seek out some information and found me. Not only did you do that you wrote to me directly. So I know that you've got the ability to see this through and to kick ass.

OK, now. You need to remember that this is a team sport. And like I always say, "If your teammates were so damned good they wouldn't need a goalie!" The fact that you are seeing high percentage shots is your defenses fault. And to take it one step further it's your coaches fault for not helping you defense play better. Now I don't know your team. I don't know what you've got to work with as far as players on your defense. You may be on a really crappy team. But that's ok too.

Here's the deal. Your team needs to play better defense and funnel the offensive players to places where they have lower percentage shots. (i.e. further down the wing, or away from the cage.) This is the team part of the game and you can't forget that.

On the other hand you need to get excited about those high percentage shots. These are the ones where you get to really focus on the ball and make some big saves. If the game is moving a little too fast for you right now, don't worry, it will slow down. You just need some shots at the faster pace and you will step up. I know you can.

Spend some quality time visualizing yourself being successful in the cage. See yourself making those saves. The best time to do this is right before you go to bed because your subconcious mind goes to work while you're sleeping. It's a cool trick that I will try to write an article on later.

Also, here's another mental trick. Right after a goal goes in I want you to say to yourself, "Reset!" And then get back into your ready stance and actually visualize the ball coming to you as it just did. Move to the ball as if you were going to make that save. It's really important to replace the negative image in your head (the goal) with a positive image (you making the save.)

Try that kid. You're going to do great. Get to know your defense. And talk to your coach too to see if you can get a feel for why you guys are giving up such high percentage shots.

Last thing. Try to get someone to take stats for you so you can figure out your save percentage. That is the number you should be focusing on. If you lose a game 16-2 but your save percentage is 60% or higher that's a pretty good day for a goalie. Feel proud of that. NOT the score.

Alright Steph. Let me know how it goes. I expect an update in a few weeks.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

New Lacrosse Goalie Needs Help With His Pocket

2009-03-28T13:19:00.001-07:00

Question: Hey Jonathan- I'm new to lacrosse im 5-2 and 120 pounds I love lacrosse and i love your awesome answers you give to people when i got my lacrosse stick the first night i started by grabbing a can of green beans and pounded it for like two hours in all and it was working find the next day for 1 hour but it started to then when i threw the ball it started to go staright down! So can you please tell me if im throwing my ball wrong or if its my head/mesh. Can you also tell me how i can throw the lacrosse goalie ball better.

Answer: Gino, tighten the sidewall laces a bit. Also, make sure the top shooting string is as tight as possible. It should be two diamonds away from the plastic. Then make the next shooting string a little looser. And the third one looser than that. There should be a gentle lip from the mesh to the shooting strings so that the ball releases higher. You'll have to mess around with this a bit as it comes with practice getting to know your stick. You may also have to move the lace at the throat, up a bit. So that the overall pocket is just a bit tighter. This should help.

As far as throwing better, it all comes with practice and strength. The stronger you get in your hands, forearms and legs (ironically) the further your passes will go. It will come with time if you work at it. Also, by fixing the head of your stick the balls will fly further.

Hope that helps buddy. Good luck! Let me know how it goes.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com (Sign up for the free e-zine!_
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com

Box Lacrosse Goalie Gloves for My Ten Year Old?

2009-03-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Question:

Jonathan, my ten year old son has started playing goal in box lacrosse and is looking for a good quailty glove for this position. I can find field gloves or very expensive eagle gloves. Is there a make and model you would recomend?

Answer: Mike the challenge at this age is that you need a glove that will protect from the shot, but inherently that means the glove is so stiff and bulky it's hard for the goalie to move his hand. Kids at that age can shoot hard enough to hurt a goalie with a soft glove, and because in box the shots come from so close I'd be wary to go with a field glove that is soft.

The Eagle gloves, in my opinion, are very protective but might be restrictive for a small hand. You can look for a used pair that have been beaten up in the palm and are easy to bend, or you can buy a new pair that he will probably get a few seasons out of and just work the heck out of them. Twist, pull, bend, warp, whatever. This way you will still have the protective outside but they will be more bendable. It all depends on the strength of your sons hands.

Couple years ago I was getting my hands really beaten up in field lacrosse. I actually found a pair of Nike hockey gloves at Sport Check that had a thumb with a hinge on it. They worked great. Hockey gloves in general tend to be more protective on the outside. They just don't hinge real well to cradle the stick. You may be able to find a really nice pair of hockey gloves with a short enough cuff that you son can throw and catch easily enough in box.

Bottom line: Any brand. Short cuff. Hard outer shell. Work them to see if the body of the glove is flexible enough for your son to close them and cradle the stick, a bit.

Hope that helps Mike. Let me know what you go with. I know those Eagle brand gloves are "cool" and all to the young guys, but personally I think they are great for the pro's who have strong hands and guys shooting at them at 160Kph. But for the little guys, there are other options.

Good luck and keep me posted. Where do you live? I spend most of my days between Calgary and Massachusetts.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com

Should I Take My Shin Guards Off?

2009-03-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

Answer: Hey there Tori. Thanks for writing.

Are you wearing large shin guards? For, let's say, a hockey player? Or are you wearing soccer style shin guards? When you say they are hard to run in I'm guessing they are hockey style shins guards. Or maybe baseball catchers shin guards?

The way I break it down is this: If, by not wearing them, you feel like you will get hurt you should wear them. By hurt I don't mean injured and can't walk. I mean, Oh-my-lord-that-really-hurts-and-that-might-even-leave-a-really-big-bruise-there-that-won't-go-away-for-a-month sort of thing. Basically, if your brain sends a signal that the shot is going to hurt instead of one that focuses on saving the ball you want to wear them.

Even when I play today, getting hit with the ball is not fun. It hurts. And bruises are bad. Something to consider is that boys don't wear them because they want to look cool. That's it. And most of them, if they are new, are stupid not to wear them for some period of time. Also, you have to consider the level of player that you are playing against. If you are getting hit with the ball and not moving to it then the shooters aren't that good and you're eventually going to get hurt with a shot or two. If you are moving to the ball and your leg is getting to the ball but not your stick, that is a little better. It tells me you are aggressive enough and not fearful of moving to the ball and getting yourself in the way. Finally, if you are moving well enough but maybe missing a couple with the stick you are really close to breaking through to the next level and stopping a bunch of balls and not getting hurt that often.

When I was starting out I put my shin guards under a pair of light sweatpants. No one saw them. And no one asked if I wore them. It kept me from feeling weird if I had them on. But for a while they helped me be a better goalie and I'm thinking that's the category you fall in. They make you feel safe, but your noticing others who aren't wearing them and are maybe feeling that "tug" to take them off.

Many men's goalies will wear a shin guard of some sort on their off-stick leg. I'm a righty goalie so the furthest point to have to move my stick to make a save is to my left leg. Many times my left leg gets there but not my stick and I tend to get a bruise on the inside of my left calf. When I played a lot I would put on the pad after I got nailed there a few times. Now I just leave it on most of the time. It's preventative.

I know they are hard to run in but how much do you really run in a game? Not much. Here's a suggestion. Wear them in your warm ups. Try and take them off for games.

But...if we were sitting across from each other here is what I'd tell you. I'd say, "Tori, your brand new and your doing a great job. I really see you progressing and you obviously love the game. Now I want you to continue to love the game and I would hate to see you get hit with a ball that really hurts and then that sticks in the back of your head for a while every time a shot comes. Leave on the shin guards for now. I want you to feel safe and secure in the cage. We've got plenty of time for you to shed equipment. If you are feeling self-concious throw on some sweats. Take them off when we do line drills and sprints and put them on when you are in the cage." How's that.

Good luck Tori. Let me know how things go and keep me posted on what you decide. You're going to do great.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

-

How Do I Stop Those Players Coming From Around The Back of The Cage?

2009-03-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Question: > Hey Jonathan! Just wanted to reply to your email! I tried to get
> lower in tryouts yesterday and it helped. I'm not very tall and I play
> field hockey. I totally forgot about shots coming from behind the cage
> when the attack runs it back and then does a roll around the crease.
> Are there any pointers about that? It seems like they have a way
> bigger chance of getting it in the cage then.

-Abby

Answer:

Hey Abby. Great to hear things went better. Proud of you. Keep it up.

Quick tips on those players coming from the back of the net:

1) Understand what is going through their head. "Oh my GOD I"M ALL ALONE!!!" to "Oh my GOD I"VE GOT TO GET THIS SHOT OFF QUICK!!!" With this in mind, you know that they are excited and that they are going to want to get rid of the ball quickly. So stay close to the pipe with your stick up and a little straighter than your normal stance.

2) The tendency as a goalie is to start to step away from the pipe way too soon. Don't. Work on this in practice with someone walking around the cage. Better yet. You do it as the offensive player and have someone else stand in the cage. Sometimes the best way to work on your game is to act like that offensive player.

3) Instead of stepping OUT at the shooter, step laterally. If you come out from the cage it is very easy to shoot over and around you so don't do it. Same rule applies on one on ones from the top.

4) Because you are vertically challenged like myself the shooter sees a lot of net upstairs as she comes running around the side of the cage. So because she is in a rush that's the first place she's going to look to shoot. If you stay low in your stance, and be prepared to explode up to the ball, you should have a great chance to saving the ball. They will either shoot right in your stick if it is on your near pipe. Or they will try to go far side and you will explode up with the stick. Just try to keep your eyes on the head of their stick and be ready. No blinking.

5) Lastly, if the player is pretty skilled she may try to fake high, and shoo low. By faking high she trys to get you to jump up at the fake. It's very hard to reverse yourself in mid air, so as you are going up, she puts the ball down low. If the skill of your games is high this may happen. But if it's low it probably won't. You'll probably see more girls try and shoot high than shoot low.

Ok. That should do ya. Let me know how it goes, k?

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Lacrosse Goalie Wonders, "Is it my goalie stick? Or is it me?"

2009-03-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

Question: Hi Jonathan,
I'm a sophomore goalie in Northern California and I play for my girls varsity team. I was the starting goalie last year, but now I am battling a senior for the position. I had a pretty good rookie season last year, but I had a lot of trouble keeping the ball in my stick after making saves. I got a brand new stick halfway through season last year because I broke my first two, and I never had it restrung. I think it is hard mesh, but not knowing much about goalie sticks I don't know. I have three questions: 1) Should I have it restrung (there is literally no pocket), 2) How do I break in my mesh (I've played with it for a season and it still looks like new, I have taken it in the shower, I've stepped in it, I've pounded it, nothing works), and 3) Is there even anything wrong with my stick or is it me?

Thanks

Answer: Ok, answers to your questions in order. Then some comments.

1) Get it restrung. If it has no pocket it's useless for you. Only goalies with incredible hands, and extremely strong hands and forearms can use a shallow pocket and then it's not recommended.

2) I've got a couple of articles at AllExperts.com and on my blog at www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com where I describe how I break in a stick. Sorry to make you search but it's too involved to type here. Short story: You've got to soak the hard mesh prior to putting it in the stick and then stick a weight in it overnight while it dries. This should work wonders for you.

3) Thank you for even admitting the problem might be you! If your stick is that shallow it's definitely not helping you. It's like playing golf with bad clubs. Golf is frustrating enough to play without having bad clubs and that's you right now. The you part is just hand/forearm strength. Most women I've worked with have very weak hands. It's just how you guys are made. Unless you have "man hands" like in that old Sienfeld episode. But even then, most women just don't have the hand strength to hold the stick softly yet firm enough. What ends up happening is that you have to grip the stick so hard so that it doesn't spin when the ball hits your stick. Now that being said, I don't know for sure if that is your problem specifically. As a generality I can recommend that you do what you can to strengthen your hands and forearms. There is a great book called The Mastery of Hand Strength. You can find it at www.Ironmind.com I recommend it to all my goalies. It's cheap and will help you tons. I can tell you this, every woman I have every coached, no matter what the sport, when we worked on their hand strength her whole game improved.

Get two sticks on the go. With pockets you like in both of them. That way you are never without a stick that you don't like. You will always have your "A" stick and your "B" stick but if one goes down you're not scrambling to try and break in a stick while playing in meaningful games.

Good luck! Where do you play? I had a goalie from Novato write me a while back. You playing them this year? I went to Stanford for a summer and have friends in Sausalito. One of our favorite places on the planet. Keep me posted. I love to know how things go for all my goalies.

Jonathan- The Goalie Guru

PS. If this helped you I'd love to get some feedback that I can post on our new website. I'm compiling a list of testimonials and would love to have you guys on there.

Unhappy Lacrosse Goalie Needs Some Tips

2009-03-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Question: Hi Jonathan,

My school just started a new lacrosse team at the start of the this season. Only 1 girl has ever played before, and the team has practiced together for about 4 weeks. There was so much interest that Coach decided to make two teams, a varsity and a JV. I offered to play Goalie, because I had never played any kind of goalie before, and it is, after all, pretty fun. While we are playing established Varsity Teams, our girls are pretty athletic.

Anyway, I guess my question is this: as a brand new varsity goalie, with less than 1 week experience before the first game, having never played before, how many should I be expecting to save? In a typical half, I am taking 20-25 shots on goal, and the other team is scoring 16-18 points. Our typical game score is 16-0. Our team doesn't yet have the ability to complete and score. Some of the team members are claiming that the only reason I made varsity is because no one else wanted to play in the goal. When I remind them to stay out of the crease, they give me a lot of attitude. I am trying my best, but the only "goalie drill" we ever do is to line everyone up and have them take shots on me. Am I just a really bad goalie? At first, I really liked it, but now I am very unsure of my decision to play goalie right now, and I wonder if I made a big mistake.

Any advice you give me is highly appreciated,

A brand new, rather unhappy, goalie.

Answer: Hey there Unhappy. I've attached an article that I think may be of help to you.

Couple things:

1) You guys are all learning. No one is in a position to be criticizing anyone else on your team so my first bit of advice is to not enter into any chatter about how poorly anyone else is doing. Especially you. No one else volunteered. If you'd rather play out go for it. Those girls will either be bummed that you decided not to play goal, OR it may be best for everyone.

2) The great thing about playing goal is that your "grade" isn't the one on the scoreboard. That is everyone elses grade. My favorite saying is that "If your team was so good they wouldn't even need a goalie." So for now, just focus on playing and enjoying the challenge of stopping as many balls as you can.

3) As far as expectations on how many shots you should be saving? That's a little premature to do that now. But I understand that you are on a Varsity team and it's tough not to find out what "good" is. For most goalies a save percentage anywhere between 60-70% is excellent. So I'd say you're right on track.

4) Playing lacrosse is a team game. If all those shots are coming from five yards away from the cage, your defense needs to step it up and play better. If you are letting in goals from 20yards away you'd probably agree that you should have those. So within that save percentage there are "good" goals and "bad" goals. You'll know which ones you should be saving as you gain more experience.

Don't get discouraged. It's a useless feeling and not productive at all. Instead, focus on being better every day. And encouraging others. There is a term the Japanese use called "Kaizen" It means constant, and never ending improvement. You can't expect to be world class right away. But after many days of improvement, world class comes quickly.

Stay positive. Stay focused. Remind yourself of why you wanted to play goal and get back to that.

Let me know how you fare and keep me posted on your progress. Enjoy the article.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Advice For a First Year Lacrosse Club?

2009-03-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

Question: Hey John
I am a goalie for California University of PA. This is our first year as a club team and have our first Tournament (and game) against WVU this weekend. We do not have a coach and well over half the team has ever even played lacrosse before. So i will be busy! I am also the Captain, and soon the President next semester just as a sophomore... Any suggestions on how to get this Club in a very small town really hit the ground running?
Thanks
Eddy

Answer: Hey there Eddie. Congrats. You do have your work cut out for you that's for sure.

My best advice is to keep it fun. It won't be long till you've got a ton of people coming out of the woodwork to play. There are a lot of people out there who have played at some point in their lives. Some still play. Some really want to play. Some haven't played in ages. So start with your club at school, but I would suggest doing something in addition where other people can join you.

I used to drive three hours from just south of Boston to some random farm in the middle of Somers, Connecticut for Sunday club games. Every Sunday, 1pm. Guys would pack up their wives and kids and camp overnight. It was a blast. We'd play the game and then barbecue. I think if you can do something like that you will have a ton of people, in addition to your teammates to play with, and to learn from.

Get a website up. Go to Aweber.com and set up an newsletter list to spread the word. Pretty soon you'll have a bustling club with a ton of fans.

Check out the US Lacrosse website for clubs and leagues that are near you. There might be some you're not aware of.

Have a blast! Bring beer.

Let me know how it goes. What is the exact name of your school and club? Send me your contact info and I'll put it on my blogs so people can find you. And if you print up some t-shirts be sure to send me one! I'm a Large. :)

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

What Kind of Conditioning Should Lacrosse Goalies Be Doing? Same As The Midfielders?

2009-03-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

Question: hey jonathan..my name is (witheld) and i'm a senior starting goalie
> for my hs varsity team. Practice starts Monday, and to be
> completley honest I am not in shape and haven't done much to
> prepare. My coach is sort of inexperienced and likes to kill us
> with a lot of running the first week because she thinks that's
> the way to go, but I strongly disagree. Last season I had shin
> splints that came close to a stress fracture from it and my
> trainer told me I couldn't run for a while, and I that prevented
> me from being able to do quick feet and other important drills
> good for being a goalie. What do you think is the best way for
> me to get in great goalie shape for this season, without an
> overload of running, that is more realistic? What drills should
> I tell her I can do while the midfielders run at practice?

Answer:First: Why are you out of shape? I mean c'mon. You're a senior. Whether you are a captain or not you are THE captain on the field. What kind of shape are you in exactly? Round is a shape. You're starting to worry me.

Now I don't know what your situation is so I don't want to sound harsh where there is some legitimate reason. Perhaps you had a bizarre coyote attack that chewed of your big toe on your left foot and you are finally able to walk. Or perhaps your arm was pinned between a freshman and their locker door as you stuffed them in there and you had to amputate using nothing but the uncovered end of your goalie stick. Whatever the excuse I'm sure you are now recovered and on your way to playing well.

I have to admit though that I am thoroughly impressed that you are looking for alternative solutions. That is outstanding. So because of that I can help you. So smile. My sarcasm gets the best of me sometimes but lets get you going.

First things first: You've got to get your stick in your hand and start throwing. And getting shots. ASAP. That is a given. Get going. No time to waste.

You're lucky because I agree with you on the long distance running stuff. That is a very old school mentality. Quite outdated. Long distance running can actually slow down a goalie who needs to be fast twitch. However, if you, or your teammates are just plain lazy then some hardcore running is probably a good idea.

In light of your shinsplints here is what I would do: Call your trainer and talk to him/her about preventative taping of your shins. Because you had them last season to the degree that you had them it's recommended to tape them now even if they feel ok. It will help you to get through the transition period where your body compensates to the new work load. You can slowly ease off the taping as the season progresses until your legs get into the shape they need to be in. I would also find a golf ball and make sure to roll your feet, the front of your shin (Anterior Tibialis) and your calves to make sure everything is good and loose PRIOR to playing. I would do this every practice. In fact I do do it before every practice. Did it today before a sprint session I had. Extremely helpful. It's a pocket massage therapist. You can talk to your trainer about soft tissue mobilization prior to practice sometimes called self-myofacial release therapy. Very helpful. By releasing the tissue around the shins your lower leg will be more shock absorbing which will relieve some of the stress the shins get. If you wear any type of a shoe with a heel this can really affect the flexibility of your foot and calf which can throw the stress on areas that just aren't ready. So stay loose.

That should give you a little buffer with the shins to get you through the first part of the season. As far as getting into shape I would recommend to your coach that you do sprints, or hill running. (You're going to hate me but it's true.) Every time you step your feet and shins take a multiple of your bodyweight in compressive forces. So if you run for long distances you get thousands of pounding steps on those shins that's just not good. And to be honest there are a lot of body types that just aren't good for running long distances. I would have you do sprints. In sprinting your shins don't take the pounding that they do in normal running because of where your foot hits in relationship to your body. The only place you get a ton of compression is when you decelerate or when you stop sprinting and start running. A better choice I would have you do is uphill running. Many injured athletes will run hills because it really takes away from the pounding on the feet. The other alternative is to run in the pool. Waist high water or higher depending on how much the shins hurt. The water lessens your bodyweight impact on the legs which can get you through those rough stages.

If you want I can totally talk to your coach for you with some suggestions. I do that for a number of goalies if you feel it would help. As a coach I would appreciate if one of my players had sought out information that differed with my thinking. I know not all coaches are like that but let me know if you need that.

To be honest, I used to always get shot on while the midfielders ran. It was a great time to get more appropriate work in. I would do that and have you run hills and you'd be pretty bagged. If you were really out of shape I'd shoot on you, and have you run hills at the end of practice. Nothing crazy. Two hills today. Three tomorrow. Wednesday off. Two hills, three hills. Weekend off. Next week: Three hills and then four, etc.

Meghan I hope that helps you. Let me know if you need any clarification. You're one of my girls now so stay in touch and let me know how it goes. What state do you play in?

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

Box Lacrosse Goalie Tips

2009-02-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

Question: Jonathan

I stumbled on your blog today and hope to have some time to
explore it a
little more.

My son started playing goalie in Box Lacrosse last year (Novice
10-11 years
old). Never having played lacrosse other than a little in
High School (and
never goalie), I am at a loss to help him improve. He
seems to have taken
to it and is sucsessful at the basics (As much as I know
anyway). He
attended the Edge Elevate Lacrosse camp in Calgary last year and
had fun,
but petered out a little wearing all the gear in the field and
finished off
playing out (He was the only goalie in that age group anyway).
Hopefully, you may have some tips for us as you have offered up
many on your
blog and via email.
Good drills/excersises for hand eye speed and eye tracking?

Basic drills he can do by himself or with his brother (Tyke,
8 under)
Drills or strategys I can employ in our practices for better
goalie> > development. (I like the suggestion of assigning shot
types and locations
for drill duration to exercise particular saves. I do that
in my Hockey
practices all the time..Doh)
Any other thoughts that you have a few moments to provide.
Thanks in advance...

**** Hugh McKay

Answer: Hey there Hugh. Sorry it's taken so long to get back. I'm getting bombarded by emails being the start of the season in the States.

Most of the frustration with young goalies and all of the problems for goalie at this age stems from them being physically weak due to their age. We all would wish our ten year olds were like high schoolers. Especially in box, with so much equipment. It is easier for a player who plays out to learn the game relative to the goalie who is encumbered by those huge pads. All of the things that you are looking to improve will get better as your son gets older and physically matures. Tracking, eye drills, etc really boil down to focus which is really hard with that age group as you know. As with most things, "He'll grow out of it." And into better things.

As far as drills and ideas there are around 100 posts and articles on my blog. Although most pertain to field lacrosse they are applicable to box as well. (I'm waiting for someone to revolutionize box with a modified non-stick holding glove. I have some ideas too.)

Being a hockey goalie as well I feel the pads for a box goalie are rediculous. The biggest improvements your son will make will be directly related to his strength levels. Get him in love with the gym and training. I always say, "You can make a goalie out of any athlete. You can't turn a goalie into an athlete." Now with time, your young son can turn into an athlete if he is wired for that. Go check out www.ltad.ca for some great info on athlete development. The guy is in Vancouver.

As far as getting the son and the brother playing, just let them play. A shot is a shot no matter who it comes from. Just make sure, as always, that your son feels safe in the cage and is protected. Although they look cool I think the visibility in hockey goalie masks suck for a box goalie. I'm a fan of the Brine Triad style helmets and think they would be perfect for box. Great vision. Way better than the hockey masks.

Hope that helps. Shoot me a note when you're on your way to Calgary. Maybe I can come watch a practice if I'm in the area and not out coaching or speaking. Hopefully he gets some good goalie coaching there specific for box and isn't just target practice.

All the best.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Can You Fix A Soft Mesh Pocket So It Throws Better?

2009-02-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Question:
> Well john, i'm a freshman and i got a goalie question.
>
>
>
> I got a nemesis head with soft mesh (biggest mistake of my life)
> and i need to know how i can work with it. I love how it catches
> honestly, it seems to work well for me, but anytime i throw i
> get a lip. Right now i got three shooters to work with. I'm sure
> you'll say to get hard mesh but i'm working on that and no local
> area place has it. I've tried everything i can think of, from
> placing one on the top diamond and a shooter one diamond down
> from that, but i still seem to get a horrible lip!
>
>
>
> Could you please help me cause my season is starting soon! Thanks!
>
>
>
> PS - I'm strong and i got 6 inch pocket.
>
>
>
> Thanks!

Answer: Oh man. You need hard mesh. Go to www.comlax.net and just order one online. You'll have it in a couple of days.

In the meantime, tighten up the sidewall lacing from the top to about half way down the head. You're going to want to put the pocket more to the bottom of the head. Not the middle. This should help.

Also, space out your shooting strings. Maybe 2 diamonds apart. Keep the top one super tight. The second one about two down from that, and so on.

Lastly. Tighten up the pocket as a whole. So move the string at the throat up a few notches and get rid of the bag.

These will help with your release. But it will drastically change how the pocket works. It will be much shallower. But with a soft mesh pocket there is not much you can do. I've heard kids trying to spray paint. Oil. Etc. Nothing really works. Also, have you gotten it wet yet? Because when that happens it's going to tighten up like a tennis racket. That won't be fun when that happens.

Wish I could give you more advice but it's a tough one you've got to deal with. Good luck and let me know what you do and how it turns out.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Help With Inside Shots and Fakes. What Do I Do on One on One's?

2009-02-26T01:07:00.000-08:00

Question: I am a Boy that is a laccrose goalie. I play for my school and am pretty good at the sport. It is good to be a goalie in my school because no body else has the balls to step up. My season has just started and i have played for about 2 hard-worked years. At first when i had played, i had an extreme case of beginers luck and continued to have it. The one faithful day came when i actually started to worry about what i was doing, and the luck faded. Know here are the following problems.

1) My Coach is (with all due respect) inexperienced and a little too nonchalant in the intrigue of the sport.

2)As Mr. Bobby said earlier, he had diffuculty with those outsid shots. I am the polar opposite, and shot within 5 feet away from the crease is a garunteed stop. (seriously). but my leauge has a stellar amount of creasers. Unfortunately i cannot percieve balls being thrown at mefrom two feet away. Goal after goal, i grew tired of those creasers, so i would completely mess them up, tuck them, lay them out. However sometimes they managed to draw a fowl.

The Question (finnally): What can i do to focus a little more on the ball and not fall for the fakes and aviod things like between the legs or extremely hard shots from shorts distance way.

Question 2: Because of the lack of adivse from my coach, what can you tell me about generally being a goalie (just incase i missed something)

I can understand if it takes you a while to respond, thanks for your imput. :)

Answer: John, you're brain is getting in the way of what your body knows it can do. That is why you "started to worry, and the luck faded." It wasn't luck. It was just your body reacting to the ball. Once you started to think about it you screwed things up. Have some faith in yourself and your abilities and get back in the cage and don't worry. Worry is a waste of energy. It's a useless thing to do.

You're not alone on the coaches thing. Many coaches are just there to take up space and babysit. But you want to learn. That's why you're here. You can be good with a bad coach. Just focus on your own game.

Not falling for fakes comes with experience, and patience. You really need to have someone who can work with you on stopping fakes. Your goal is to keep your balance, respect the opponents stick with your stick but don't commit the body too soon. Most goalie fall for the first fake and are totally out of position. You don't need to do that. Also, if you're team is bad and the attack man is faking you three or four times before he shoots, you're not supposed to stop those. If you do it's a bonus but where is the defense? One, two fakes and a shot is understandable. You can get some of those. But if he's standing there with all sorts of time, forget it. You need some better defense.

The best advice I can give you for information is to get as much info as you can. Read everything on my blog. Sign up for the forum. And get some instructional videos from ChampionshipProduction.com They've got some great videos that can help. Other than that you want to stay positive. There is no good or bad in the cage. There are just learning experiences.

Good luck and kick butt.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

Having Trouble on High to Low Shots. Last Minute Tips Before Tryouts

2009-02-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

Question: Hi my name is Andrew,
I am a high school goalie and tryouts are just around the corner. I am playing in some games and camps but i want to get an edge on the other goalies. I live in minnesota so its kinda hard to get a lot of shots right now. I seam to strugle with high to low shots more so than any other shots. Do you have any tips or tricks to give me to help me befor tryouts? Any advice would be greatly apreciated.
thank you so much

Answer: Andrew you're on the right track. Shots, shots, and more shots are going to help you at this point so keep that going.

Without seeing you play I'm guessing that when you read the stick you are anticipating the ball going high and are probably either up on your feet or leaning a bit. Your weight is headed upwards, so when the ball actually comes low you've got to now redirect all that weight and get it going down. By then it's too late.

Try to get out the video camera and see what you're doing. Get the shooter in the frame and you in the frame and slow it down. Watch what you're doing just as the ball is released. Are you patient? Leaning? Standing up? Take a look.

The other thing to keep in mind is that you don't need to do too much with the body to save high shots. If you didn't move your body at all you could probably get a hand to the ball to make the save. What this should tell you is that you don't have to be so aggressive to the upper shots. Stay patient.

Last tip. Concentrate on moving OUT to the high shots. Not UP. If you focus on moving out, laterally to the ground, you won't have so far to move if you are in fact guessing and guess wrong.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you need clarification.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

New Eclipse. New Shaft Now Too?

2009-02-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

Question: Hi Jonathan,

I bought a STX Eclipse head and it's currently being restrung. However, now I'm wondering whether what I should do (if anything) about my shaft.

Right now I have an AL6000 shaft. I'm debating whether I should upgrade. Now I just spend about $110 on the eclipse head/restringing, so I'd prefer not to pay another $100. Most of the composite sticks are pretty expensive and I'm not really sure if it's necessary. The guy at the store mentioned the Brine 6065 alloy shaft which is about $20ish. It's a men's shaft so it's shorter than the goalie one i already had. is shorter better? i've also heard about the women's goalie shaft, STX elevate which is about $70 - is that worth it?

Anyway, I'd really appreciate your own two cents on the right shaft for a female goalie.

Thanks again,
Julia

Answer: Julia sorry I've taken so long on this. It keeps escaping my brain.

Any shaft is going to be an improvement over that AL6000. I know you spent a bunch on the head already but the shaft is where you're going to save a ton in weight. I always recommend Titanium but you can probably get by with a really light alloy. Because you aren't going to get stick checked you can get by with a lighter but not as strong shaft. You will notice a huge difference in the weight of the stick and that should help you move to the ball better.

Shorter will be fine as long as you are not some amazon woman. Shorter will usually be easier to handle for cradling and passing so by using that mens shaft you should be ok.

Thanks for being patient Julia. Let me know which one you go with.

Jonathan -

Last Minute Practice Ideas for Lacrosse Goalies

2009-02-19T13:11:00.000-08:00

Questions: Hey,
so i'm a freshman, getting ready for lacrosse season, and of course, i'm a goalie.
I haven't played in a long time. like a full year almost. or since like last june.
tryouts are on the 28th. and i'm really nervous.
any last minute practice ideas?
any help would be totally appriciated.
oh, and by the way, what stick do you think i should get?
I need to get a new goalie stick.

thanks,
sarah

Answer: OK. STX Eclipse. Medium mesh. Lightest shaft that you can afford (Titanium is best.)

Get out there and start throwing against a wall. If you've got a school with a big brick wall go there. Or the back of departments stores are good as well. I've got a grocery store near my house with a massive brick wall which I can throw clearing passes against. Very cool.

Try to snag a friend and get throwing. You don't need a net to get shot on really. Any backstop will do. But to start just get throwing. Make a good clearing pass and then get in your stance to catch shots. Super easy really. I do it every year. You'll be surprised how quickly things come back. And that year off will have given your mind a really healthy break. You're going to be a lot better than you were because you've grown a bit and gotten stronger. Mentally you're stronger too but you won't realize that until you are in the cage.

Hope that helps Sarah. What part of the US do you play in?

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

PS. How was that for fast?

How Can A Lacrosse Goalie Improve on His Own?

2009-02-17T20:41:00.000-08:00

Question: Johnathan, how can a goalie practice his shot-stopping form on his own?

Answer: First you need to know what good form looks like. So if you've got a handle on that you can use video or just a simple mirror to watch your form. These are the simplest ways to do it. The speed of getting into the right positions is irrelevant at first. You just want to be getting into the proper end position. As you improve you can fine tune on what you need to do to get to the proper final positions.

For the Lacrosse Goalie: Why Playing "Up" Can Make You Better...Or Worse

2009-02-17T11:58:00.000-08:00

Question: This question came from a subscriber to the Lacrosse Goaltending Insiders List.

Hey Jonathan, This is my second year playing lacrosse goalie, i just finished my modified season last year as a defenseman, and i played goalie during the summer with a local team. And poeple tell me that im not that bad(yeah for modified) but my freshman year has found me and i am looking for a position on the team as a goalie. Lately i have been playing with this clinic team called Roadhawks (it's in central New York) and i play with the age range 9th to 10th grade. And one of the coaches who is also MY coach has taken me to 2 varsity tournaments during the begining of the year, i dident do to bad, and i accationally practice with the varsity team. And i have still been wondering...if this is my first year as a official goalie, would practicing or even playing with the varsity be making me even better than i already am, because this is my first year? People keep telling me that if i take harder and faster shots and playing with advanced players will make me better. Is this actually true?

From Garrett

Why Playing "Up" Can Make You Better...Or Worse

For many goalies there comes a time where you get the chance to play "up". This usually means that you get to play with an older group, or a better level of lacrosse. (Notice that "older" doesn't necessarily mean "better.") And for most goalies this can be a good thing. But it can also be a bad thing so let me explain.

As a general rule, the chance to play up a level is usually good for you. The faster shots, the quicker pace of the game, usually results in better play for you when you move back down to the level you are accustomed to playing. It's like lifting a heavier weight for a while and then lifting a lighter weight. Your body compensates so that the lighter weight feels really light and you can move it more quickly.

But moving up can also be a bad decison for two main reasons:

One, you get hurt because some retarded shooter decides to wind up and hits you somewhere it hurts. Out you go with an injury or worse, a concussion. Fear sets in and you are never able to recover from it, even when you go back down to play at the lower level.

Two, you get so discouraged because a lot of balls go in the net that you develop a belief that you will never be able to play at that level. As silly as this may sound I've seen it happen to a lot of goalies who had the opportunity to be great.

Now you can make the most of playing up if you do two simple things to keep the bad things from happening:

One: Make sure you're wearing enough equipment. As I mentioned before it takes one stupid player to ruin a career. Make sure you've got enough equipment on so that you are protected. You're going to take more shots off the body than before because you probabably won't be able to catch up with your stick right away. You'll be a bit slow and that is to be expected, so if you're expecting it make sure the rest of you is protected.

Two: Understand that there will be more goals going in than there were when you played down a level. I was always excited to play up a level. Usually the first bunch of shots felt really fast, then I got used to the level of play and quickly adapted. I was fired up to play and you should be too. Now a couple of times I played up I got absolutely schooled. The key here is to walk away knowing that you will be able to play at that level some day but right now it's a bit quick. Stay positive and learn from the experience.

I always played up. In fifth grade I played with the seventh and eighth graders. In eighth grade I played on the high school Junior Varsity that actually played against some other schools varsity. And in the summers I played on a men's team in a summer league. What I noticed along the way was that most of the guys really took to me. They protected me because I was the "young kid" in the cage. After I made a couple big saves they were cheering for me and having a blast. Those older guys tought me a lot at every level.

I took a lot of hard shots though. Some really hurt. Luckily not enough to make me fearful of the ball but I'd seen a lot of kids get really hurt and it really affected their game. Had they had a different attitude and worn enough gear I think they could have gone on to be great goalies.

If you keep your attitude right those older experiences can really help you long term. Seek them out, protect yourself and you too will have a great experience.

Good luck,

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Should I Put Weight On My Stick and My Ankles?

2009-02-14T07:03:00.000-08:00

We tend to be a "more is better" society. If a pound is good then two pounds must be better. This is not the case. What happens when things get too heavy is that it affects your technique. The body had to overcompensate and use muscles that aren't intended for the primary purpose. It can also create uneccessary tension in the body that is counterproductive for a goalie.

Here are some guidelines:

How to properly weight your goalie stick. I'm guilty when I was young of filling my shaft with sand. Now I know that wasn't a really good idea. Not only was it too heavy the weighting of the stick was all off and if probably really screwed up my technique. Fishing weights come in ounces. There are sixteen ounces in a pound. Start with two ounces. Don't go any higher than six ounces. You don't want the stick to feel heavy in your hands. The added weight should almost be imperceptible. Go to the fishing tackle store and buy half ounce weights and tape them evenly to your stick from the scoop to the butt-end. Take them off on game day.

If you want to weight your body don't use ankle weights. By weighting your limbs you can really screw up your technique. The best way to do this is to wear a weight vest. There is a great company called X-vest that makes the best weight vests around. If you are in high scool I would recommend the ones that go up to twenty pounds. If you are in college you can do more than that. If you are a woman I wouldn't go higher than twenty pounds.

But Jonathan, you just said that you shouldn't use more than ounces? That's right, on your stick. There is a difference between putting weight on your body and putting it on the thing you are using. Big difference.

By putting weight on your core you are not affecting your technique on how you move to the ball. You will if you put on twenty pounds right away. Start with two pounds. And every week add another pound. On every fourth week take the vest off. Use only in practice and scrimmages. On game day take it off. Wear it all the time if you like.

What about ankle weights?

Unless you want to look like some sort of Eighties aerobics unstructor I wouldn't wear them at all. Wear the X-vest if you like. It's especially fashionable in inner-city schools wear kevlar vests are appropriate. Ankle weights will just screw up your form. Some guys ask me if they should wear ankle weights during the day and then play without them. I'm not a fan. Again, walking with ankle weights is much different than trying to run with them and we don't want to be running with them. The benefits are not there. Don't bother with them.

Why Lacrosse Goalies Hesitate

2009-02-14T06:28:00.001-08:00

Why You Hesitate

Many goalies have the problem of hesitating when the ball is shot at them. It's not really a flinch but there is a definite pause when the ball is shot, typically at high speeds. There are only two reasons as to why this happens and I've got two solutions.

1) You are actually afraid of the ball.

Now before you go off and read part two I want you to read this. Some goalies say they aren't afraid of the ball but by their actions I can tell they are. One way to really tell is to put a video camera that videos your face only. Have someone stand to the side while you take shots and video your face. If you blink, or flat out close your eyes and squint, while that shot is taken, you my friend are afraid of the ball.

The fix: Pad up and tell those shooters to back off in practice. You need to rebuild your confidence and the only way you will do that is to get the fear out of your head. This is the equivalent to building a foundation of a house only to have a large crack in it. You need to go back in, peel back all the drywall and the dirt, drill into that crack and then somehow get a sealant in their to fill up the crack. For you, get those shooters to back off. Put on some more equipment to cover the spots you're worried about getting hit. Maybe even have the shooters use tennis balls for a while. This is a major crack in your foundation and we need to fix it. Fast.

Reason #2: You've got wasted motion.

Years ago I had seen a very cool video of two goalies taking shots in practice. The video camera was set up on a tripod about twelve yards off in front of the goal. The shooters shot on the run and were told to release the ball right behind the camera. What you got to see on the video was how the goalies moved to the ball.

Now one of the two goalies right before the shot came, dipped his stick and took a little hop. Almost like a tennis player does prior to moving to the ball. Ok for a tennis player but for a goalie that half step is a killer. The hop isn't as bad as the dipping of the stick and what it means is that the goalie is moving before the shot is really taken.

The Fix: If this is what you're doing you need to find a way to stop it now. The dipping of the stick means that you're guessing. You are reading the shooters stick wrong. If you've got a guy on your doorstep faking you to death you are going to move your stick because you are following his. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about shots from the outside where your stick moves (usually down) just before the shot is released. This is wasted motion.

You need to spend time with a coach working on not moving before shots are taken. Set up a video camera that includes the shooter and you in the frame. This way you can slow the video down and see what you are doing prior to the shooter releasing the shot. Not moving takes a lot of discipline. You really have to break it down and mentally focus on your technique.

Problem #3: You're guessing. This relates a bit to number two. If you are hesitating it means to me that you're just unsure where the ball is going to go.

The Fix: You need to spend time taking shots in a non-stressful situation and work on reading the ball, the stick, and the shooter. There are tendencies that all shooters make when they shoot the ball. You can read these tendencies prior to the ball being released out of the stick. If you are truly hesitating it means that you aren't reading the ball until it is released out of the stick and this is too long. There is a disconnect between what you see the shooter do and what you see the ball doing. This just comes with practice. Again. Get a shooter or two to shoot on you from the distance that gives you issues. Get out the video camera and dissect how you play. It will click. Eventually.

Soft Mesh of Hard? Cross-Fit or not? Is Playing In Close Quarters Good For Me?

2009-01-28T23:18:00.000-08:00

Question: Julia asks Soft mesh or hard? Is Crossfit any good for a goalie? And how do I make the most of playing indoors?

Answer: Hey there Julia. Here you go.

Get it restrung and with hard mesh. Soft mesh is a definite no go anymore. They just turn into tennis rackets. You'll notice a huge difference with hard mesh.

Cross fit is cool but it's not the best for a goalie. Too much endurance work. Women love Cross Fit, but if you look closely there's not a lot that relates to the explosive goalie. You want to lift weights and lift them heavy. This will help you be more explosive in the cage not to mention you will look like a Goddess! You are right, running for 15minutes will not help you. Actualy it will hurt your goaltending game.

If you're getting the stick to the ball it is for sure your pocket. That one change is going to do wonders to your game.

The reason you're not doing so well indoors is because the shots are right on top of you. You're probably getting hit with the ball a ton. Make sure yo'uve got enough equipment on and have the shooters move back. Ask your coach if you can put a stick on the ground where the shooters have to shoot from so you have time to react to the ball and can work on things. If you would like me to email your coach just give them my email address and I will send them a guide to working with goalies that can help you.

Hey make sure you sign up at the forum. If we can do Q and A's through there we will be able to add content and make it grow. I love the emails though so keep it up. Let me know how things go and stay in touch.

Jonathan -

Should I Buy A New Goalie Stick If I'm Not Going To Play In College?

2009-01-28T23:16:00.000-08:00

Question: Hey Jonathan thanks so much for all of your feedback. I have one last question though!

Since last year was my first year playing lacrosse, I didn't want to pay a lot for my stick and then end up not liking it. However, I'm wondering whether I should get a whole new stick (like the STX Eclipse) or if my STX Goalmaster with hardmesh will be OK. I probably won't be playing in college unless it's intermural so is it worth it to get a new stick if I'm only playing for the next 2 seasons?

Thanks again!
Julia

Answer: Hey Julia. No problem.

I understand what you're saying about the stick. But I will tell you that investing in a new stick is going to make playing sooo much more fun for you. After talking with you I know that it's going to make a huge difference.

Playing with a good stick is like playing golf with nice clubs. They are so much more forgiving. With bad golf clubs you can make a really nice swing but the clubs just don't do what you want them to do so it is completely frustrating. If you're getting your hands to the ball and the ball is popping out not because of you but because of the stick, that is just a recipe for frustration. With a nice stick (like the Eclipse) with a really nice hard mesh pocket you'll be making saves and not giving up rebounds. You'll be clearing the ball with ease and you'll just be enjoying the game a whole lot more.

As far as playing in college I'll tell you this. You may be going to a school that doesn't have a team but you will find a bunch of girls who have sticks and they will always be looking for a goalie. Now, if you have a crappy stick you won't want to play. But if you have a really nice stick you're going to have that stick for a long time and you're going to want to hop in the cage.

I always tell people that in all my life I've never been to a party and seen guys or girls throw on the old baseball glove and throw around. I've occaisionaly seen a football or two. But I have always seen lacrosse sticks break out and people throw the ball around. Also, as you go past college and beyond you may be in a new city and you will seek out other lacrosse players. It's just how it goes. And they will all need a goalie. Again, if you invest in a really nice stick now you're going to have it for a really long time (barring breakage or theft of something like that) And with a good stick you're going to be more open to playing and having a good time.

So, that's my two cents on getting a better stick. It will change the way you play for the better and you will enjoy the game a whole lot more with good equipment.

That make sense? So if you've got a birthday coming up, or maybe some money burning a hole in your pocket go get an STX Eclipse with a hard mesh pocket. If you can get it strung by someone who knows what they are doing it's better to buy the head and the pocket separately and then have it strung. Better than trying to doctor a pre-strung stick from the factory. My friends at www.comlax.net can do that for you.

Jonathan -

Bobby's Got Some Bounce Shot Questions. Stepping. Etc.

2009-01-24T22:34:00.000-08:00

Question:
Hey Jon, It is Bobby again. I just have a couple more questions. (I asked about
the Mesh, not too long ago). So Im in this winter league and it started off
really well, but recently its been awful, It is much smaller fields, so you can
crank shots from the mid line and still get a goal on a bad goalie. I normally
don't play on turf like this but for this league I do. I was in goal off to a good
start last week. We were playing one of the top Teams Varsity with 3 middies,
2 attacks and three D. (its a 7 v 7 league) with 2 subs. The games are usually
very fast and high scoring. But it was 3-1 us at the half, and then i was in
goal, and this kid threw a crank at me and I suspected it would just bounce
up, but it didn't, it just rolled between my legs and went in. I was in disbelief.
I was so upset with my self, next play, their captain shoots it top left and i
miss completely. And for the next couple plays, they start bouncing them in
front of me (10 feet) and now their bouncing like Crazy. I really have trouble
with those outside shots. And the ones that are right in front of me. (only in
this league). I just have a question on what to do on those far outside shots
because they just bounce over my head.

Also, any tips on how i should be saving low shots (not bounce), because i
don't feel like i am getting low enough, but i cant fix it. Any tips for that.

Also, I don't feel like I am fast enough.60% on a missed shot, i beet the
attack, but a lot of the time i don't. Any tips on speed and power.

One last thing. Any tips on stepping to the ball?

Thanks

My Answer:Hey there Bobby! Man I never got your first question so sorry this took so long.

This is super-easy to fix. You're just not judging those outside shots correctly. Two things:

1) You need to be more aggressive and think of yourself as a catcher in baseball and not a lacrosse goalie. You need to drop the hips. Get your head down and over the ball. And your hands waaay out in front of you. Your goal here is to snuff the ball and not try to pick it clean with your stick. Especially if the turf is a little weird which this sounds like it may be. Does that make sense? Your saves on those shots are going to be ugly so make sure you've got enough padding on you so that you feel confident blocking them with your body just in case.

2) You need more practice on those types of shots. Your next warm up just work on those types of shots. Spend all your time on them. This league doesn't matter for you as much as the real season does so get some work done and work on those shots. If you don't spend a lot of time on that surface don't worry about them too much. You're a good goalie. You'll be fine long-term so don't sweat it.

Ont the low shots...rule #1. Never ever ever say "I can't" Got it? Seriously. If you think you can't guess what? You're right. Think about how you can fix it. By your question I know you already know the answer. Drop your hips. Bend the knees. And read back to #1 above. It's the same answer.

Speed and Power? Get in the gym man. Fall in love with training. Get bigger, faster, and stronger in the gym and you will be a better goalie.

Any tips on stepping to the ball? Yes, it's overrated. Just be agressive and lead with the hands and the head. Where they go the body will follow. By getting stronger in the gym you'll be better at stepping to the ball as well.

Kick ass Bobby. Let me know if you need more help. Get your butt over to the forum too and sign up. www.Lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

I can answer your questions over there as well.

Jonathan -

www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com

Is Playing Indoors Hurting My Outdoor Game?

2009-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

If you play in a northern climate you're probably playing indoors right now and for lacrosse goalies this can be a problem. A couple things to consider.

1) If you are playing box lacrosse and you're wearing all the equipment this can actually be a good thing. By padding up you're now more focused on the ball and the stick of the offensive player than you are on getting hurt with the ball. So I'm a fan of that.

2) I'm not totally a fan of playing in front of a 4'x4' cage. Your stance is really different. Your stick is between your legs. It doesn't have a great carryover to the field game. But back to point #1 I think those benefits can outweigh the negatives of #2.

3) If you are playing in front of a field net indoors you are probably getting shot on from really close range which may NOT be good for you. If you're in a field house you're probably ok. If you're in a hockey rink...probably too close. Remember progression. If the shooters are too close and you're worried about getting hurt probably not the best position to be in. Get on some more equipment if you need tol

4) The advantage of playing indoors is that the players feel like they are right on top of you and the ball seems to move a bit faster indoors. Once you go outside with all that open air you'll notice that you've got more time to react to the ball. Instead of feeling claustrophobic you'll feel more in control.

Good luck and let me know how things are going for you!

What Muscles Should You Work On If You're A Lacrosse Goalie? How Do You Stay Awake When The Ball Is On The Other End Of The Field?

2009-01-01T22:36:00.000-08:00

Question: Hi! I've been a lacrosse goalie for 3 years now (I'm in 10th grade)
The season is going to be starting in a few months and I was
wondering what muscles I should work on building. I'm always fooling
around with my stick in front of the TV and such so I'm not worried
about that. Also, what do you suggest goalies do when the ball is on
attack? I find myself zoning off which really throws off my game.
Thanks!!

Answer: To answer your question the muscles you want to work on are what we call your Posterior Chain. Those are your glutes (butt muscles), hamstrings (back of the leg), and your low back. You will also want to work on your upper body pressing muscles (chest and shoulders) The best way to hit the posterior chain is to squat. And when you squat you want to use a free bar not any sort of machine. For the pressing movements the best way I find to work those for a goalie is to do standing cable presses of all varieties.

If you don't know how to squat properly I would find a qualified strength and conditioning coach either at your school or at a nearby university. In most areas now there will be some sort of strength and conditioning coach geared towards athletes (Especially Football) if you can find one of those guys you'll be in a great place to start.

If you can fall in love with training you will be miles ahead of most women your age. I train a number of female athletes in a couple of sports and when we get them stronger by using squats and other posterior chain moves they absolutely dominate on the field.

As far as zoning out on the other end of the field, this is an acquired skill just like anything else. When I was your age I would start thinking about homework, my parents, the girl in my english class. All sorts of things would sneak into my head while the ball was on the other end of the field. What I did to try and fix that was hard at first but easier over time. All I tried to do was to watch the ball the whole time the ball was on the other end. Not watch the whole play, just the ball. I would try and focus my eyes on the ball just like a camera would zoom in on a far away object. That helped a bit. What really helped me focus was to think of myself, and my defense as a vital part of the offense if they lost track of the ball. I figured that if I was zoning out the other teams players probably were doing that as well. So I started to talk to my defense and keeping them awake as well. I'd say things like " Ball is right side Chris (My defender) Stay awake. Play in front of your man." Things like that. I also moved out of my crease a fair bit to help if there was a pass that went astray and I could help on the clear.

If you are comfortable with your stick you can really view yourself as an extra player on the clear it will keep you more involved in the play because you really feel you can help out. Keep that in mind and it will totally help with your concentration.

Oh I almost forgot. I find that hand and forearm strength are tragically weak in most women. Go get a two liter bottle of soda and tie a string around the top of the bottle. Tie the other end to a shaft of an old stick or a broom handle. Work on wrapping the string around the handle using both hands. You stand up. Bottle is on the floor. Stick is horizontal to the floor. Twist the shaft and wrap the string around the shaft lifting the bottle off the floor all the way up to the shaft. Lower. You'll feel a pump in your forearms like never before.

Good luck Olivia. Kick butt. Tell me how things go and stay in touch. What school do you play for?

Jonathan -

Jonathan Squats 440 Pounds Raw Post Sports Hernia Sugery

2008-12-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Ok so this was my first real heavy squat in over a year so don't pick on me for the depth. It's a little bit high. But it was stll 440 pounds with no belt, no wraps and no briefs. So pretty happy getting that much weight on my back since going through hernia surgery.

70 Shots a Game? I Feel Bad When We Lose. What Can I Do To Improve?

2008-12-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

Question: I have a question regarding my play. I am a goalie starting my third year in the net as a senior. I play for a club out of Wilmington Ohio. but heres my question. i am giving up allot of goals to my non stick side and 5 hole. and when we lose a game i feel like its my fault. which allot of it is, but i also get about an average of 70 shots on the cage a game and save most but i let allot. any recommendations on what i should do to improve my game? him also doing allot of AB and strength workouts in the weight room 4 days a week!

Answer: Zac you shouldn't feel that it's your fault when you guys lose a game. If your team was any good they wouldn't need a goalie. And if they are letting up 70 shots a game that's a player/coaching issue.

The good thing about playing on a bad team is that you are getting a ton of shots to work on. It's better than playing on a good team where you are getting less shots.

It's awesome you are hitting the weight room. Train like a football player would train and you'll be well on your way to becoming a more explosive and talented lacrosse goalie.

Jonathan-

www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

Any Good Lacrosse Goalie Coaches in Mass?

2008-12-11T01:47:00.000-08:00

Question: I live in MA and want to further my goalie skills. I'm looking for a place I can go during the off season to get individual goalie instruction. I would like to have my own goalie coach that can give me advice and training but am having trouble finding one in my area.

Answer: Hey there Amanda. I spend some time in Mass but spend most of my time in Canada as my wife is Canadian. I did start coaching kids via video a while ago and that has worked out really well. If you'd like to do that I can help you.

Right now I don't know of anyone I can recommend you to in Mass. There just isn't anyone good enough yet that I would feel confident recommending you to.

If you are willing to travel you should go check out the Shutout Goalie Academy out in New York with my former goalie coach Rich Barnes. That is the ONLY school I recommend right now during the summer.

If you want to try the video coaching just send me an email at jonathan@lacrossegoaltending.com and we'll get in touch that way.

Thanks

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

New York Lacrosse Goalie Needs Some Answers Aboout His Mesh

2008-12-11T01:39:00.000-08:00

Question: Jonathon
I am a goalie that is in the winter before the season of my sophomore year. As a freshman, I played well, but noticed a weak point in my game, clearing and stick control. After each save, depending on where i made the save, I normally picked it off the ground and looked for an outlet and if i didn't find it, made my way out the back. I was in my winter league last Saturday with the same routine when I was walking the ball up the field, i started to make progress when i got stick checked and I dropped the ball, i managed to keep the ball out of the net for the rest of the drive, bit in the process, i got nailed in the knee by a stick check. I use monster mesh wish a small pocket, and i think that it is the problem. I have an eclipse also. I was wondering what kind of mesh is great for ball control and the pocket size for that. I wash looking for a mesh that i could bomb the ball down the field with, but also keeping control in a deep pocket. I'm 5'10 180 and i play in New York.

Answer: Hey Bobby. Thanks for the question.

The first thing that sticks out to me has nothing to do with your stick at all. It's getting checked.

You mentioned in this question that you were "walking up the field". Now I can't tell if this was a controlled clear after a save or not. For example, you were unable to make the pass during the four seconds so you went out the back and then were heading up field with it. When you do this your team has the advantage. You have one extra player now that you are in the mix. In order to get checked someone was out of position and/or wasn't open and/or you did a horrible job of not recognizing who to pass to.

Clearing the ball is a team game. And in order for it to be successful everyone needs to know their role and be in position. It doesn't seem that was happening on this clear. So you have to decide what it was and try and fix that first because the type of mesh you have in your stick is irrelevant if you are getting checked on the ride with no one to pass to.

All that said, my take on mesh is this, it's not the mesh that makes the difference...it's your hands. As you get better you will realize that you can play with any stick. With a couple of saves and passes your hands will adjust to whatever stick you are using. Granted, you will have your favorites, and you will pick up sticks that are just garbage, but your hands will adjust to whatever stick you decide to use.

You've got great height and weight for your age. So you will be able to get away with using a deeper pocket. I am NOT a fan of monster mesh unless you are playing indoors or in really dry conditions where it doesn't rain. In New York it can rain and that monster mesh gets really baggy. My recommendation is NOT the Monster, and not the Mini, but the ones in between. I find that it gives you the greatest bang for the buck. It works in most field conditions. I run two sticks. They are both Eclipses. I have one strung with the mini mesh for when it gets really wet because it tends to bag out just enough to be perfect. I have the average mesh in the other which I play with most of the time.

Bombing the ball down field will be mostly based on your strength levels and how much whip you have on the stick. Again, the mesh by itself won't make a difference. In high school I used a very shallow pocket. Wasn't great for dodging but in today's game you shouldn't need to do that much so your primary role for your stick is to make saves and not to give up rebounds. Your shouldn't be stringing your stick to fake or dodge. That should be an afterthought.

Hope that helps Bobby. I've posted this answer on my blog so you can take a look there as well. Stay in touch and let me know how things go.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltendingforum.com

Check Out www.LacrosseGoaltendingForum.com

2008-11-24T22:45:00.000-08:00

I get lots of questions from parents, goalies, coaches, trainers, etc. The questions vary but many of them are able to help others. So what I've decided to do is start a forum where I can answer these questions and have them there for eternity to help others. Now I just put it up today but by the time you read this it will have grown I'm sure. What I'd like you to do is head on over there to www.LacrosseGoaltendingForum.com and register. It will take you literally two minutes. Go over there right now and register and get around the board.

The goal of the board is to be The Number One Resource for goalies, coaches and parents on the net. What will make this forum different than any other forum is that it is moderated by a coach who knows what the hell he is saying. Other forums are just a bunch of kids trying to figure it out on there own. NOT a good plan to be successful. We will have a couple of legitimate coaches to help you play right. We'll also have resources that you can own that will help you with your game as well.

So get on over there right now and register at www.LacrosseGoaltendingForum.com

See you there!

Mom Wants To Know What Stick Is Best For Her Lacrosse Goalie

2008-11-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

Question: I saw that you recommend the STX Excalibur goalie head. I am having trouble finding it and I do not think that STX makes it any more. Is there another stick head that you would recommend? My daughter is 13 and is playing her first year of club lacrosse in the goal (she has been playing goalie at the rec level for several years). She has grown a lot since we bought her last stick and we are thinking of getting her an entirely new stick and head once the club season is over (next week) that she can break in during the rec indoor season.

Thanks so much.

We have gotten some good suggestions from your blog. My daughter was really helped by the entry in which you talked about what the jobs of the goalie and the defense are - whose responsibility it is to stop the high percentage vs. the low percentage shots. We also found a private goalie coach for her this year, as she had never been formally trained in the position. She has had a few sessions, and the focus has primarily been footwork. My daughter is an aggressive goalie that loves to come out of the goal to surprise the shooter. She also loves one on one penalty shots - they are the thing she is most confident in. We want to give her the opportunity to progress as far as she wants to, as she just lights up when she is in the goal. I just printed out your blog entry on low shots, as we discovered at her last tournament that low shots are her weakness. I will show her what you said about getting her head over the ball. She is not afraid of being hit (in the head or otherwise), so it shouldn't be a problem. It just isn't a skill she has been taught yet. I suspect that part of the problem is her ever changing height. There is a bit of misjudging the distance to the ground now.

Anyway, thanks for any recommendations/suggestions you can give as far as the stick is concerned.

Answer: Hey there Lisa. Thanks for writing and thanks for the kind words. I appreciate the feedback and love to hear it.

I was able to find some Excalibur's online and would doubt highly if they discontinued that stick as it is one of their best sellers. I grew up in the same town as Commonwealth Lacrosse http://www.comlax.com/ecom/product/80/262/t and would give them a call although you've got a ton of resources in Maryland.

Once you get this stick going all you're going to need to spend money on for a while are shafts since she is still growing. I would go with the lightest shaft you can find that is inexpensive until she stops growing or at least slows in growth. When you get to that point I always recommend Titanium because it will last the longest and you will spend less on shafts over time. That being said, in the womens game there is far less contact on sticks so you may still be able to go with a light, inexpensive shaft that may in fact last her a very long time.

With her changing height she will have coordination issues as well as a muscle to skeletal length issues. You want to make sure that she really focuses on her flexibility while she grows. Women are prone to knee issues because of hip to knee angles and we don't want her to develop tendonitis that keeps her from wanting to bend her knees. You will see in some young goalies where their knees hurt so much they just bend at the waist and not the knees. Keep an eye on that and always ask her how she is feeling. (Don't keep asking her if her knees hurt because she may end up expecting them to hurt. We don't want her to perpetuate that in her own mind, just keep it in the back of your head. If she is flexible, and develops good leg strength she should be fine.)

Good luck with everything. Let me know how it goes and keep me updated on her progress. I'm always here to help.

All the best to you and your daughter.

Jonathan Edwards - Olympian (Luge 94) All-American

To The Lacrosse Goalie In Japan

2008-11-15T00:20:00.000-08:00

Hey Alex, shoot me an email at jone94@shaw.ca I can't hear your info over Skype. It's too garbled and digital to hear the details. Try to email me there and we'll get in touch.

Jonathan -

Should I Be Able To Do A Front Split If I'm A Lacrosse Goalie?

2008-10-11T01:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I just got a question from a goalie. Basically, someone told him that he should be able to do a front split and that good goalies can do front splits.

This has to be one of the most retarded things I have ever heard.

No, you should not be able to do a front split. This is not a good goal to seek if you want to be a great goalie as there a thousand of other things you should be working in.

A couple of things: Flexibility for flexibilities sake is not a goal worth seeking. Now strength and explosive power over a large range of motion is. There is a difference. One means that you have the pliability of a piece of Play Doh. The other means you have the stored strength of an elastic band. One is like overdone spaghetti. The other is an explosive tool just ready to stop lacrosse balls.

Man, I'd rather see you squat a ton. Or learn how to do the Olympic lifts.

A front split. Sheesh. What next? Dumbass.

Sorry I'm a bit grumpy tonight. It's 2 am.

Man!

Brine Triad Lacrosse Helmet. Sticky Throat Guard

2008-10-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

I got an email from my buddy Shawn Brown. He asked me what to do with his Brine Triad Lacrosse helmet. Seems that the throat guard keeps getting stuck on the mask. This happened to me a ton with mine. By the way I LOVE this helmet. For goalies I think is absolutely the best. Because the center bar is so close to your eyes it gives you great visibility. My only complaint is that the mask sits a little bit too close to the chin. If your chin strap is loose and you take a shot in the mask or if you hit someone the mask tends to cut your chin. Can look sexy but it's really a pain in the...chin, I guess.

So here's my answer to Shawn. If anyone else has a problem with their equipment don't hesitate to write and ask.

Answer: Hey there Shawn. Make sure those little black pieces that hold the throat guard are installed in that bottom part of the mask by your jaw. They need to be flush to the plastic so if they're not it won't hang right.

I had the same problem with mine. What I did to fix it was I took some sandpaper and sanded down the inside of the throat guard where it was hitting the center bar on the mask. By reshaping that upper portion it just changed how the throat guard hit the mask. Instead of getting stuck it would just fall back down.

Try that. It should work.

Jonathan -

Lacrosse Goalie Stick Is Giving Up Too Many Rebounds. What Mesh Should I Use?

2008-09-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Question: im a highschool goalie and my hard mesh gives up a lot of rebounds and i was wondering if i should use monster mesh and would it make a difference in bounce.

Answer: Richie I don't recommend monster mesh. Yes, it will bag out and keep the ball in it a bit better but the truth is it is very inconsistent to throw with.

Go with a medium diamond mesh. Ten, maybe twelve diamond. And stick with that.

I always say that your stick doesn't give up rebounds, you do. That might seem a bit harsh but it's the truth. A great test of skill, and a way to develop your hands is to practice with a very tightly strung stick so you can soften up your hands. Most goalies have a death grip on the stick and that is probably what is causing you to give up rebounds. Don't change the mesh, change your grip and you will give up less rebounds.

I know what you're trying to do Richie by going with a different mesh. The challenge is that you're just setting yourself up for bigger problems later when you play at a higher level. If you don't work on your hands now you'll have really bad habits later on.

Let me know what you decide to do. If you need anything else just email me.

Kick ass Richie,

Jonathan -
www.yourbestlacrosse.blogspot.com
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Lacrosse Goalie Stick Pocket Is Off-Center. Why?

2008-07-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Question: When I pass or clear the ball my pocket is off centered. Instead of both sides of my mesh sloping one slopes and the other one is at a 90 degree angle. i dont know how to get rid of it. can you help?

Answer: Alex the most common reason for that to happen is that the mesh is actually strung off-center. If you look carefully and follow the diamonds across the mesh from one side to the other you may find that one side of is strung higher than the other. The way you are describing this situation it sounds like that is the problem.

If it's not you may just have some bad mesh. Mesh is woven in big machines and sometimes there is a "splice" where two ends are sewn together. That may be in your mesh too. Ot the mesh just might be off.

Check out those two things and let me know what you find. If it is neither you may just need to go buy some new mesh and string it up again.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Box Lacrosse Goalie Looking To Improve His Game

2008-07-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Question: Hi Jon, I am a box lacrosse goalie from (City and Province Witheld) , going into intermediate in 2009. I feel that there isn't really anything that this province can offer me to improve my skills. I am looking to see if there are any camps in Ontario coming up within the next year or so focused on goalies. My thought is that with attending one or two of these camps I will have improved my skills enough to play Junior A in Ontario or out west. I feel that I am almost there skill wise, and I just want to get that little boost I feel that will take me where I want

Answer Hey there Matt. You're on the right track thinking about getting out of your province to improve your skills. Have you found any camps yet to go to?

I'm not too conected in Ontario for box camps. But to be honest, any camp where you are around better goalies will help you. Right now you're a great goalie in your province. but to test yourself you've got to get out of there.

If you contact my friend Jeff Gombar out in BC he can probably help you. Let him know the US guy who lives in Calgary wanted you to get in touch with him. He will be able to help you out in BC and he probably has some contacts in Ontario as well. He knows the Sanderson's out there and I'm sure they have a camp to attend.

Jeff is at www.bclacrosse.com. He is the marketing director. I don't want to post his email here but you can find it right on the home page.

Let me know how it goes. If you'd like to email me directly you can at jonathan@lacrossegoaltending.com

Good luck Matt. Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. I was hoping to have more info for you.

Kick ass.

Jonathan -

How Long Should A Goalie Shaft Be? What Should I Do This Summer To Improve My Lacrosse Goaltending Skills?

2008-07-16T10:11:00.000-07:00

Question: Josh writes to ask what length his goalie shaft should be and what he should do over the summer to improve.

Answer: Josh cut your shaft about six inches longer than the length of your arm. Stick the butt end in your arm pit and reach out straight with your fingers extended. Cut a six inches longer than the tip of your finger.

Stick length can be a touchy subject. I prefer that your stick be a mangageable length so you can move it efficiently in the cage and can cradle with it comfortably when you are out of the cage. If you are short I would cut it closer to three inches to your finger tips. If you are super tall it could be as long as nine inches longer than your arm.

Old school coaches recommend a long shaft so you can cut down passes around the cage. My thought on that is that you are not a defenseman you are a goalie. Your main objective is to stop shots and to clear the ball up field. I have found that a short shaft that you can deal with helps you do both where a long shaft typically can hurt you. I have always used a shorter shaft than most and it has served me well.

If you are young (early high school), start at six inches. If you find it is too long you can cut an inch off at a time to see what feels most comfortable.

Get as many shots in the off season. And read my blog you'll get a ton of tips there. If you can get to a camp that would also be a great choice. Getting around other goalies and other shooters will really improve your game.

Good luck!

Finding Good Used Lacrosse Equipment

2008-06-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Question: Josh from Rhode Island asks what equipment he should buy and where can he find it cheap.

Answer: Hey Joshua. You're going to love being a goalie. Especially since you've already played and shot on other goalies. That experience will help you a ton.

As far as tips go, there are a ton of tips that I've written here, but there are also sixty articles on my blog at www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com They will help you a ton.

As far as good-but-cheap equipment I'd recommend looking on Ebay. Kajiji. And Craigslist.com Those are great places to look for used stuff. I would go online to a place like www.Comlax.net and look at the Warrior goalie equipment. Then see if you can get it used somewhere.

To places not to cheap out. Your stick. And your gloves. You want good gloves that will protect your thumbs. I would go with the Superfreaks by Warrior for goalies. As for a stick I like the STX Eclipse with a 10 or 12 diamond hard mesh.

If you start there you will be well on your way. Good luck!

Jonathan -

My Other Blog - AthleteSpecific.com

2008-06-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Over the years i've learned a lot of stuff.

From being an athlete. To learning about business. To thinking constantly about being a better lacrosse goalie. To learning about strength and conditioning. Much of it I wish I knew when I was younger.

There is a saying that, "Youth is wasted on the young." It is so true. So I started this blog to share some of the things I've learned over the years.

I call the blog, "Athlete Specific" because education and information needs to be specific to the athlete who it is given to. In this day and age much of the information we receive is painted with a broad stroke. It tries to touch everyone but really, your journey in this life is based on you. And you are a very unique individual.

So I hope you take some time to read these posts. They are more tidbits that i've learned and want to share with you in hopes that they will make your journey through this athletic world just a little bit smoother.

Good luck and please let me know if they've helped you.

Jonathan -

Lacrosse Goalies Throwing and Making Saves With Both Hands. When? Where?

2008-06-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Warning: The topics discussed in this post may cause you to think a bit. I'm all for talking about new topics and this is one of them. You might not agree with it, but it brings it up for discussion. If you've got a thought on this please comment so we can discuss.

Question: This lacrosse parent writes to tell me that his son is ambidextrous (can play with both hands) and wonders when the best time to switch hands in the cage would be. As you'll see from my response I feel that being able to play with both hands is a huge advantage especially when throwing and clearing. It is also an advantage when used as a surprise tactic when making saves (although this is a VERY advanced tactic) I'd mess around with this in practice before trying it in games.

Answer:

Andy I think that the most advantageous use of the other hand is when it is a surprise. This would happen:

1) When the offensive player is in a tight dodging situation (roll dodge) and shoots on the goalie thinking that the goalie is holding the stick in a certain hand.

2) When the player is mid shot from outside.

I've messed around with both, and while I feel it could be a tactic used by good goalies it needs to be tried in practice first. When I get shot on from the outside I will lower my stance which leaves a lot of net exposed up top. And while the shooter is winding up I will switch hands. The shooter (usually) is aiming off-stick high and is committed to that space while he is winding up. A shooter can't always adjust in mid shot so you tend to get a couple good saves out of this.

You are weighing your goalies ability to make the save to the off stick side versus switching hands and catching it (now) on the stick side. I think the move has merit at certain levels of the game. The goalie still needs to be in a ready position after the switch is made and before the shot is released. It wouldn't be good to be switching hands while the ball is in flight.

It's great your son is ambidextrous. Huge advantage really. Especially when he is throwing and clearing the ball up field. He would use the outside hand while being chased by an attacker. So if he's going up the left side of the field with an attacker on his right he'd be using his left hand no matter where he throws.

Let me know how that works for him or if you need clarification. Where does your son play?

Jonathan -

Is It Better To Be A Righty Lacrosse Goalie or a Lefty Lacrosse Goalie?

2008-06-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Question: A mom from New York just wrote me to see if it was a good idea to train her daughter as a lefty goalie versus a righty goalie. Here was my response.

Answer: Hey there Lisa. What a cool question! I love when I get intriguing questions that take some thoughts. You're crafty. Let's just start there.

The majority of goalies are right handed. Which means that the shooters on those teams are used to shooting on right handed goalies. If you throw a lefty in the cage it will catch them off guard and I would say that it IS and advantage to being a lefty goalie.

That being said, at a certain level of play that is no longer really an advantage. When your daughter goes up against really great shooters they will take that into account and will adjust. But for the majority of shooters, being a lefty goalie is an advantage.

Now, you did say that it was her non-dominant hand right now. Does that mean that she is right handed? Is her top hand on the stick her right or her left? Some goalies in hockey will shoot a normal stick with their right hand low on the stick but will catch with their left hand. I did. But some are the other way around.

The issue we are weighing here is the (Is it better being a lefty) versus (Is my goalie really good AS a lefty) as well as (Is it better being a lefty) versus (Is my goalie better as a righty instead of a lefty). These are the things you can keep in mind.

I would try it out. I wouldn't dismiss trying her as a lefty. If she picks up on it and does well then go with it. If it's awkward for her and she isn't really getting it then go righty.

But Lisa, here is the ultimate: If you can train her to be good at BOTH. No that would be awesome. I would sometimes switch hands in practice to screw up our shooters. I was pretty good at mid to high shots but not so good to the off-stick side. It was fun and I made some suprising saves on some guys. I would say the ability to be ambidextrous might just be the next evolution of the lacrosse goalie.

I hope that helps. I have thought about this question before. You're the first person who has asked me directly. I'll post this answer on my blog to see if I get any other comments.

Let me know if you need any more clarification. Good luck to your daughter and please stay in touch. My email is on the front page of my blog.

Sincerely,

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

The STX Eclipse vs. the STX Guardian. Which One Should You Choose?

2008-06-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

I had a question come to me asking about what I liked better, the STX Eclipse. Or the Guardian. I'm a big fan of the Eclipse over the Guardian. The main reason has to do with those black, rubberized strips on the Guardian. They say it does all this stuff to stop the ball from spinning, etc. But it doesn't. Over time those black strips start to peel away from the stick so they fall off anyway. I would stick to the Eclipse. It has a great shape. It's nice and stiff. And it's pretty bullet proof.

Jonathan
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Should I Drop To My Knees Like Bud Petit Does?

2008-06-10T00:42:00.000-07:00

Question: I have been playing goalie for six months. I am also 5'10 185. I watched Bud Petit play and noticed that he stopped bounce shots of his chest when he went down to his knees. I would like to know when should i go to my knees for bounce shots? Another question is should i start doing this? How much affect will this have on my game?

Answer: Hey there Trey. Great question. I watched the UVA Syracuse game again last night for you. I only got through the first half, and the overtime and I think I see the saves you were talking about. Here are my thoughts.

Going to your knees is usually not done on purpose. There are rare occaisions but they are really advanced and not something I would necessarily teach to a guy with your level of experience. That being said I'll explain to you why Bud went to his his knees: He didn't do it as his primary action to make the save. His dropping to his knees was actually a byproduct of moving explosively to the ball.

In the first quarter Bud made a save on this crazy pick up by the attack man just off the crease. The TV angle wasn't the best but from what I could make of it the attack picked up the ball and got a quick shot off. Bud kept his stick high but dropped low with his body and the player shot it into him. You don't teach that sort of save. It comes with a ton of experience. He kept his stick high to respect any shot that could come hight but because the player was so tight to the crease he dropped down like a hockey goalie to block the ball with his body. With his defense so close he knows that the attack is going to get checked pretty quickly and that any shot would be either a quick stick or almost a hockey shot off the turf.

Another save Bud made in the first quarter resulted in Bud dropping to his knees but it was the result of him firing his hands so hard to the off stick low side that he just lost his balance. The save was made before he went to his knees but it may have looked to you like he dropped to his knees to make that save. He didn't. It was just the result of moving explosively over a long distance that threw his balance off.

Now a save you may have in mind is that save he made in overtime. There was the feed from behind the crease to that attack out front. In this case Bud saved it with his chest because when he turned to the ball he was in perfect position. The shooter did the best he could but ended up hitting Bud in the chest protector. As Bud rotated from behind he turned and realized that since the shooter was so close one of the only places he can go is five hole. So as Bud sees the stick go down he's going to start to drop. (This mental processing happens in an instant too) So on that save he made the save with his chest and then dropped. It wasn't that he was dropping to his knees to make the save.

Does that make sense? It's easy to think that he was dropping on purpose. That's not the case.

Now I will tell you this. I have always taught lacrosse goalies to act more like a short stop in baseball. Or even a catcher. Get your hands out in front of you and get your body in front of the ball. If you play like that you will stop more shots with your body. Instead of picking the ball out of the air with your stick you're going to bend your knees more and "block" shots. A lot of them will hit you in the chest but that comes more from the style of goaltending than anything. A great drill is to get a hold of a righty and a lefty catchers mitt from the baseball team. Now hop in the cage and stop bounce shots. I guarantee you that you will take on a more aggressive athletic stance. And you will throw your body in front of the ball to stop odd bounces. It's a great way to learn. I find that when goalies put a stick in their hand they tend to lose great body position.

Bud Petit did a phenomenal job in that game and he's a great example of a solid goalie.

Now you asked if you should start doing this. The answer is no. Sort of. You wouldn't actuall practice dropping to your knees. But if you focus on snuffing out low shots like a catcher would in baseball you're going to start to assume the right body position. You may end up on your knees as a byroduct but it's not your primary technique to make the save.

One reason we try not to drop to our knees is that it takes a lot of time to get back up. And in that time a bad rebound can go in as a goal. I'm sure you saw how fast some goals were scored on rebounds during the tournament. IF you're on your knees you don't have a chance, that's why we like to stay on our feet. Also, because you are so tall it will take you even longer to get back up than it would for a shorter goalie.

I hope that helps Trey. This is a fantastic question and a really insightful observation on your part. I can really see that you're dissecting the game and the technique of a great goalie. You're going to go far. Good luck and let me know how things go.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Review of UVA Goalie Bud Petit in Semi-Final v. Syracuse

2008-06-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

These are my thoughts on the first half saves of Bud Petit for UVA in the Semi's this year.

I'm going to start off by saying that it's always easy to critique a goalie after the fact. There are so many things going on in a game. So many distractions. So it's easy to nitpick when really a great save just isn't possible. I always try to give a goalie the benefit of the doubt.

Some early thoughts: In the first half of the game Bud was simply awesome. I think at the end of the first quarter he had five saves. The Syracuse goalie had one. Syracuse just dominated the faceoffs and had a ton of shots. If it weren't for Bud's great play UVA would have been in a hole. A really deep hole. Like a grave sort of hole.

These times are from the first quarter:

12:35 Bud makes a great save with his right knee or his shin. Wasn't pretty but it doesn't have to be. Get something on the ball. Anything so that it doesn't go in. Great save in my opinion.

9:20 Question mark dodge by Leveille ends up in a goal. Upon review it looks to me like Bud needed to take about a quarter step off the near pipe. He was giving the shooter far side but the shooter had too much to shoot at and Bud couldn't get there fast enough. If he had stepped about a quarter step off the pipe he would have improved his angle without giving up a shot to the near side pipe.

8:23 Another goal. This is a tough one. The ball still went to the far side and Bud just couldn't get there in time. When a shot is coming from so close you need to respect that the ball can go anywhere but you need to know where the percentages are. The odds are the shooter is going to go far side because that is what he sees more of. So you have to play the odds and explode far side. Bud just didn't get there in time but the shot is coming from so close that's hard to do.

5:26 TV angle is tough to tell what really happened here. But it looks to me like Bud made a great body save just trying to get something on the ball. Nice job staying with it.

5:14 Beautiful one on one save. Just stayed patient. Didn't over commit to any fakes and followed the shooter. Got his hands and stick to the ball once the shot was taken. Fantastic save.

4:34 Syracuse hits the pipe. This is always a sign to me that the offensive side is a little snake bit. They are trying to be too perfect and they ring one off the pipe. Bud has made some great saves and now Syracuse is trying to sneak them in just inside the pipe and now they are missing. Shots that hit the pipe are not luck for the goalie, they are a sign that the goalie is good enough to scare the shooters into trying to pick corners. Nice job Bud.

:56 Save. Bud gets down to his knees to make this save but he hits his knees AFTER he gets his hands to the ball. Dropping to his knees is result of moving explosively to the ball with his hands. He does not drop to his knees to make the save, it is the after effects of moving so explosively too the ball.

All in all a fantastic Quarter for Bud Petit. He really kept UVA in the game at this point. One hell of a lacrosse goalie.

Should I Lotion My Pocket? How Do I Keep My Mesh From Breaking?

2008-05-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

Question: Ryan from Virginia writes: Hey I play for a high school in northern Va and I am planning on restringing my eclipse and was wondering what mesh you think is best. I have 12d on now but it broke on the sidewall in my last game. I was thinking about trying hard mesh this time. I've heard putting lotion on hard mesh to soften it and get a large pocket works but i dont want to mess up the mesh, any ideas?

Answer: Hey Ryan. Sorry about UVA this weekend. I used to go to Dom Starsia's camp when he was at Brown so I'm a bit of a closet UVA fan now.

I'd stay with that 12D. You will have much better luck with the hard mesh. No need to soften it with any lotion. Just let it break in and you'll be all set. You'll like the mesh better once it breaks in without the lotion than with the lotion.

As for the sidewall. You probably won't have it wear again with the hard mesh like it did with the soft. You can string it right down the side with one lace OR a more advanced string job goes like this...cut a piece of sidewall lace that is three times the length of the sidewall. Then, take the sidewall lace and weave it up the side of the mesh starting at the bottom and then going all the way to the top. At the top of the mesh bring it over and tie it off on the plastic. Now you should have about a half to two/thirds of the sidewall lace left. String that lace between the plastic and the sidewall lace that you have woven through the mesh. Make sure you are looping it around the lace and NOT the mesh. This will give you an extra bit of give in the pocket and you won't ever bust out the mesh again. In twenty years of playing goal I've never blown out a mesh with this type of string job. It also gives you the ability to get more depth in the pocket but I doubt you'll need it with the 12D hard mesh.

Good luck with that and let me know how it goes. Make sure you check out my goalie blog and sign up for the newsletter. My email is on the front page of the blog.

All the best Ryan. Hey, what school do you play at?

Jonathan-
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

My Thoughts on the 2008 NCAA Lacrosse Championships

2008-05-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, it's over. Syracuse. Again.

Growing up it was Syracuse and Hopkins. It gets boring to watch after a while but they are still fun games and I always learn a lot by watching. Here's what I took away from this year.

1) High Percentage vs. Low Percentage Shots: I saw Duke take a lot of low percentage shots that Gvozden from Hopkins ate up. And then I watched Syracuse take a lot of high percentage shots that eventually went it. It comes down to this...your defense needs to usher the shooter out of high percentage areas so that the goalie has a chance to make the save. When I watched Leveille setting up in overtime I knew, if he hit the cage, that the game was over. As soon as he got position in the slot at around 8-10 yards I just knew that the second he got a shot off that it was going in. Bud Petit had no chance on that ball. It was perfectly placed off-stick low. At that distance poor Bud needed his feet to grow fast to make that save.

2) The best shooters, if given time and room, will pick their spots. Great shooters know where the goalie's weaknesses are. Off-stick hip, off stick high, off stick low. I watched Paul Rabil (I think) pretty much beat the entire Syracuse defense and then rip it into the top corner. In traffic! But I saw a lot of goals this year that were just awesome. We're talking inside the pipe. Off-stick. Great placement. The goalie has little chance of making those saves.

3) I didn't see one goalie with an overly long stick. They all pretty much were running in the 50-55 inch range. Nothing crazy long which is cool. I've believed in short sticks for goalies since high school.

4) Goalies need to work on their one on one defense: I saw Trevor Tierney get schooled at the Worlds when he went out to double the ball. I think it was Loftus from Duke who also did a poor job. Goalies need to work on their one on one defending. It's as easy as jumping into the defensive drills when you're a back up. I think if most of the goalies had worked a bit in practice instead of having a water break they would have had a chance to take the body and get those balls back for their teams. Goaltending is not just about stopping the ball. There are game scenarios where you need to get out there and play some defense. Be ready for that opportunity and take the body.

5) Nice to see both goalies in the finals wearing the sweats. Not sure if they are hiding any protective gear like football pads but they both know that a ball stings less when you're covered. And it was HOT in Foxboro. Gvozden even had long sleeves. So much for trying to look cool. Both those goalies are kind of skinny and the pants give the goalie some extra "meat" in the legs. If a shooter looks and sees two scrawny ankles guess where he's shooting? If he sees some beefy legs he'll think again.

That's it for now. I'm going to try and watch the game over the next day or so and write some more after that. Let me know what you thought of the games. Wish I could see the girls game to. Congrats to my old school-mate Kelly Amonte who coached her way to her fourth National Title in a row!

Nice job Kelly.

Jonathan -

ESPN's Top 10 Goals of the Year. Alex Hewit!

2008-05-24T10:23:00.001-07:00

Check out these Top 10 Goals of the year. Alex Hewit from Princeton is on there at number 6 I believe.

http://broadband.espn.go.com/ivp/splash2?ceid=3406586

Just watching the Virginia Syracuse game right now. Awesome. Will post my critique of the goals later.

Jonathan -

Cool Article on Virginia Lacrosse Goalie Bud Petit

2008-05-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Cool article on starting goalie Bud Petit of Virginia at this years final four. He gets a lot of crap about being 24 and finally in his fifth year of college. Personally I don't mind at all and wish more athletes took advantage of the NCAA rules for eligibility. I would have been a 23 year old freshman at Notre Dame after having pursued my Olympic career. Go Bud!

Mom Wants To Know What Lacrosse Stick To Buy For Her New Goalie?

2008-05-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

New Lax Mom Writes: Hi, My son is just completing his first season in lacrosse and is in love. He is a goalie and has borrowed his coach's stick this season ( we wanted to make sure he really liked the position before buying another set of lacrosse equipment) and I was hoping to get your suggestions on a shaft and head. I was hoping to spend $150 total since we're also getting him a goal and sending him to lacrosse camp at F&M in Pa. He is tall for his age, about 100 lbs and athletically inclined( he is captain of both his football and lacrosse teams)What should I get him without going overboard but not doing him a disservice? He really wants a custom stringing job in his teams black and red colors which I found at sportsunlimited.Thanks for the help,
A new LAX mom

Answer: Hey there Pam! Welcome to the wonderful world of the goaltending parent. In lacrosse however, the goaltending position is actually cheaper than playing anywhere else ultimately.

My suggestion on the stick is to get an Excalibur head by STX and then go with a very light shaft. I would wait on the goal for this year and buy him a titanium shaft if that is in the budget. It is one of those things where if you spend the money on the titanium now you will never need to buy him another shaft. I STILL have a shaft from high school that I still use. (I'm 36) That's eighteen years of playing with the same shaft. Anything less than titanium and you risk having it break, bend, or crack. Just my thoughts. That would be the ULTIMATE in a stick for your son but then you should never have him asking, "But mooooom (whiny voice) can I puhleeze get (another stick) this year???"

The thing about goalie sticks in general is that they don't change much. Not nearly as much as an attack stick. So if you invest in this stick now you will have to invest less later. The only thing I will warn you about in advance is that he should have two sticks eventually that are identical. That way if he breaks a head or a string in a game he has a back up that is ready to go. I almost feel you would be doing him a disservice with anything else. If you don't want to do the titanium you can buy him a good, inexpensive alloy shaft that will be light but not nearly as durable. The good thing about goalie sticks is that they don't take the abuse as often as other players sticks but if he does get caught out of the cage and gets stick checked then he's fair game for a breakage. I'm trying to save you money in the long run.

So if it's the goal or a cheaper shaft versus a better shaft now and a goal let's say next year then I'd go with the shaft. I would also save on the custom string job and go all white. He'll be bummed but if you have him look at the majority of the best goalies in the country they all have white sticks with white mesh and lacings. I had a custom string job back in high school for about a week untill I broke a lace. Guess what went in the stick? A white lace. Yeah, that looked REALLY cool with my black and orange string job that I spent extra money on. I looked like welfare goalie with the funky string job. If he wants to be a great goalie it starts right now and it starts with a very professional stick. Go all white with the Excalibur head, white hard mesh (10-12diamond) and a titanium shaft. You can do no better now it's up to him to play like a champ. He doesn't need the goal anyway, he's not shooting.

I know what it's like buying equipment for your kids. Will he like it? Will he stick with it? Sounds like your guy is fine and will stick with it. But don't be surprised if your $150 budget is a little low. In the long run you will save a ton of money by spending a little bit more now.

Oh wait. I just read that your son is 11. Skip the titanium for now because he is surely going to grow. Go with an inexpensive alloy that is light. You will be replacing that as he gets taller. Please, please, please don't make the mistake of giving him a long shaft that he can "grow into." That would be a major disservice. You want him to always have a shaft that fits his body. Not seeing him I would recommend a 30-35" shaft on that excalibur head. If he shaft is too long it will affect his play tremendously for the worse. If it's the right length it will help with his throwing mechanics and his movement when making saves.

Hope that helps Pam. Let me know if you need any clarification. My email address is on my blog so please keep me up to date on how your son does. Great job on sending him to a camp. That is one of the best things you can do for him. The more coaching he has at a young age the better he will be. You can always pass my email on to him if he has any question. He can email me directly.

Talk to you soon Pam. And remember, "Goals go in. And if his team was good enough they wouldn't need a goalie." Just some words I like to pass on to the parents.

Best of luck and stay in touch.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Goalie Gets Smoked for 10 Goals. By One Girl! Goalie Is Now In A Funk. Help!

2008-05-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Question: Jonathan,

Since you’ve been a good source of knowledge so far, I’d thought I’d send along another message.

Ok so here’s a quick update:

The short of it is, she’s played a few ok games, and then today (or should I say yesterday since the game was Wednesday) she got shell shocked. Tomorrow or I should today (since the game is Thursday), we have an easy game against a weak team. Yes I can confidently say that. My goalie will let in a few goals in this coming game, but I’m more worried about her confidence. We let one player score 10 goals on us, 6 of which were in the last 2:17 in our game on Wednesday. In addition, the shots were well placed in the near post upper corner.

My goalie complains that she is having trouble seeing the ball. We’ve worked on having her face a wall and I shoot over the top of her and she makes the save. However, right now I think its mostly a confidence issue. She’s a good goalie when she’s on, but when she’s off, she’s definitely way off. I guess I’m writing to see if you have any suggestions on getting her confidence level back up before tomorrow’s game. She’s a hard work, a good kid, and man can she play ball, but she’s definitely struggling right now, and I don’t have answers for her. I’ve never been in the situation she’s in. We’re headed into post season play next week and I need to get her back on her A-game. She’s getting better about “lighting up the shooter” so thanks for that tip it’s really helped! Also she’s doing a much better job of trying to get her body to the space to save the ball. She wants to perform well all the time, she understands she’ll have her bad games, but she’s still in a funk.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

(Name held to protect the innocent)

Answer: Thanks for writing again. I always love to hear how things are going so I don't mind it at all.

First thing...what the heck is your team doing letting one girl score ten times? That's a coaching error. If this girl is running uncontested down the field and scoring once every 15 seconds that's a defense problem primarily. It has very little to do with the capability of your goalie.

From a confidence perspective you need to tell your goalie that the team let her down. Map out on a sheet of paper where all those goals came from. If they are coming from high percentage areas your goalie is only expected to save ones from a range that she is capable. If that's ten yards then anything inside ten yards is unreasonable for her to save at this point. I would always tell my teams, "Listen, this is a team sport. We have defenders and we have goalies. The defenders job is to give up shots from low percentage areas so that our goalie can save the ball."

Notice that I didn't say that a defenders job is to not give up any shots. That's impossible. What is possible is for the defense to usher the offensive player to a spot on the field where his or her shot is harmless. Or, the shot is from an angle that has a low percentage of going in. Too many times we expect the goalie to save everything from everywhere, and for the defense not to give up shots. That's an unrealistic expectation. What we need to be able to find is that range where your goalies save percentage is really high and get the shots from there.

If your goalie is "on" and then "off" that is a confidence issue. You are correct about that. You need to have her do the following: This is the most important thing that anyone can ever do in anything let a lone being a lacrosse goalie. Here it is: When she gets scored on I want you to have her forget about the goal that just went in and have her focus on the same shot in her mind. But this time she needs to see herself saving the ball. What we are doing is replacing a negative with a positive. We are wiping out the negative image that will ruin confidence and have her focus on seeing herself saving the same shot.

I used to do this, and I still do. It was taught to me while I was training for the Olympics in a completely different sport. The goal of the drill is to not let the mind focus on the negative. Right now she is basically reliving that bad goal over and over as the ref picks the ball out of the cage and walks it to midfield. Here's how it should work:

After ANY goal have your goalie say in her mind or out loud, "Reset" Just like the reset button on the back of a modem. She can use other words like, "Cancel" or "Power". Something that signals her brain to wipe out what she just saw and to replace it. Now she's going to visualize the same shot and she's going to move to it just as she would have but this time she saves it. It is THE most powerful thing she can do right now. Your job as the coach is to watch her immediately after the goal to see what she does. If she drops her stick and sulks a bit you need to get her attention and have her do the drill. Pretty soon, she will immediately go into the reset drill after the ball goes in. I got to the point where I didn't even bother picking the ball out of the cage. I had better things to work on. No where in any of my articles will you see me talk about the goalies technique for fishing the ball out of the cage! That's a worthless drill in my mind.

Ok, your over the shoulder drill is a fun drill but it's not going to solve her vision issue. You need to ask her a couple of question: Can she see your shots when you warm her up? Does she lose site of the ball among other players? Is it dodging and cradling where she loses it?

I'm going to guess it's the last one. If that's the case get another coach, or a back up goalie involved in the warm up. You want to shoot around that player similar to the shots she's seeing in games. Warm her up first, then do a bunch of those shots at the end of the warm up. You really need her to articulate what she means when she says she can't see the ball. Once you find out why you can work on that in practice.

Lastly, let's just touch on the confidence issue again. Now the guy in me tends to analyze the heck out of this and girls are well...a bit...different shall we say. (Think Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Different) My thoughts would be to first, get her to realize that this is a team sport and she's not alone. If you can get the D involved by saying things like, "Ladies, we really left our goalie out to dry last week." They need to understand that it's a team thing as well. I'm always amazed at how well some girls really bond as a team. They are an emotional crew and can really stick up for each other if you have a good group.

Secondly, talk to her. Get her to share what she's feeling. If you can get her to articulate it she will just plain feel better about the whole thing. You may not be her confidant but if you can get her to open up you can start to uncover what she needs. She may feel like she's letting you down because you work so much with her every day. She may be bummed about school, or boys, or other things NOT involving lacrosse. She may be having her period. In the end she may not be in a funk about lacrosse at all.

Finally, break it all down to the basics. When in doubt, break it down to the basics. You may be getting to a point where she is becoming a good practice goalie but her game isn't quite there yet. That's ok, that's just a phase to work through. Tell her that too. "Hey, you're doing great on these drills! It's all going to start coming together in one of these games. Just be patient." If you've ever golfed there is a saying that you need to be able to take your swing on the range out to the actual course. There are a lot of great ball strikers on the range. But when you get out onto the course it's a different deal.

By the way...if that girl smoked you guys for 10 goals she must be pretty good, right? As a goalie I always tried to do my best against the best players. If that girl was a stud (studette) tell her so! Reinforce things like,"Hey you're kicking butt against these other girls but this girl was one of the best in the league! You're time will come! It's all about progression. Sure we'd like you to stop all those shots but we don't expect that of you right now. Maybe in a couple of years. As long as you're improving you're going to be better than her someday and probably sooner than you think!"

On my blog there is an article on progression. Read that over and it should give you some more ideas.

Peter thanks for the update. I hope this helps. Keep firing off the questions and I'll be happy to help. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Jonathan-

Stick Has Too Much Whip. Where Do I Put The Shooting Strings? How Do I String The Bottom Lace So The Ball Doesn't Fall Out?

2008-05-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Got this question from Alex today. More stick issues. Just a quick thought, I find a lot of goalies want an absolutely monster pocket so that they don't give up big rebounds but they can't throw the ball very far. If you want to have a big pocket you really need to have strong arms and shoulders to get the ball out of it with a good pass. But, as you get better you don't need that big of a pocket because your ability catch balls improves and because of the shallower pocket you can now throw the ball further. With a lot of young goalies I can usually solve a lot of problems just by tightening up the pocket. So keep that in mind prior to making this huge bag in your stick.

Here's Alex's Question: Im in 8th grade and i just started playing goalie. My head has alot of whip and when I go to clear the ball, it goes a few feet then drops. I need to know how and where to place the shooting strings, and how to string the bottom string so the ball won't fall out.

Answer: Hey there Alex. I recommend a couple of things:

1) Make sure the mesh of the stick is strung from sidewall to sidewall tight from the scoop to about a third of the way towards the throat. This is a general guideline but it's usually the first thing that helps. After you do that you'll need to...

2) Have at least three shooting strings. You can get by with two but for a guy your age and your strength level three will do you good. I recommend that the first shooting string be at least a row or two down from the plastic. (This will assume you are using at least a ten or twelve diamond mesh. I don't recommend anything larger than that.) I will use a sidewall lace as my top shooting string and make it very tight. This will set the tone for the top of the head and should make your releases a little bit better.

The next string should be another two rows down from the plastic. And the third row is two rows after that. The goal of the shooting strings is to create a ramp for the ball to come out of. If you have a whip a couple of things are happening. Either the shooting strings are too loose all together, or the mesh is too loose in relation to the lowest shooting string. It needs to be a transition, not a lip. Make sense?

As for the ball falling out it sounds to me like the lace down there is too loose. This is an easy fix but you're going to need more string. You can use a hockey lace if necessary. There should be four holes at the throat of the stick for this string. What I recommend is weaving the string through the mesh twice, once per hole. This is tough to explain via email but I'll try: Looking at the back of the stick, start on your left, bring the string from your left, through the plastic, up through the mesh, and then back out through the second hole in the plastic towards you. Now go back through the plastic through the second hole and back through the mesh and back through the fourth hole.

Now here's the trick. Tie the excess string on your left with the string you've pulled through on the right. You should use a square knot because it is the type of knot that won't pull apart. You can also use a slip knot for easy changing if you need to but that's not necessary if you string it up right. You just need to make sure that none of the holes are too big for the ball to go through and you should be all set.

Hope that helps Alex. Check out my blog if you need any more info. I'll post this answer on there as well so you can refer back to it.

Kick butt.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Problems Clearing The Ball for this Lacrosse Goalie. Stick Help

2008-05-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

I got a great question the other day from Al. If you're having problems with your clearing this article will help you.

Question: I am a moderately experienced goalie and my recent season has just ended. the entire season i played on jv and felt as if i was a liability because i have serious clearing issues. I can pass well for moderate distance passes but i just cant clear right. Whenever i try to wind up and launch one i cant it either goes straight up or falls out of my stick or i cant get enough distance. can you help me with my clearing mechanics. I have tried man different styles of clearing but i just cant get the distance i want( my clears only go 35-40 yds) and i think it is holding me back from being a goalie that is reliable enough for varsity play.

Answer: Al it sounds to me like you need a completely different string job in your stick. Or your hands are very inconsistent. Let me explain.

Your comment, "Whenever i try to wind up and launch one i cant it either goes straight up or falls out of my stick" That describes two polar extremes. One happens when you get the ball stuck on the shooting strings as you go to throw, the other happens when you bring the stick too far back in your windup and it rolls off the lip of the stick completely.

Also,"or i cant get enough distance" this usually happens because the mesh in your stick is too sloppy and the ball gets stuck on the lowest shooting string. As it gets hung up there the ball has nowhere to go and it will only come out late in your follow through which sends the ball low.

Let's address the inconsitency issue first. This can happen because of two things. First, you're hands are inconsistent. During the act of throwing your hands aren't picking up the feedback from where the ball sits in the stick as you come through with your throw. In this case you're just throwing but each time the ball is in a different place in the pocket so it comes out differently. The only way to fix this issue is with tons of practice. Tons of wall ball. If this is indeed your problem I would recommend wall ball drills with tennis balls. The lighter ball is harder to feel in the pocket and it should make your hands more sensitive to where the ball is in the pocket prior to throwing.

The other main issue you may be having is the stick itself. The whole stick may be too long for you, or not long enough. (Confused yet?) But more of an issue than that is the pocket itself. It may just not be strung correctly. Without seeing the stick that is tough to answer. You can email me some photos if you'd like. Here are a couple things that may help right away.

1) Make the pocket shallower. That will help with the whip problem.

2) Use the sidewall laces to bring the mesh tighter to the plastic. But just on the top half of the pocket. Where the shooting strings are I like to have the mesh pulled tight from sidewall to sidewall. Then you can loosen the sidewalls for the bottom half of the pocket but not too much.

3) Your top shooting string should be very tight. The next one a little looser and a third one looser still. The ball needs to transition from the mesh over the shooting strings rather easily. If it's getting hung up either the mesh is too loose, or the shooting strings are too loose, or both.

Also, the ball needs to move a little bit as you go to throw. What I mean by that is when you bring the ball back in your wind up it needs to be sitting in the center of the mesh and not resting up against the first shooting string. If it's resting there you are just going to throw it in the ground. The ball needs a little momentum to travel from the mesh and over that first shooting string.

The only remedy to all of these problems is strength. The stronger you are physically the easier it is to throw with a bad stick.

Al I'm proud of your for even asking this question. Most guys wouldn't critique their own game like this and call themselves a "liability." But kudos to you for identifying a weak spot in your game that will hold you back if you don't fix it.

If you want to email me some photos, or if you have video of yourself just email me. My email is on my blog.

Let me know how it goes and let me know if you want me to clarify any of this. I guess that once you read this you'll be able to figure out that certain things make sense and certain things just aren't happening. Stay in touch.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoalending.blogspot.com

Do You Listen To Podcasts?

2008-05-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yo goalies and coaches. I'm messing around with some audio podcasts on Mypodcast.com. What I need to know is if you listen to podcasts. Can you shoot me an email at jone94@shaw.ca and let me know if you do? And if so, what topics would you like me to cover. I just did three quick ones covering stance, fear, and progression of shots. They are about ten minutes each and I just whipped them up as a test. So let me know if this is a format you would like and I'll do some more of them.

Cheers.

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

Correct Stance? Good drills? What's a Good Save Percentage for the Lacrosse Goalie?

2008-05-04T04:56:00.000-07:00

Got this question today from Jenna: I just began playing lacrosse this year. I got to (School Witheld) and play on the varsity team as a freshmen. Our team didn't have a goalie and because I play goalie for hockey I decided I'll give it a shot. And I ended up just sticking with it.

My coach keeps telling me to use the vertical stick feet togethet stance. But I tend to use more of a hockey goalie stance. I tend to get beat up high at times, but I am pretty confident with bounce shots, as I tend to do more of a "butterfly" style hockey save. I am about 5'4. What would you suggest for a stance and stick position??

I have read some things that a goalie is supposed to stop the ball with their stick, but also that it really doesn't matter unless you stop the ball.

My teammates tell me that I am one of the best lacrosse goalies that they have had at my school. But I get really frustrated during games and stuff, because I have the mind set of a hockey goalie. We lost our last game 10-4, but I had 39 saves out of 49 shots. I usually have a 70% to 80% save percentage.

What are tips that you can give to a rookie goalie, regarding stance, stick postition, save type, etc??

Do you have any drills that I can work on myself, with a teammate, or even during practice that can help the whole team??

I've read a lot of things from this site and it has all been a great help!!

Keep up the great work with the site.

Jenna

Here's my answer: Hey there Jenna. Thanks for writing. I was a hockey goalie too at one time and I've watched goalies in hockey evolve over the years since I've played. Lacrosse goalies haven't evolved though so hopefully I can share with you some insight that will help.

Ok...as a hockey goalie with a wide butterfly stance you're not going to be making very "pretty" saves. Your coach has an old style stance in mind for you. The answer is to find a happy medium.

When you're in a wide stance you tend not to step to the ball as much as you should. It's just more difficult to do that. So while you're able to drop and get a lot of those low shots you're probably pretty set on your feet and just rotating your stick down to get them.

You're exactly right though...if you're making a save it's a save. You' just don't want to be giving up any rebounds.

I find that when I play my feet get a bit wide and that lowers me in the cage. I'm 5'8" and you're 5'4". But that's if we are standing straight up with our feet together. So for you, you have 8 inches above your head to the cross bar. If you get into a butterfly stance that drops you even lower so there is a lot of net upstairs to cover. To see just how much you need to move your stick to cover the top of the cage do this little exercise:

Stand on the goal line and turn and face the cage. Now get in your stance. Slowly look up without moving your stick. You can even have your coach take a tape measure and measure how far the top of your stick is to the cross bar. Now, without moving your body, reach your stick to the cross bar. Can you reach it? If the answer is no, you now know that no matter what you do a well placed shot is going to beat you. Try to reach to the off-stick high corner with your stick. So reach across your body. You'll have even more net exposed.

Now stand up a little. Move your feet together and see how far your stick is away from the crossbar. Can you make the save if a ball goes that high?

With all that being said, you never want to get too far from your natural stance. As a hockey goalie you have a stance that you work on daily so you're naturally going to want to get back to that stance. What you need to find is a happy medium between the two. What you want to find is your "athletic stance." Head up, chest up, hips bent, hands out, knees bent, ankles bent, ready to move in any direction. Think short stop in baseball. Think defensive ready position in basketball, or the ready position of a defensive linebacker in football. It's a more upright, more ready to move in any direction type stance. Then you add the stick and bring your top hand up towards your ear without bringing the stick closer to your body. Does that make sense?

If you ever watch Mikka Kiprusoff play for the flames he has two stances almost. He has a wide stance when the puck is in close, but when the puck is out at the point he stands up a bit. His feet come together and he gets nice and tall. That is the stance you want to adopt in the lacrosse goal. If you want to clarify any of this just email me. My email is on the front page of my goalie blog.

Your Coach: Whether or not your coach is a goalie doesn't matter. What he is trying to do is get you to look like all of the other lacrose goalies he has ever seen without truly understanding your height, your hockey background etc. He means well but he's probably just confusing you. I do think you need to stand up a little bit. Just from my experience being a hockey goalie and knowing what the tendencies are I think that's a safe bet. If you have some photos of you in the cage just email them to me and I'll give you a quick critique.

Save Percentage Mentality: Oh Jenna, Jenna, Jenna. I hear your pain on the save percentage thing. Please oh please don't get hung up on it though. The great thing about being a goalie is that we have a stat that no other player on the field has and that is the save percentage. At the end of the day when the scoreboard reads 10-4 and the team thinks they are really bad, we can smile and know that we just played our tail off. Stopping 70-80% of your shots is phenomenal. That's fantastic! 60% average. 65% stellar. 70% you're a stud (studette) 75% take off the princess cape. 80% tiara please. 85% fuggedaboutit. Seriously. From a lacrosse perspective you're doing great. Your team shouldn't be giving up that many shots to begin with. So you're homework is to focus on your save percentage and not the score. You're not going to be pulling down 90% and up like in hockey. The net is too big. The ball comes from all angles. It's just not the same. Got it?

Save Type: Ideally you'd like to catch everything but I think that is over rated. I've posted this on a couple of blogs and I'll repeat it hear: In every sport that has a goalie the goalie never reaches across their body to make a save. Sure, in hockey if someone dumps a puck in from the blue line you may reach across with your glove and pick it out of the air. But for some reason, in lacrosse, we think that should happen all the time and I think that is wrong. The game of lacrosse has gotten so fast that it's just impractical to catch everything with the stick. Over the last couple of years I've experimented with punching my bottom hand at the ball like a blocker in hockey on shots to my off stick hip. It makes no sense to me to try to catch the ball with my stick when I have a perfectly good piece of equipment there (glove) to deflect the ball.

Hockey goalie equipment has evolved over the years. First, pads got wider and were constructed to shut down the five hole. So goalies baited players to shoot there and they dropped to cover the ice. The pads do a lot of the work now. When I was taught to play hockey it was a strictly stand up, kick save style. Which seems really silly now. In fact, you would see goalies get "sloppy" and slip into a butterfly. Intuitively we knew better but coaching habits die hard. A hockey goalie is designed to really block, and deflect the puck. We are taught not to give up rebounds so we try to catch a ton whether that's with our glove or in our shirt. In lacrosse the goalie is basically...well...naked. It seems silly to put a goalie in a bigger goal, with a more active shooter and have him wear less equipment don't you think?

For you as a hockey goalie (and for those reading this who aren't) I think a great exercise would be for you to bring a lacrosse net onto the ice. Get in your hockey equipment and have a shooter with a lacrosse stick. Now get in the cage. Would you get in your butterfly stance? Probably not. Would you stand up with your feet together and your stick straight up and down in front of you? Probably not. Somewhere between the two you find a stance that makes sense for you and the cage that you are now in front of.

Drills: The best drill I can give you is more of a concept to use with you and your team. Here it is: When your shooters shoot in practice have them shoot to a specific spot. If they are working on one on ones have them come off their dodge and shoot stick side high. Or far pipe hip. Pick a place and make every one shoot there. They have to work on their accuracy and you can work on your technique. That's the biggest bang for the buck time saver I can give you. You become a better goalie. And they become better shooters. Also, have them shoot from a distance that you are comfortable with in practice. You don't want to be fearful of the ball at any point in practice. I have a couple blog posts on that topic.

So Jenna I hope this helps you. Please let me know if you have any questions. Shoot me an email and let me know what state you're in and keep me posted on your progress.

Kick butt and have fun. If you'd like your coach to get in touch with me you can pass on my email address to them as well.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

This Lacrosse Goalie Needs To Get Their Stick Down On Low Shots. Here's My Advice

2008-04-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Got a question from an Assistant Varsity lacrosse coach at a school outside of Albany , New York today. He wanted to know if I had any tips for his goalie who wasn't getting their stick down to the ball. It's a great question and one that I don't think gets addressed too often. I think you'll find my answer a little enlightening. Let me know what you think and if you've had a similar problem let me know how this helped you. Also, got an email from a goalie in Minnessota! The list keeps growing. I think that puts us at thirty-five states or so and counting. I'm loving all the letters you guys are sending. Keep it up. If this blog helps you shoot me a note and let me know what you learned and how it changed your game. Send those mails to jone94@shaw.ca. Here's that answer.

Answer: Hey there Pete. Thanks for writing. Here are some thoughts for you.

The number one reason goalies don't get their stick down to the ball is usually based on a fear of getting hit with the ball. They try to pick at it with their stick anticipating a bounce that doesn't come, but underlying that is a fear of getting hit with a bad bounce. Low shots are tough especially if you're playing on a wonky grass field. Bounces are hard to read and young goalies try to catch it perfectly with the stick just like the college goalies do. Unfortunately, what is forgotten is that it took many years for those goalies to look that pretty at picking up the low shots.

As a coach here are some things to look for. Depending on what you see you will be able to figure out what is the main problem:

Can you see the top of her helmet when she attempts to make the save? If you can see her face mask she isn't getting her head over the ball which is mistake number one. If you can see her face, and her arms are fully extended, and she's not reaching the ball then she's not "following with her head." The hands attack the ball, the head follows, and the body is behind it.

Now if see her face mask and she has her eyes closed that can tell you that she's afraid of getting stung with a bad bounce. A video camera can be really helpful here to identify what she is doing. As a coach you have to make sure that she's got enough equipment on. If she doesn't feel protected then you need to help her with that.

I teach goalies to "save the space and not the ball." What I mean by that is, don't have them try to pick the ball out of mid air on low shots or bounce shots. I teach goalies to see the ball leave the stick, recognize where it's going, and then throw everything you can to the space where the ball is going to. With young goalies they end up blocking a lot of shots. As they get better those blocks become clean picks. But until they have a lot of experience under their belt I find it's a good visual for them to have, "Throw everything you can at the space and see what comes of it."

A cue a use with goalies to help with the head over the ball issue is to have them imagine that out of the top of their helmet was a huge flashlight. There goal is to light up the shooter as the ball comes to them. They don't want to light up the sky. If their head is up then the sky is lit. If the head is over the ball they are shining it up the field at the shooter. It's just a little visual that can help them.

The other main issue with young goalies is just their strength level. They are too weak to move fast enough. Sometimes a stick that "doesn't get down to the ball" is connected to a goalie who can't get down to the ball. If her head is over the ball and she's lighting up the shooter and her stick isn't down then she's just slow. And slow comes from not being strong enough. Strength will also improve her footwork but to be honest I think that footwork is a bit of a buzz word and no one really understands what gives you fast feet.

A couple of closing points:
1) Identify what she's doing with her head when the shot comes.
2) Identify if it's fear that is keeping her from getting over and in front of the ball.
3) Get her in a weight room. You may be familiar with the Force Equation where force equals mass times velocity. In a goalies case the Mass is the stick and her body. To get it to the ball faster she needs to be able to apply more force to that stick and that can only come with increased strength. Get her training and get her strong and she'll be more explosive to the ball.

Hope that sets you in the right direction Pete. Please email me if you need any clarification. Also you can check out my goalie blog where I've got about fifty articles on goalies so you should find some great resources there as well. Let me know how it goes and keep me updated on her progress.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Edwards -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

How To Stay Focused On The Lacrosse Ball Plus How To Stop Those Pesky Low Shots

2008-04-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Writes:

Micah keeping your eye on the ball really comes down to concentration and interest. Also, a little bit of fear.

If you are afraid of the ball at all, and are blinking, you will have trouble keeping your eye on the ball. So you need to identify if that is a problem and do what you need to do to fix that. You may need some more equipment to feel protected etc.

If you are just getting distracted then you need to buckle down and really focus on the ball. I recommend you follow the ball no matter where it is on the field. I mean really zone in on it. Don't worry about peripheral players just zone in on it where ever it is. If the coach has it in her hand and drops it on the ground just stare at it. When the play stops and it's in a players stick just stare at the ball in the stick.

When I mention interest I mean that it's easy to get distracted especially if you're uninterested. Let me explain: Guy in bad jeans and crappy shirt with beer belly walks by you on the street. Not interested. Well dressed guy in nice suit with model good looks walks by you on the street. Interested! Right? If practice is boring to you, and the game is a little dull you're not going to be as focused on the ball as you need to be. But if it's interesting to you it's no problem.

Most of us need to really focus on the ball. When I was playing a lot it was easy. It took me a bit to train myself to stay focused. I would give myself little cues to stay focused like, "Every time my bottom hand touches my stick I am glued to the ball." Or, "When the whistle blows my eyes don't come off the ball." It might take you a few weeks to dial this in but you'll notice a bid difference once it does.

When I stopped playing I had to conciously remind myself to stay focused. But once I get back playing again it gets easier.

To be honest, if you get your focus on the ball back you'll probably do better on those low shots. That will be step one. But most goalies I find are either standing on their heels a bit, or are just plain worried about getting hit with the ball on the low shots. Make sure you're well protected on your lower half. If need be, go get some football pants with some thigh pads and maybe even some shin guards. That will help. Also, think of yourself more like a baseball catcher. If you get the chance to watch a game or two on tv watch how a catcher saves pitches in the dirt. They really focus on moving in front of the ball, getting their head and chest over the ball and getting their hands out and body in front of it. That is what you need to do. When you see the ball go low you want to almost think , "Hands first, body second, stick third." Now your stick is in your hands obviously but by focusing on your hands and your body you'll block more shots. It's pretty cool.

Let me know how it goes Micah.

Jonathan-
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

The Best Lacrosse Goalie Camp For Girls?

2008-04-25T05:09:00.000-07:00

Rande Writes: My daughter as a freshman in high school and is the JV goalie, she has been the starting goalie since she played in middle school, to date her and her team have had 1 loss since middle school, she is great and loves the position. I would like to get her in a goalie camp to make her even better. What is the best women goalie camp?

Jonathan Writes:

Rande the best "womens" camp is a "mens" one. Seriously.

I'm not sure of the best womens camp at this point as I tend not to be affiated with. But I can tell you that Rich Barnes runs a camp in upstate New York. He was my coach back in the day and is a fantastic coach. Now my recommendation would be to make it a bit of a family vacation and go up there with your daughter and stay in a hotel.

Your daughter will be challenged by all the shots from the boys and when she goes back to her girls team she'll think it's easy. From a technical perspective there is no difference. If I were to send my daughter to a camp that is what I would do. I haven't yet because she's only nine weeks old but I do have her on a wait list. :)

You may want to search on the NCAA.org site and look at the most recent collegiate all americans and find out what schools they went to. Look for the goalies and see what schools they went to and then search to see if those schools are putting on any camps. Now I don' always feel that a good goalie can be a great coach but your daughter will learn a ton and will be pretty inspired being around such a high quality goalie that a lot of good things are bound to rub off. That would be my recommendation.

Let me know what you decide. I'm curious to what route you take.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Goalie Stick Length

2008-04-25T04:42:00.000-07:00

Pablo writes: Hey, I got a question about my goalie stick & the rules. I am having trouble with the control on my stick, when i pull back I lose control and i throw strange, but when i use an attack shaft i just can't get the distance. I talked to someone and they said to cut off about three inches but I don't know if that is legal or not. Please give me your advice and if that is legal or not, thanks.

Jonathan Writes: Pablo there is an inverse relationship between stick length and pocket depth. Usually, but not always, the deeper your pocket the longer it needs to be. The shorter the stick, the shallower it needs to be.

But that is all dependent on how strong you are physically. I'm a pretty strong guy and I have a shorter stick that I have a monster pocket in. With a deeper pocket you need more stick action to get the ball out. You need a bigger wind up where you pull the stick back behind you to get the ball out of there.

Not seeing you throw I can't recommend chopping off three inches or even adding three inches. By what you are saying, "when I pull back I lose control and I throw strange" sounds like your pocket is too shallow. But when you say, "when I use and attack shaft I just can't get the distance" sounds like your pocket is too deep and at this point you just aren't strong enough to throw with a short shaft yet. So it's really tough for me to give you a solid answer.

You may just need to spend some time improving your stick skills. Becoming a better stick handler will help you in all aspects of your game and that's just a matter of spending time catching, throwing and cradling.

Just FYI there is no length limit on a goalie stick. By I wouldn't go any shorter than a stick that goes from your belly button to the floor. That's pretty short. Unless you are really short yourself I find that an attack shaft is the shortest I would go. I am 5'8" and use an attack shaft.

Hope that helps Pablo. Let me know if you need any clarification.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Bad Game?

2008-04-25T04:28:00.000-07:00

Ryan wants to know: am a team captain for a highschool freshman team and i played a horrible game. and now it is spring break. i really want a way to redeem myself. plus do you know of any things i could do to work on to wok on by myself to become a better player?

Jonathan writes: Ryan there is no such thing as a bad game. Every game is just a learning experience.

Years ago I was working with a sports psychologist to help me with my athletic career. He told me that the only time you can have a "bad game" is when you don't learn from what you did. Basically a bad game is you discovering that there is some flaw in your game or your preparation for that game that you need to fix.

So, what was it that was bad about that game? Did guys blow by you because they were faster than you? Then you need to work on your strength and conditioning?

Did you make a bunch of bad outlet passes? Then you need to work on your stick skills.

Were you double teamed by attackmen on the clear? Then you need to be able to find the open man faster and that might not just be your fault your team might be to blame if everyone is out of position.

Were you tired from studying for a test? Or did you eat some bad food before the game? Then you need to work on your game prep so you can perform at your best.

See where this is going? No matter what you tell me about your "bad game" I'm going to help you find something that you can work on.

If you never told me you were having a bad game I'd know one of two things: Either you are playing against guys who suck. Or you are an MLL All-Star destined for the Hall of Fame. Either you aren't pushing yourself or you are the best in the World. But even those guys have off days and need to work on things.

As far as redeeming yourself, people usually know how good you can play. But also, people don't always care as much as you think you might. They are worried about their own lives. But I understand, as captain, you are a leader and you do need to set an example. My recommendation would be to get out there, learn from your mistakes, and improve them. If you don't improve then you are wasting your time.

To become better in any position you can do three things:

1) Work on your stick skills. You can always improve this aspect of your game. I find the better a players stick skills are the more confident that player is. No matter what the position.

2) Work on your strength and conditioning. The stronger you are physically the easier it is to try new skills and to perform them with ease. So hit the gym. Drag a sled. Do some extra sprints. Start squatting in the weight room. Etc.

3) Work on the mental aspect of your game. Go get some books on sports psychology. There is a great book out there called Mind Gym that you might like. It is a great intro to sports psychology, but it will help you in other aspects of your life too.

Good luck Ryan. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad game.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

How Should Young Female Lacrosse Goalies String Their Sticks? (Boys should read this too!)

2008-04-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

Question: Micaela from Minnesota writes:

Hello...
I'm a high school girls goalie coach and was wondering what stringing style my girls should be using?? I recommended soft mesh because they are both beginners - I used soft mesh myself in high school and college at UWEC and it worked fine for me (I was an All American as well). We're in Minnesota so there aren't many lax places we can go to for stringing - both girls currently have hard mesh which is really hard for them to control at all - don't get me started on clearing! There are two guys in the metro that can restring sticks so that we don't have to send them out east -- one of them won't restring to soft mesh for them - the other wants to know what kind of stringing style they want - what should I tell him? Our season starts in a couple weeks and it only lasts about a month so I'd like to get it done soon. Thanks!

Answer:

Micaela sorry for the delay in the response of this email. We just had a baby and things have been really nuts so I'm a bit backlogged.

You're in a tough situation. I've noticed with girls that one of the limiting factors for stickhandling ability is hand and wrist strength. If you give them a shallow pocket they will be able to throw further but any sort of cradling is iffy at best. Give them a really deep pocket and they can't move the stick well enough to get any distance on the ball.

My experience with soft mesh is that it creates a lot of rebounds because it can be really springy. And once it gets wet it shrinks up like a teaspoon. Being in Minnesota you're going to have some wet days due to late snow unless you're playing inside all the time. But even then, one wet day and you're hooped.

When he asks for stringing "style" I'm not sure what he means by that. He may just mean deep or shallow. Just ask what he means and don't be embarassed. Communication is key in just about everything.

I'm a big believer in having a stick that allows girls to throw a decent distance over being able to cradle with it. My experience has shown me that most girls aren't strong enough to handle a stick with a really deep pocket. If you work with your team on clearing then she should have plenty of time to find the open teammate on the clear with a nice, well thought out pass. If your team is shaky on clearing then you aren't giving them much of a chance to clear anyway.

My suggestion would be to sting up those sticks with hard mesh and slightly shallow. When I say shallow I mean put a deep pocket in it and then tighten up the sidewalls. Leave the string at the throat of the stick as loose as possible without leaving a hole for the ball to go through.

Then have the girls work on upper body strength. I've had great results teaching girls a simple proper push up with great form. If you email me I can tell you more about that. My email is on my blog.

By increasing their upper body strength you are now helping them in a number of areas, not just throwing the ball and handling the stick.

Hopefully that helps Micaela. Email me if you need anything else.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Why Trick Shots are So Tricky For The Lacrosse Goalie

2008-04-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

So I got an email from a goalie who was complaining about trick shots that were going in. Now there are "trick" shots and there are also "fake shots." Either way it helps to know what the shooter is doing. I wrote an article that will go into our newbie goalie packet and I think you'll like it. Always take some time every day to work on trick shots and fakes with a shooter. But remember to know where the shot is ultimately going. That way you can focus on the movement of the stick so that you can honor the fake but not sacrifice body position. Let me know if this helps.

Also, thanks for Kevin from Ireland and Rob from North Carolina who told me I missed their states on my list. Also, South Carolina too! Here's the article.

Why Trick Shots are so…Tricky.

You remember when dad, or maybe Grandpa, did the old hidden coin behind your ear trick. Or maybe the pull-your-thumb-apart trick? Remember how WOW! you were? They were tricking you. Inside you were both awed and frustrated. You were awed at how he did it, and you were frustrated because you didn’t know what the heck was going on?

But do you remember what happened when you figured out the trick? Grandpa wasn’t cool anymore. You were thinking, “Dude. Grandpa. Give that trick a rest. Or come at me with something new. That trick is so yesterday.”

The deal with any sort of trick or fake you have to know how it’s done. Once you know what the pattern is, or the move. You now how it ends. Let me give you an example:

A couple of years ago I was getting warmed up by Lewis Ratcliffe of the Calgary Roughnecks. Now this guy is a stud. He now plays for the Toronto Rock, but he’s an all-star in the NLL and he played college ball at Ohio State.

He’s got a cannon for a shot. But he was schooling me on this dinky little overhand shot. Basically what he was doing was this: He’s right handed, and he was shooting overhand bringing the head of his stick over the left side of his head. Follow? The stick is way over his head but it’s almost like it is now a lefty shot. But as he followed through the ball would come back across his body to my left side. He’d bounce it and I was totally fooled. The way the stick was coming I expected the ball to go to my right. But instead it came back left and my weight was totally out of position.

So, I stopped the warm up. Because I wasn’t learning anything at this point. I went up to him and asked, “What the hell are you doing! Because I think I saw my jock over there on the side of the cage you faked me so hard.”

Once he explained it to me. I now knew what to expect. I had him take ten shots on me and stopped every one. I even had him do it left handed. Once I saw that stick come up over his head I knew what was coming. No more tricks Grandpa!

As you play more and more you know what to expect. You learn more and more things that offensive players try and you can move accordingly. The key for you the lacrosse goalie is to identify what shots give you trouble and which ones you are good at. Then you want to work on those shots.

If you have a kid on your team how is a great shooter and can work with you on following fakes or trick shots, grab him for a couple of minutes before or after practice. If he’s schooling you every time ask him what he is doing. That way, when you see the shooter go into that sort of shot then you know what to expect.

Because of the way sticks are strung in lacrosse the opportunity for fakes on the goalie are pretty frequent. Unlike a hockey stick, a lacrosse player can pretty much look like he is going to take a full side arm shot at the cage only to turn the stick over at the last minute and keep the ball in the stick. Meanwhile you’re expecting a cannon.

What makes fakes so difficult is that you need to respect certain periods of time within the fake when the ball can be shot by you. So you need to be in position for the first fake while not sacrificing yourself for the shot that might come after that first fake.

Lacrosse Goalies From All Over The World Are Checking Out Our Blog!

2008-04-13T00:24:00.001-07:00

As a field lacrosse goalie growing up in New England it's really tough that I spend a lot of time in Alberta, Canada. Field just isn't what it is back home. When I started this blog as a way to coach goalies it was a way for me to vent almost. I really miss coaching goalies and I feel that I'm pretty good at it. This blog and the ebook that is forthcoming was my way to help out goalies mostly here in Calgary. But now it's going nuts!

Check this out. We've helped goalies (parents and coaches) in:

Finland
England
Australia
Calgary, Alberta Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Edmonton, Alberta Canada

And a ton of states in the US:
Massachusetts
Vermont
New Hampshire
Maryland
New York
Pennsylvania
Florida
Ohio
Wyoming
California
Texas
Utah
Colorado
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Washington
Arizona
New Mexico (Are there really teams in New Mexico?!)
Oregon
Nevada

That's twenty states! And I'm pretty sure I'm missing some. If you're from a state not on this list email me at jone94@shaw.ca and let me know where you're from.

Thanks to everyone who keeps writing. I love to hear about all the success too. I just got a couple great emails from parents whose kids are freshman and are now playing varsity because of what they've learned here. It makes me feel great and I'm proud of everyone.

Stay focused. The spring is going fast and pretty soon it's going to be the off season.

Kick butt.

Jonathan -

Lacrosse Goale Wants To Know How To Stop Flinching

2008-04-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

Marshall from Laramie, Wyoming writes:Hey my name is Marshall and I live in Laramie WY. We started our season about a month ago. Our team needs two goalies so I volunteered, but I have a hard time following the ball and not flinching. I was wondered if you had any tips that would dramatically help me.

This was my response: Marshall buddy. Flinching is just a natural response to anything that you are unsure about. The reason you flinch when the ball comes at you is because your brain knows that if it hits you hard enough in the right spot you could die. So here's the deal...

1) Make sure you are wearing enough equipment so that when you do get hit with the ball you won't get injured. As you get better at stopping the ball you can shed some of the extra gear. But while you are getting started wear more than enough so you feel confident you won't get hurt.

2) Get shot on in practice from a distance you feel comfortable. If that means the best guy on the team shoots from twenty yards and the worst guy on your team shoots from ten yards that's ok. Just make sure that in practice you feel safe, that way you can work on your technique and can focus on moving to the ball properly.

3) Game pain is "pain with a purpose." Many goalies find that they don't mind getting hit a couple times when they make a save in a game. It's getting hit with a ball in practice that sucks. So minimize the chances of getting hit in practice or wear more equipment so you don't worry about getting hit.

As I mentioned above you don't have to be like this forever. Just wear enough equipment so your confident. Big confidence is the best thing you can have that will dramatically help you.

When your brain isn't fearful of getting hit it will focus on the ball better. Right now it doesn't want to focus on the ball because it knows naturally that it's going to hurt like hell when it hits you.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

Jonathan Edwards-
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

My Other Sport

2008-03-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

Some of you guys may know that I was an Olympian in the sport of luge for the US in 1994. I finished 4th in the doubles competition and was .3 of a second out of a bronze medal. My wife is Canadian so I spend a lot of time living in Calgary, Alberta Canada where we have a house.

But this year I got to do something I've always wanted to do and that was to bobsled. Similar track but a way different sport to train for. I had so much fun this year I thought I'd post a couple picks. I'm driving and I'm wearing the white helmet with the Visa logo on the front. Check it out!

Interesting Question About Clamping The Lacrosse Ball for Goalies

2008-03-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Ok I got this question from a sixth grader named Mike. The question was, "How does hard mesh in a new goalie stick affect clamping?"

Hmm...Can't say I've ever really thought of this. Here is my answer:

Mike clamping the ball is the last thing you should be worrying about.

This is an interesting question and not one I've ever received before so it's made me have to think a little bit.

When you clamp the ball your goal is to gain control of the ball, rake it into the crease (if it's outside) and get the ball into your stick. My experience tells me that brand new hard mesh would not be an issue. What is more of an issue is if your top shooting string is too loose then the ball gets hung up on the plastic when you go to rake the ball.

That would be more of an issue. Otherwise, hard mesh has way too many benefits over soft mesh, and I would never recommend going with soft mesh so you could clamp the ball better.

Clamping on a list of priorities goes something like this:

1) Stopping the ball.
2) Catching the ball.
3) Throwing the ball.
4) Cradling the ball. (You an throw a ball without ever having to cradle)

and way down on the end of the list would be clamping. It's really an afterthought to so many other priorities.

Great question though mike. It brings up an important point I'd like to make. Don't focus on the little things. Focus on the big things. I'm going to guess that you're a pretty analytical kid who likes to have all the answers. I was like you as well at that age so I'd like to tell you that you're on the way to doing great things in this game. But at your age there are soooo many other things to be focusing on. Like your strength. Your visualization. And your stick skills among others. It is rare in a game that you have the time (or need) to stand over the ball clamping it to the ground. It does come in handy around the crease. But stay focused on the big things buddy! Hope this helps. Let me know how it goes.

Jonathan-
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Lacrosse Goalies Need The Right Equipment Or Else They Die. Seriously!

2008-03-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you know how I feel about equipment. There is such an old-school (read "stupid") mentality about lacrosse gear for goalies that it just floors me. I found this article recently about a goalie down in Florida. I don't know him. But the story is something that every parent, coach, and athlete should read. I teared up when I read this because I have taken many balls in the chest like this. Every athletic director should read this blog and read this article because then maybe they will never cheap out on equipment (especially chest protectors) again. Personally, I tell parents and goalies that they should invest in their own equipment right away. Typically it is better than anything the school will give you. And why would you risk a life over cheap equipment.

I'd love to hear peoples feedback on this. Let me know what you think.

Here's thelink: Lacrosse Goalie Struck In Chest

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/030708/met_254598207.shtml

Big Brother Wants To Help Lil Sis Become A Better Lacrosse Goalie

2008-03-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

Intro; Man what a great email I got from Adam in a location in the central US (I'm keeping the exact location a secret to protect the innocent. The short of it is that he wants to help his sister get better but it looks like her coaches are a bit clueless as to how to be a goalie. So I sent him an email back answering all his questions. What I did was pasted my answers back to him through the email he sent me. It's a good read if you can get through it. If anyone else has questions like this please just email so I can help.

Coaches: Make sure you've got your thoughts right before you work with goalies. I know it can be hard, but in this example I think we have some overly confused coaches who may really be hurting their team in general and this goalie in particular. Please send me questions if you need clarification. There is no such thing as a stupid question.

Here's My Response To The Email

Jonathan -

Adam my responses are below. Thanks again for writing. By being your sisters coach you're going to learn a ton yourself. They say that if you want to become an expert in anything you should learn how to teach it. So good on your for becoming a teacher.

----- Original Message -----
From: (Name and email address witheld)
Date: Sunday, March 23, 2008 6:22 pm
Subject: RE: differences between boy's and girl's goalkeeping
To: JONATHAN EDWARDS

>
> Jon
> I play in (City State witheld). normally I wouldn't care and
> would just accept that the girls sport is different, but I know
> that her team is not very good, so I don't trust them.

+++When things are new to people they tend to take whatever they hear and apply it no matter what the source. Also, they might misunderstand things along the way and end up teaching the wrong things even though they think it's right. There is a great saying that I tend to remind myself of and that is this, "The worst position in the World to be in is to think you know that you know, but you really don't know." You might want to read that a couple of times so it sinks in.
>
> first off, they were having her hold her stick at the bottom of
> the shaft instead of at the head. I don't know the logic
> behind it, but they say it works better, I think she just looks
> like a retard. I think I have her convinced to change
> that, but it would be helpful to get confirmation that I'm
> right.

Ok here's a great drill just to test that theory out. Have your sister get in her stance with her hands at the end of the stick. Now take a ball in your hand and hold it. Now take your hand with the ball in it and pretend like it's a shot coming at her. (The ball doesn't leave your hand. Do this in slow motion.) Now take your hand with the ball and have the ball go to her off stick hip. Have her try and catch it with the head of the stick. There is no way she'll get it. Now do that to a bunch of different positions. She'll be able to get the ones to stick side high. And maybe off stick high. Even the low shots. But anything near the body she will have no chance on. This should prove to her that holding the stick down low on the shaft is not a good idea.

As for looking like a retard I can't help her there. Those are bigger issues. But hopefully they are helped by holding the stick at the throat. Just FYI, the top hand goes right to the plastic. The bottom hand should be a shoulders width distance from the top hand. The reason it goes right to the plastic is now it's like a big baseball glove. It's an extension of that top hand and you should always think about getting that top hand to the ball first.

>
> The biggest differences are in stringing and throwing.
> They have her string it like a tennis racket, with almost no
> pocket. She's new so she doesn't know, but there aren't
> pocket depth requirements in girls lax are there?

+++In the girls rule book that you can download for free at NCAA.org it doesn't say anything about depth of stick. It does however talk about depth of stick for any other stick. Her coaches may have it confused but she should have some depth in that stick. Now I'll be honest, I've always assumed you can have depth in a girls stick. If there has been a rule change I don't know about you'll have to double check but I don't think so.++++++++++

but the
> main reason it seems that she is stringing it that way is so she
> can throw it, she's having trouble throwing with the big stick,
> so she flings it with her waist. any ideas on how to get
> her to throw....like a man, the full overhand way you have to
> throw with the big stick.

+++This is a very valid reason. Most girls are simply not strong enough in the wrists and forearms t throw with a deep pocket. Heck, most young guys aren't able to throw with a big pocket so by having a shallower pocket she will be able to throw further but she'll have no control of the ball in the stick.

As far as ideas to get her to throw like a man...strength train. Seriously, get her in the gym. You too. You guys can train together.

One of the best ways to teach anyone how to throw a lacrosse ball with a stick better is to have them throw a ball without the stick. If you guys have some baseball gloves this is what you do, start on your knees facing each other and throw back and forth. By taking the legs out of it you really see how weak you are. Then you lift one leg up so you are on one knee and one foot. (The up leg should be the one opposite your top hand. If you're a righty then your left leg is up bent at ninety degrees.) Then you stand and take a step. By getting the legs into it you'll really notice how far the ball can travel. If she's just throwing with her wrists she's not using a lot of the power that comes from our legs when we throw.++++++++++++++
>
> As far as stepping to and reading shots, we're obviously a long
> way from that, but if there are any tips you can give me as to
> how to teach her to play, I think I have the basic athletic
> stance with her, but does she need to walk an arc or is it just
> like hockey where you square up with the shooter all the
> time. and what are the major rule differences I need to be
> aware of.

++++++++++Ok, as for rules I think it would really help you to read the girls rulebook at NCAA.org. Just go to Spring Sports > Womens Lacrosse> 2008 Rulebook. One major rule to note is that once they leave the crease they are just like any other player.

As far as teaching her to play you are on the right track. My recommendations to most goalies at this stage is to focus on being an athlete first, and a goalie second. If we can make her stronger, and more aggressive then she'll be better. Also, she has to be well protected. She has to feel safe and unafraid of the ball to be able to focus on the ball at all times. If she's fearful and not enjoying herself then she won't be a good goalie as you would if you felt the same way.

She should walk an arc as well. She needs to be square to the shooter of course. The best thing you can do is to shoot on her in a stress free environment and focus on moving properly to the ball. When you shoot on her do this, take all the shots for the whole shooting session at the same place. Every single one. Pick a new spot every day but only shoot to that one spot. This way she can focus on moving properly. What you're doing is wiring in the right moves over and over and over again. That way in a game, when the shot comes, she'll be able to move without thinking.+++++++

Hope that helps Adam. If your sister, or her coaches need any guidance send them to the blog. They can email me any questions they may have. Great to hear from you again and good luck. Stay in touch and let me know how it goes.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Edwards -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Three Tips To Help This Female Lacrosse Goalie Improve During Practice

2008-03-18T22:27:00.001-07:00

Jessica writes to ask what to do to get more out of practice. It seems that they are doing a lot of in close shots and she feels her game isn't really improving. My answer will be well received by any coach who wants to help out his/her goalies in practice.

Answer: Jessica thank for writing. First off you're definitely going to want to check out my goalie blog. There is a ton of info there and you'll find some things to work on. Here's some quick tips.

1) Get out of the cage and work on moving to all those spots without the actual shots. This will take any thoughts of havign to actually catch the ball and you can focus on the fundamentals of moving to the ball properly.

2) Everyday when you get warmed up have them start to shoot at a different spot first. Today it might be off stick high. Tomorrow stick side low. If you don't make them all a priority at one point during your career then nothing will ever improve. In strength training we say that the thing that is done first in a work out improve the most. That's why you need to switch things up all the time.

3) When you do the close shoots and the undefended roles have your coach ask your shooters to shoot to a particular space. This does two things. 1) You can focus on how the shot is coming out of the players stick regardless of what the rest of their body is doing. When you see the ball leave the stick you can work on moving to the ball. The odd shot will go someplace it's not supposed to but that's ok. 2) The shooters get to work on their accuracy which is something they need anyway.

4) Also, those quick shots and undefended one's don't have to be done so close in practice. Again, ask your coach to have the girls take their shots from further out. This way you have more time to react to the ball. Don't worry, you'll still be ready for the shots in the game that are closer. But by having them move out you will feel safer in the cage, will have time to react to the ball, and will be able to work on things better.

Don't forget that your team wants you to improve too right? After all, you are their goalie. If your coach finds this funny she/he can always write to me and I'll explain my thinking. Many coaches don't give any thought to this so yours is probably no different. I'd be happy to help you out.

Good luck Jessica. Let me know how it goes. And let me know if you need anything else.

Oh...two more things> The biggest things I see with girl goalies that need improvement are 1. Strength. and 2. Stick skills. One of the best "drills" you can do is to fall in love with the gym. This is the biggest factor to improving your game. When you improve your strength everything else improves.

Kick butt and let me know how it goes. You can reach me through my blog.

Jonathan -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Can a Hockey Goalie Teach A Lacrosse Goalie?

2008-03-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Question: My name is Mike (name witheld). I was asked to work with my sons goalie from his team. The problem is I am a ice hockey goalie instructor, I do not want to confuse this boy by showing him angles and other things done by a ice hockey goalie. I believe keeping it simple is a great start, if you can help it would be deeply appreciated.

Answer: Mike hey there. Thanks for writing. And there's no problem with you being a hockey goalie. In fact I think you are way ahead of the game right now to help.

I too was a hockey goalie back in junior high school and high school so I know where you're coming from. There are some things you must keep in mind when working with lacrosse goalies that are definitely different but there are also some similarities. I'll try and list a bunch here.

1) Hockey goalies and their equipment are mostly designed to block shots and not catch them. I know, I know, goalies in hockey try to minimize rebounds by catching the puck with their body, their glove, or any other part of their equipment. That is true to a point. But if you look at a hockey goalies equipment it is clearly designed to protect the goalie and to block (or direct) the puck away from the cage.
In lacrosse the goalie is trying to catch the ball no matter where it goes on its way to the cage. Because of the lack of equipment goalies are taught to pretty much try and get their stick on everything or else it's pretty much going to hurt like a you know what.
That being said I really feel that the game of lacrosse has evolved but the goalies have not. The athletes, the sticks, and the velocity of the shots are such that a lacrosse goalie should really stop trying to catch everything and to start trying to block more shots. It comes down to simple physics. There is a point where trying to get your stick on the ball is useless. If you think about it, when was the last time you heard a hockey goalie being taught how to bring his glove hand across his body to try and catch a puck low blocker side? You don't. For some reason lacrosse goalies are taught just that and I think it is basically a lot of old school thinking that has never evolved.
I will teach an advanced goalie how to get their bottom hand on to a shot that is to the off stick hip instead of trying to get his top hand all the way there. Again, simple physics, why move a perfectly good piece of equipment away from the ball when they can use it like a blocker and deflect the ball wide and to the corner. (Keep an eye out for the quality of the glove as this can be dangerous if the glove is poor.)
I will add this though. Right now a concept like that is very advanced an no one teaches it. Be careful not to lose credibility with your young goalie by bringing it up at the start but I think the concept is valid.

2) I teach young goalies to wear more equipment for a number of reasons:
a. To protect them from errant shots that can hurt and thus lead to high levels of fear. Fear of the ball is a killer to the long term development of the goalie.
b. To help them get in front of the ball with their body. We must teach lacrosse goalies to move to the ball and get their body in front of it. The term "step to the ball" is important and young goalies tend to sit back on their heels usually because of fear (and a lack of strength.)

3) You can definitely teach angles but in lacrosse goalies tend to sit back on the goal line a bit more. With young and small goalies they need to step out a bit more because they are unable to reach balls shot to the corners just because of their size. I will turn a goalie around and stand him on the goal line, then I will have him reach his stick to all the corners so he knows just how far he needs to move to save all those shots. Many of the shots to the corner are not stoppable unless he steps which is a great teaching tool.

4) Something I learned in hockey was the ability to explode down to the puck. Instead of freefalling with my body it was more of an ability to contract the abs and get down to snuff out shots down low. Young goalis need to learn that and to be aggressive to the ball.

5) A good hockey to lacrosse lesson is to stay balanced on your feet so you can move in all directions. Surely you've had your coach push and pull at your skates with his stick trying to knock you off balance. With young goalies it is important that you find their base stance and make sure that never changes. We call it "athletic stance." In my opinion it is almost the same as an older style hockey goalie. You're not on your inside edge of course but the ankles, knees, and hips are bent. Shoulders ahead of the knees, and hands our in front of the body. I'll work on that stance first with goalies and then I will add the stick. I find that when you put the stick in the hand too early goalies tend to focus too much on catching and not enough on moving the whole body. Sometimes it's great to have that young goalie get into an athletic stance without his stick and throw a dodge ball at him. (Or a soccer ball, basketball, beach ball, doesn't matter.) What matters is that it's big. They need two hands to catch it, and it's safe.

What else...hmmm...are you familiar with the string drill? Go get some brightly colored string. Home Depot has bright yellow which is nice. Cut two pieces to twenty five yards each and tie one string to each post. You hold the ends so you make a big triangle. Goalie in the cage. Now move around the field so he understands his angles. Angles are important in lacrosse. And certain constants apply to both hockey and lacrosse goalies. Things like: Don't give up short side goals. It's harder for the shooter to shoot across his body. Give them a space you'd like them to shoot and thentake it away. Things like that.

I'll reiterate again, make sure your goalie is protected. These guys look at the college goalies and the MLL guys and see that they are wearing next to nothing. I think it's stupid to be honest and I'm only thirty five. I'm not some old school guy but I think my hockey experience really taught me alot wearing all that gear. I never heard a hockey goalie say, "I really wish I could lose these arm pads so I could move faster to the puck." You hear that stuff in lacrosse all the time.

If he's protected early on he'll have little or no fear of the ball. And that's priceless.

Hope that helps Mike. I'm going to post this on my blog so you can archive it later. Thanks so much for writing and if this helps I'd appreciate a testimonial I can put on my site for others to see.

Stay in touch and let me know how it goes.

Good luck,

Jonathan -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

How To Stop a One on One for the Lacrosse Goalie

2008-03-11T12:40:00.000-07:00

How To Stop a One on One
by Jonathan Edwards, www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

I had a coach early on in my career give me this great piece of advice. He said, “If anyone on your damned team was good enough they wouldn’t even NEED a goalie!”

If you find yourself up against a one on one, here’s what you should be thinking, “Nine guys on the field screwed up so bad that I’m the only guy left on the field to help out.”

With that being said, you still have a job to do and that is to stop the ball. Here are some things to keep in mind to help make that happen:

1) Believe you can stop the ball. You may hear coaches, parents or other athletes say, “Oh, well, you’re really not supposed to stop those one on ones anyway.” If that was the case, ask them how they’d feel if you just dropped your stick and started to walk out of the cage the next time a one on one came down the field!

They may say that to try and make you feel good but really, you’ve got to believe that you’ve got as great a chance as any to stop that one on one over any other shot you must face in a game.

The greatest goalies in the World all believe that they can stop every shot. It’s in their make up. They are programmed to believe that. So start believing you can stop them too.

2) Practice One On One’s. Many goalies are surprised by one on one’s in games because they don’t practice them in practice. So practice them!

Grab a teammate after practice and work on one on ones. Have your teammate replicate the situations you most see in games. Is it a pass down low to an attackman on the crease? Do you have to move from side to side and then make the save? Do them first in slow motion and know where the shooter is going to shoot. Have the pass go to the attack man (or imagine the pass) and come across with balance and make the save.

3) Move with balance. If you have to move across the crease to make a save it’s important that you do it with balance. Most goalies lunge and step and look like idiots on one on ones. Don’t. Visualize yourself moving into position and having perfect balance on your feet. Move to make the save with balance.

4) Don’t run out at the shooter. Lots of young goalies want to run out and try and deck the shooter with a good check. While this is sometimes recommended often it’s not. So forget running out to deck the guy for now. Here’s why:

When you run out of the cage it is very easy to shoot over you. A simple lob over the goalie and into the cage is an easy score. Usually you don’t get to hit the guy anyway. I understand, if this is the fifth one on one you’ve had in the game you’re pretty frustrated and you just want to hit someone. You'd probably go out there and kick him in the groin if the ref wasn't standing there. That’s not your job. Leave that to your defense and stay in the cage.

In most situations, if you keep your ground and stay balanced and ready for the shot, the shooter will try to take another step and lose his angle. He’s try and do one more fake to try and fake you out. Or he’ll try and make a pass to his open teammate. Any of those things can result in a dropped ball, a shot wide, or a missed pass. So stay home and let that attack man screw things up on his own.

By staying home you let the defense do their job too. As you get better, and the teams you play for get better, you will be playing with better defense. And I want you to create great habits so that when you play at that level you play solid. So you need to remember that in most cases your defense will be sliding to that man on the one on one just trying to lay him out. If you stay in the cage you will make that attack man think for a half second more. Maybe he’ll want to fake you one last time, or pass, or try to get cute with it. And in that half second that you’ve made him wait your defense gets a stick on the ball. Rubs the shooters elbow so the shot goes wide. Or lays that skinny little attack man on his butt. All because you stayed in the cage and played the shot.

5) Keep your feet still while your hands make the save. Here’s a little drill for you…turn and face the cage. (If you don’t have a cage handy go to Home Depot and buy some green painters tape in the paint section and mock up a six by six outline on your bedroom wall. Be sure to take the tape off every couple of days so the paint doesn’t come with it when you take it off.) Ok, so face the cage and get in your stance. This is going to give you an idea of how far you have to move to make a save on a one on one.

Now, your feet can move a little bit. I just don’t want you lunging left and right and getting too far out of position. Now, try and make saves moving your stick to all the spots on the cage. Imagine a shooter has just tried to fake you high to your stick side and is now tucking the ball to your left hip. You’ll have to move your hands to respect that high shot but you need to keep your balance in order to get your hands to your left hip fast enough.

Try this in a number of combinations and you’ll see yourself keeping your balance and making more saves. The more you can get a shooter to try and fake you the more chances you have of him screwing up, and that’s just as good as any save!

6) Know what the shooter is trying to do: Most shooters are taught to fake high, and shoot low. That first high fake is to make you leave your feet. As your momentum goes upward the shooter shoots low because you can’t get there fast enough. Just try to reverse you direction in mid air! So try and keep your feet and move your hands to respect that first fake, but keep your feet so you can explode down low as the shot goes there.

If you can learn what shooters tendencies are you’ll have a better chance of making the save.

6) Bait ‘em: You can always try and give them something to shoot at and then take it away. With less experienced shooters you can try things like looking big in the cage upstairs. Raise your elbows a bit more. Make it look like you are covering a lot of the top of the cage and make them shoot it down low. Now what you are doing, even though you are covering more of the upstairs, is to anticipate that they will go low. When you see the ball releasing low you explode down to try and shut it off. Hockey goalies are the best at this. They give the shooter the five hole between the legs and when the ball goes there they explode down to shut it off.

Baiting can be a bit tough to explain, but the bottom line is that you give the shooter a spot to shoot at, and then you take it away. Try this in practice. Take a half step to your left and give them more on the right side of you to shoot at. Be ready to jump to that right side once the ball is released and shut them down.

7) Visualize: Spend some time every day seeing yourself making those saves one on one. See yourself in a balanced position moving your hands and making the save. You can make incredible improvements just by visualizing yourself being strong in the cage so spend some time, just before you go to bed is best, visualizing yourself playing that one on one perfectly.

This should give you a lot to think about for stopping more one on one’s. Remember, believe that you can stop them all. The best goalies are the one’s who believe they can stop every shot.

Son Wants To Play In College. Should I Hire One Of Those Companies?

2008-03-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Question: Jonathan,

My son is just starting his junior year in HS, now in his 2nd year of varsity. He is interested in playing Lacrosse in college, and he is an excellent athlete and player (I'm completely objective here, of course!). I read your answer in a past column about scholarships and how hard they are to come by. My question: is there any value in these organizations which 'market' a HS player to colleges? They typically offer to produce a highlights video and get the player noticed by prospective college coaches. What are your recommendations for my son?

Answer: Jeff thanks for the question. A couple of years ago I heard a coach say, "If the kid had just called me I might have payed attention."

I think there is a lot to be said for the act of seeking out teams and coaches who you want to play for. It's like applying for a job, the candidate who has done his research and actively seeks employment with a company that he knows something about is much more valuable than some shmoe with a resume.

I'm not a big fan of those companies that market young athletes. I'm all for delegating work to people who can do it better than you. But lacrosse in many ways is still a small sport. It's a big sport, don't get me wrong, but it still has small roots.

I'd rather see your son pick some schools he really wants to go to. Then find out if those schools has coaches he really wants to play for. And then contact those coaches. He may very well get thrown in the pile and get a ton of form letters. He has to get past all that and make some contact. One of the best ways is to go to some camps where those coaches will be. Introduce himself. Etc.

In the marketing world there is an understanding that it takes at least seven advertisements before a prospect pays attention. The first time they aren't listening. After the fourth or fifth time they begin to notice. And after the seventh time the prospect actually pays attention and remembers. I think if you take that approach you'll do ok.

Recruiting is a very strange game. My answer to any kid who wants to play in college is to be so good that they can't help but notice. Your son is probably not in that position. But I think there are some great lessons to be learned by going out there and getting to meet some of those coaches personally.

Now many, if not all, of his lacrosse peers will NOT be taking this approach. Isn't that the point? He's got to stand out. Have him do his research. Don't go in blind.

With all that being said...I'm a big fan of the walk on. I always believed that I could make any team I had the chance to tryout for. If he gets no notice. No interest. But he ends up at a school he wants to be at, and he want's to play, he'll make it. And that's the best lesson of all.

Stay in touch. Let me know how the process goes and if I can help at all just contact me through my blog.

Good luck to your son.

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Lacrosse Goalie Wants To Know How To Stop Faster Shots

2008-02-18T23:56:00.000-08:00

Question: Mark writes, "dear Jonathan,
i am in 8th grade and am playing JV goalie for my high school, i am an okay goalie and stop shots that are either slow or right at me, how do i get better at stopping rally good players who can rocket the ball? cause when an attack man is about to shoot close up it's like i lose sight of the ball, and i am bad at stepping up town the ball, any tips would be TERRIFIC. thanks

Answer: Mark this is a great question. Stopping the lacrosse ball comes down to three things:

1) Seeing the ball leave the stick.
2) Knowing where the ball is going.
3) Moving fast enough to stop the ball.

When you break it down into those three steps it's easy. If you can't see the ball on those upclose shots you need to work on having an attackman shoot on you like that in practice. Have him come in close but have him fake and shoot slowly so you can follow his stick. Of course, as he moves slowly you'll make some saves. As you get better you can have him speed things up a bit.

You have to remember: You can't do fast what you can't do slowly. If you can't follow the shooter and the ball at slow speeds you won't be able to at high speeds and that is what you are running into.

Knowing where the ball is going comes with practice. It comes with having thousands of shots taken at you so you know where the shooter is going. And Mark that is waaay too much info for me to type here. You'll have to check out more on my blog for more insights there. But knowing where the ball is going comes with practice. And it comes with a type of practice that I call "Deliberate Practice" What that means is that you have the shooter shoot to a space. He can do whatever he wants prior to shooting the ball but he has to shoot to that space. This way you can tune out the fakes and stay honest to where the ball is going. It helps you to be patient and to also know that once the ball leaves the stick you can focus on moving properly to the ball.

Don't worry about being bad at stepping up to the ball. To be honest this is a real buzz word with coaches and I think it is pretty overhyped. The reason you aren't good at stepping to the ball is because you've got so many other things on your mind. You're trying to see the ball. You're trying to move to it properly. And you're up against guys who can shoot the thing harder than you've seen it! No wonder you're not stepping all that great! Don't worry about it. It will come.

You are just like me. I was in 8th grade and on the JV at my school. Actually it was our VArsity and it was the first year our school had lacrosse. We played against some awesome teams and the bals came hard and fast. But I managed. My goal every game was to be better than the other goalie on the field. If you do that enough you'll be the best goalie on the planet some day. It helped me become an all-american and I know it will you too. Just stay with it.

Last thing. #3 on my list up there. Moving to the ball. This goes with your stepping issue as well. WHen it comes time to move to the ball that has everything to do with you as an athlete. Are you strong. Quick. You can always improve your strength and by being stronger you will be able to move to the ball faster. It's simple physics really. Get stronger physically and you will move better to the ball.

Kick butt Mark. You email me if you've got any more questions. You can find my email on my blog at www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com
If you send me your email I'll add you to our goalie newsletter. Let me know where you're from too. I love to know what states and towns my goalies are from.

Good luck.

Jonathan -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Lacrosse Goalie Needs Tips On How To See The Ball Out Of The Shooters Stick Better and How To Reduce Reaction Time

2008-02-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Question: Zach writes: ive been playin goalie for a little over a year but ive never had any coaching at teh postiotion i was a d player. but i was wondering if you had and tips on how to see the ball out of an offensive players stick any better and also any private drills i could do to work on reaction time

Answer: Zach to see the ball out of an offensive stick requires a ton of concentration first of all. You really need to be zoning in on the ball at all times. This takes a ton of practice and you really need to be aware of what you are focusing on. Here are a couple tips.

1) When the ball is in the other end of the field practice focusing on the ball at all times. Watch it go from player to player. Don' take your eyes off it at all. If you catch yourself seeing more than just the ball just try an refocus until you can stay on the ball for a length of time. At first you will notice all sorts of other things and that's ok. Just work on trying to see only the ball moving from stick to stick. When the ball comes in your end of the field this drill will help you a ton.

The first step of making any save is seeing the ball. And you must be extremely aware if you are getting a little lazy and not following it perfectly.

2) Now another thing that you might be having problems with is how the ball is coming out of the players stick. This can be completely different for all players and your ability to read it only comes with practice.

I've been living in Canada for the last seven years and I've played against a lot of great shooters. In my opinion Canadians have some of the best shots on the planet. Many of them have this deceptive little dip in the head of their stick as they follow through on a shot and it is tough to read. There was one guy in particular who I was having trouble with reading his stick. So I asked him, "what the hell are you doing when you shoot like that?" After he explained it to me I had no problems.

It's important to understand what a shooter is doing. But what will help you the most is repetition. Just get the best shooters who give you the most trouble and have them shoot on you. But don't just have them shoot anywhere. Have them shoot to a spot. Make it easy so you can focus on what their stick is doing and you can read the ball. Try to get one different guy on your team to take shots on you daily. Tell him, "Hey, can you give me twenty shots." Have him do those twenty and you'll learn a ton. Ask each one where they like to shoot andwhy. Become an expert in shooting the ball and you will become and expert in stopping the ball. I wish all lacrosse goalies did this but few ever do.

So as far as private drills go for reaction time? Hmmm. Let's talk real quick about what makes up reaction time.

First it's seeing the ball. I gave you some tips above so that should shorten things up a bit aready.

Second, you need to recognize where it's going. Again, that second tip should help there as well.

Third, you need to be able to move to the ball. Once your brain knows where the ball is going it sends a signals to all the muscles in the body responsible for moving there. If those muscles are super slow then you aren't going to move that fast. But if those muscles are conditioned to be quick and explosive you're going to stop more shots. Now talking about training is pretty complex and is too much to talk about here. In a nut shell you need to train explosively. If you have a good strength coach at your school talk to him. If not, go find one who can help you. Goalies need to train explosively. High repetitions will just make you slow. If you need more advice on that just email me at jon94@shaw.ca and I can give you some more resources.

Zach I hope that helps buddy. Make sure you check out my blog and sign up for my goalie newsletter. There are a ton more tips there. And of course please pass this on to any other goalies who would find this info useful.

Good luck. If you need anything else just email me. I'm going to post this answer on my blog as well.

Jonathan Edwards -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Lacrosse Goalie Hurts Hand, Now Ducks When Shots Are Taken, Help!

2008-02-07T00:49:00.000-08:00

Tom writes in that his son hurt his hand badly playing box and he now ducks when shots are taken. He didn't do that before his hand got hurt and he wants to know how to fix the problem.

Answer: Hey there Tom. Great question. Injuries are tough and tougher still is the relationship between parent and young lacrosse goalie. I have two ideas in my head right now, you pick which one works for you...

1) Let him be. It may be better to leave him alone and let him figure it out.

2) I'm not a big fan of #1 so here's a better recommndation...try to get some video of him and try to catch his eyes/head so he can see what he is doing.

I once saw video of a college lacrosse goalie and was able to see that as the shot came the goalie jumped. It was a little jump but just enough to delay his ability to move to the ball effectively. Now, your son, once he sees that he is ducking or closing his eyes may raise his awareness and realize that he's having a problem. As they say, awareness is the first step to recovery. Getting back from an injury is no different. I'll let you deal with how to help him get more aware but video may be your best option.

When a lacrosse goalie ducks it means he's afraid of the ball. To solve that you need to either have the shooter back up so that he's at a distance where the goalie feels safe, have the goalie wear more equipment, or change the ball from a lacrosse ball to a tennis ball that is softer and won't hurt him. Even college goalies that develop fear for the ball will go the tennis ball route to get their confidence back.

If he is wearing the same gloves that he wore when he got injured guess what he's thinking about? Getting hit that exact same way. If you haven't gotten him tougher glove for indoor do it now. Also, goalie gloves for indoor are like hockey gloves. You can't throw nearly as well with them but then again this is box, it's not field. In box the goalies demands are much different, and the equipment is much different. In box the goalie takes more shot to the body. If he's wearing his field stuff he's going to get hurt and that's not good for his long term development.

Thomas that should help a bit. If you need some more info don't hesitate to email me back. If you want to talk about equipment more just let me know.

Coaches Guide To Coaching New Lacrosse Goalies

2008-02-07T00:33:00.001-08:00

Here's a quick article I wrote to help coaches with new goalies. How you handle a young goalie will set them up for the rest of their career. And contrary to popular belief a goalie who is "nuts" does not necessarily make a good goalie. Let me know if this article helped you out.

A Fast Start Guide For Coaches With New Goalies

1) Help him/her understand that in lacrosse goals go in. And sometimes a lot too. It's not like hockey. Or soccer. Some games are 20-18 and some are 20-0.

2) Focus on building his/her confidence. This is vital in practice. Make sure that your shooters are shooting from far enough away that he feels safe and is able to react to the ball. For new goalies, they are focusing on so many things that it's important to keep it simple. For example: a new goalie is trying to figure out where the ball is going. Then they are trying to remember how to move to the ball. And with all of that they are doing it while trying to NOT think about how much the ball can hurt if it hits her. If your goalie is thinking about pain first then nothing will work right. Which leads me to...

3) Make sure she has enough of the right equipment. There is nothing wrong with a new goalie wearing enough equipment. When I started it was a school rule that goalies had to wear hockey pants, shin quards, elbow pads, shoulder pads, a cup, a chest protector, gloves, a helmet and a throat guard. I couldn't move very well but that ball didn't hurt one bit! Although it was hot, and uncomfortable, I was able to focus on the things that matter and that is seeing where the ball is going and then moving to the ball. It's the simple force equation. In order to move the stick fast enough to the ball a certain amount of force needs to be applied to the stick. If the goalie isn't strong enough to do that then playing goal is going to be very very frustrating. So make sure that she is strong enough to even play the position. Sometime the best coaching move is finding a different goalie. You may have a great athlet on your team who plays well elsewhere but she may be a tremendous asset to the team if she plays goal. And if your goalie is the slowest girl on the team my heart goes out to you. That goalie is a trooper but it's going to be a long haul for you and your team.

4) Spend a lot of time with your goalie. The twenty minutes you spend with her one on one at the beginning of practice is gold. All goalies need this time. As coaches there is so much to do at the start of practice I understand, but try to get some uninterrupted time when you and she can work alone on the basics.

5) The basics: I don't have enough room to write here but you may have seen some posts of mine on a proper warm up. This is where the coach shoots about ten balls to each of the critical spots of the goalie working on form and technique. This is vital. The goalie needs to know where the ball is going so 1) she feels safe and 2) her body can focus on how to move. The key is that you are "wiring" the goalie like a computer. Your are programming her body to move correctly to the ball. That way, in a game, her eyes recognize where the ball is going and her mind is able to shut down so the body can do what it knows to do. Hopefully that makes sense, if not just email me and I'll clarify.

6) A great drill with new goalies is to have them get in the cage, throw their stick behind the cage, and throw a soccer ball instead of the lacrosse ball. This reinforces how to move the feet and move the hands to the ball. I find when new goalies get a stick in their hand they tend to forget about their feet and the rest of their body. By using the soccer ball it, again, eases their mind so they can focus on moving properly.

7) Progression. Progression. Progression. I'm a strength coach and I have a saying that is, "There is no such thing as a bad exercise. just an athlete who isn't ready for that exercise. If you shoot on your goalie from five yards as hard as you can she's going to be afraid, and she's not going to stop much. But if you back up to 20 yards she'll probably do ok. She'll feel safer knowing she has plenty of time to get her hands onto the ball and not just her body. Do a hundred shots from there and then the next day move in a bit. There will be a point when they are too fast and you're too close. Back off a bit if that happens.

8) Help her be a better athlete. Many female goalies I see are simply not physically strong enough to move effectively to the ball. I'm not trying to be sexist or derogatory in any way but it is just something as coaches we have to deal with. If you can help her get stronger physically then she will be a better goalie.

9) Pain with a purpose. Many goalies are horrible in practice but in games the are great. IT's one thing to take a painful shot in practice and another in games. Keep your goalie safe in practice and then let her loose in games. If she's self concious about wearing equipment just make her do it in practice. Then in a game she can take stuff off if she wants to. But if you see her ducking or cringing at shots make her put the equipment back on again.

10) Don't over work her. Don't force her to take shots that are too close because that is what she will see in games. Trust me, it doesn't work like that. You aren't making her tougher by standing in front of shots like that you're just making her fearful and stunting her development. Be patient and think long term. She'll be better off in the long run.

Tom Brady Is My Hero

2008-01-31T22:22:00.000-08:00

In the same interview, Brady said, "I think it's a feeling like I've got it all figured out. There's nothing that can shock me anymore. There's nothing I haven't anticipated; so at that point, there is a calmness."

This was a quote taken from an ESPN.com article on Tom Brady, Quarterback of the New England Patriots. As I write this the Patriots are four days from becoming the best team in football history. And Tom Brady is the leader.

The story of Tom Brady is pretty cool. A good athlete through high school he was barely noticed by college coaches. Somehow he landed at one of the top football schools in the country. After college he was drafted almost as an afterthought by the Patriots in the sixth round. That year, seven other quarterbacks were drafted before him. And now he is considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time with four super bowl rings and now an MVP of the league in 2007.

But that quote above pretty much tells you why he's there at this point in his career.

He is prepared.

And he works harder than anyone else to be prepared so that he isn't surprised. Ever.

Parents. Coaches. And goalies all ask me "What can we do so that our goalie has more confidence?"

Help them prepare. Spend the time. Get the shots. Get a variety of shots. Help them feel safe. Give them the tools. Watch game film. Do it all.

And then do it again.

And again.

And again.

Fear only comes from a lack of information. And a lack of information comes from a lack of preparation.

There is no excuse for that. Laziness is an excuse.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?id=3219092&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

Go check out the article and get inspired.

Goalies read it to see what preparation can do for you. That dot drill is amazing by the way.

Parents read it so that you can help your kids believe that they can, and will, be good. Someday. If they work hard enough.

Coaches read it and learn not to ever give up on a kid. Think past that athletes success on your team if they aren't getting good fast enough. Think about their long term athletic development and help them succeed long term.

Shoot me some comments or emails at jone94@shaw.ca

I Can't Sleep. Can You?

2008-01-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

It's four in the morning where I am. My wife and I just had our second baby. A girl named Makena (Because we were married on Makena Beach in Maui, Hawaii) And I can't get to sleep. My mind is just going. What about? Stuff. All sorts of stuff. It reminded me of a couple of goalie specific things that I'd thought I'd write about seeing that I can't get to sleep anyway.

Why You Must Fall Asleep At Night

Goalies tend to be worriers. They worry about letting in a goal. They worry about what their coaches/parents/teammates will think about them. They worry about making a bad pass that leads to a goal. They worry about getting hit in the balls (seriously). They worry about getting shelled. They worry about losing so bad that they will never want to play the game again. Ever.

All in all most goalies worry.

Now let me have you exchange the word "worry" and replace it with the phrase "plan to prevent"

Goalies tend to plan to prevent about everything. They plan to prevent letting in a goal. They plan to prevent a situation where their coaches/parents/teammates will think badly about them. They plan to prevent making a bad pass that leads to a goal. They plan to prevent getting hit in the balls. (Seriously!) They plan to prevent getting shelled. They plan to prevent so they never lose a game so bad that they will never want to play the game again.

When you read those to paragraphs do you see how some of the stress is taken out of the second one?

When you rephrase your worry it becomes much more productive. "Worry" is not a productive feeling. Worry is just a negative thought pattern where you tend to focus on bad situations. And what you focus on you bring on.

If I ask you to worry about a pink polar bear, what do you see? A pink polar bear.

Maybe that pink polar bear is doing something bad in your thoughts. Maybe the pink polar bear is showing it's teeth. Or running at you.

Now let me ask you to think about planning to prevent that white polar bear from doing anything bad.

First off, you are now seeing a white polar bear instead of a pink one. This shows you that you can instantly change any mental situation. From bad to good. From pink to white.

You may also have thought of that white polar bear in a cage. Or somehow in a way that prevents him from doing anything bad to you.

By planning to prevent instead of worrying you have changed a negative mental image to a positive mental image. Instead of worrying about letting in a bad goal why not plan to prevent one. By thinking in a positive way you are actually coming up with a positive game plan. You may now visualize yourself making a great play. Or maybe making a great call that gets your defense to slide to neutralize the ball carrier.

When you worry you tend to lose sleep at night. (just like I am as I write this.) But by focusing on "planning to prevent" you can fill your brain with positive images that will actually build your confidence and make you a player.

Just a quick thought. I think I'll catch some sleep now.

Jonathan -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

2008-01-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

Question: Molly writes: All the shots that are taken at me are at my knees. Are there any goalie knee pads? Also, how far out of the cage can a goalie go? And should I stand crouched down? Or standing straight up? I've got a ton of questions, is there just a book I can buy that can help me out? Thanks!

Answer: Hey there Molly. Congrats on playing the best position in lacrosse!!

Here are some answers to your questions.

They don't make a goalie knee pad for lacrosse. But what you can do while your learning is to where some baseball catcher shin quards under a pair of sweatpants. This will protect you from the top of the knees down to your feet.

You can also wear football pants under some sweats as well. They have a thigh pad, and a knee pad, but no shin protection.

You can go out as far as you want from the goal. There is no restriction. However, I recommend that you stay roughly a big step off the goal line when the shooter is away from the cage. And then on the goal line when the shooter is in very tight to the goal.

You should take a stance that we call an "athletic" stance. Goalies also call this a "ready" stance. Your ankles knees and hips are all bent. Your shoulders are just infront of your hips and your hands are in front of you. Similar to a basketball player on defense. A baseball player waiting for the hitter to hit the ball to them. Or a tennis player waiting to hit the ball back across the net. (Just to give you a few examples.) This will give you the best chance to move to the ball.

You're going to stop a lot of shots right now with your body. That is why it is very important to have enough padding so that you feel protected and safe if you take one off the body. As you improve you'll catch more balls with your stick.

For more questions answered you can check out my blog at www.LacrosseGoaltending.Blogspot.com. I am also working on an ebook specifically for goalies. If you send me your email address I can send you a couple of early chapters that should help.

Also, when you send me your email address just send me a list of all of your questions too. I probably have most of them answered already and I can send them on to you. Otherwise I'll make sure I cover those questions in my ebook.

Thanks for writing Molly. My email address is jone94@shaw.ca. Talk to you soon!

Jonathan -
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Tennis anyone? Or lacrosse?

2008-01-20T22:33:00.001-08:00

I got an email recently from a freshman who was inspired by an email I wrote a while ago. That email was also written to a tennis player thinking about switching to lacrosse. This time the tennis player is thinking about becoming a goalie. The following is an answer that I gave him on why I think he should switch from tennis (that is boring him, and the coach is a disaster) to lacrosse. Enjoy.

Answer:There is one major rule that I live by that I wish I knew back in high school and that is to seek out experiences that I know I would enjoy regardless of the outcome. Seriously, when we die the only thing we are going to be able to take with us is our experiences so why not load up on as many good ones as we can.

With that being said I would highly recommend you go out for lacrosse and play a little goal for a couple of reasons:

1) It's a new experience. If you feel you've had your run of tennis then why play something you are bored with when you can go play something new and exciting with your friends.

2) Yes, your tennis skills will carry over (especially if you were good playing up at the net). Your lateral agility makes you a natural to attack the ball. Just make sure you are outfitted with enough equipment that you feel safe to start. Eventually, as you get better you can shed excess equipment. But for now, pad up and stay safe. You'll get better faster if you do.

I would like to change your attitude about one thing you said, "I would personally enjoy lacrosse a lot more than tennis, I just don't want to join and be horrible since I'm not as experienced."

Prepare to be horrible. That's what new experiences are all about! If everyone could be good at everything there wouldn't be much fun in anything right? I just took up the sport of bobsled after having done the sport of luge for years. Just like your tennis carrying over to lacrosse my luge experience helped me but it was still new. And you know what I wished the most??? That I had tried bobsled much sooner and didn't wait so long! You don't want to be saying that about lacrosse.

You shouldn't worry about playing lacrosse and being bad, you should worry about playing lacrosse and being fantastic! Seriously, how pissed would you be if you realized you were a phenomenal goalie and you waited all this time to play! Get out there and play some goal and show everyone how good you are. Then write me back and tell me how much time you wasted playing tennis!:)

Kick butt Derek. I'm going to add you to my goaltending ezine. I've got a ton of articles for you on my blog to so be sure to check that out. Have a blast. And feel free to write me and tell me how it's going.

All the best,

Jonathan -
www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com

Mom's In Trouble With This Question

2008-01-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

This isn't really a goalie specific post but it does touch on long term athlete development which I feel is super important. Have a read. This mom has never written back to me so I hope everything is ok! Haven't heard from the kid either so hopefully he's not grounded!

Question: Hey Jonathan Edwards ! my name is Jordan St. John i live in Cornwall Ontario. I'am a big hockey player and i would really love to play lacrosse but my mom said to bring her 5 facts about how lacrosse makes you a better hockey player can you help me out please and thank you ! Bye

Answer: Oh Jordan. Your mom is going to regret having you write to me! (Sorry Mrs. St. John)

Here goes.

Jordan as an Olympic athlete, a strength and conditioning coach, a lacrosse player, and a hockey player I can tell you that by playing multiple sports you can actually become much better at your favorite sport. So if you love hockey, and that's your main sport, by playing lacrosse you will actually become a better hockey player. In countries other than the US and Canada this is a well known fact. But here in Canada we tend to focus on just one sport and play it all the time. This doesn't work out well. You may be a good hockey player sooner by playing only hockey, but at a certain point your development will go flat and you won't improve physically. Your mom can go to www.LTAD.ca to learn more about long term athlete development.

To be honest, by playing any sport you will help your hockey skills. However, by playing lacrosse specifically here are a bunch of ways it will help you.

1) Hockey is a multi-directional sport on blades and ice. These work certain muscles and movement patterns. Lacrosse is also a multi-directional sport on a hard surface. The body develops additional movement patterns that make you strongerand less prone to injury once on the ice. This is critical and creates a well rounded athlete physically. You will be stronger on the ice by actually playing lacrosse off ice.

2) The hand-eye coordination in lacrosse improves your stick handling abilities in hockey. In hockey the puck rarely leaves the ice. So the puck is always on one surface and your hands get used to that. In lacrosse the ball is all over the place. It's up and down. In front of you and behind you. By mastering a lacrosse stick a hockey stick feels so easy to use. There is an incredible transfer in eye-hand skills from lacrosse to hockey.

3) Contact: There is contact in hockey. There is also contact on a different surface. The demads on your body are different and they can increase your physical ability to avoid, and give hits.

Avoidance of hits can be just as beneficial as learning to give hits. If you think about it and you're about to be lined up by a larger, more physical player you can be seriously injured. By learning additional movement skills in lacrosse you can actually avoid getting hit by that player and therefore avoid injury.

4) Offensive and Defensive playing situations in lacrosse can help you with your hockey skills tremendously. You will learn how to dodge around players and those skills will help you to dodge around players on the ice. You will be learning skills that your hockey teammates don't know about. You will have fresh moves to pull from and your hockey development will actually be faster than your teammates who do not play another sport.

5) By playing another sport you will actually rest your body, and your mind from hockey. Many people in North America don't see this as an advantage but the best coaches in the world understand that it is extremely important. By playing lacrosse your mind will be able to rest from hockey, and when you return to hockey you will be extremely fresh mentally and physically. That freshness will allow you to learn more hockey skills faster so you can outplay your peers.

6) Wayne Gretzky played lacrosse.

Jordan I hope that helps you out. Please let your mom know that she can email me directly if she'd like to know more. I think hockey and lacrosse are two of the best sports to be played together. They compliment each other very well. There are also tons of opportunities for students in the states who play both hockey and lacrosse.

All the best buddy.

Jonathan Edwards -

Practice Doesn't Make Perfect

2008-01-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect

You may have heard the old saying “practice makes perfect.” Well, I’m here to tell you something….

It’s not true.

You see, practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Let me explain.

Let’s say I taught you how to sing Jingle Bells. We spent some time together and I made sure you got all the words down and the music and then I sent you home. And along the way as you were practicing the song you ended up switching some of the words. Maybe you weren’t paying attention or maybe you just made a mistake but along the way instead of Jingle Bells you started singing Tinkle Balls.

Stay with me here.

So off you go practicing. Every day. Twice a day. You even think about it before you go to sleep at night in your head. But instead of Jingle Bells it’s Tinkle Balls.

A couple weeks later you come back to see me and I say, “Sing me Jingle Bells.”

And you sing, “Tinkle Balls! Tinkle Balls! Tinkle all the way!!!”

Now I know you’re laughing a little bit right now but let’s look at this seriously. After you sang your version of Tinkle Balls I would look at you funny and think, “What the hell has this kid been doing the last two weeks?” And you’d tell me, in all seriousness that you’d been practicing!

So now I’d have to teach you how to sing Jingle Bells…again. We’re two weeks later and we have to re-teach the song. Sure you may have the music right but the words are off. Some of them are ok but the main ones are just plain wrong. So you learn Jingle Bells again and off you go.

You go home and you’re thinking to yourself, “Man, Jingle Bells sounds a little weird. Tinkle Balls sounded so much better! Jingle Bells sounds awkward and strange. Here goes…Tinkle Bells. Tinkle Bells. Tinkle All The Way!”

Ok. So now you’ve learned the song a second time and you still don’t have it right. But you practice and you practice and you practice some more. What do you think is going to happen when you come back and see me again? Right, you’re still going to think Jingle Bells sounds weird. But really, after four weeks if all you had practiced was Jingle Bells you’d have it dialed.

That is why practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

Sometimes coaches will ask me, “Jonathan, I know you want them to be perfect in practice but they’re just playing around. It’s nothing serious.” I’m sorry but everything is serious when it comes to the goalie. Even horsing around with your buddies can mess up a goalie for a long time.

It’s Harder to Fix a Bad Habit than To Get It Right the First Time

When learning a new skill it’s imperative that you learn it right the first time. Because learning the wrong skill is so hard to correct. It’s like letting your feet dry in concrete. You know how hard it is to get your feet out of there? It’s really hard!

That is why I warn coaches that their lacrosse goalies are just a bad habit waiting to happen if you leave them in the cage and let their buddies’ fire away on them. Until the goalie has a fair bit of experience and has proper movement patterns to the ball you don’t want to just let them in the cage and let the kids fire away. If those movement patterns aren’t dialed in yet the goalie will regress. He will actually get worse and you will then have to re-teach everything in a safe environment again. If you keep the goalie safe he will actually get better sooner than if you just throw him to the wolves so-to-speak.

Let me know how you feel about this. Can you remember a time when you, or a lacrosse goalie you coached actually got worse before he got better? Maybe they were doing great and then they got bad and never recovered.

Really Nice Lacrosse Goalie Video (About 10 Minutes)

2008-01-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

4 Weeks Till "Go Time. What Can I Do!

2007-12-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

Question:

Coach I've got 4 weeks untill conditioning starts. i'm in eighth grade and I'm not that great a goalie. What can I do to get ready. Any tips, drills, suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer:

Matt my best advice is to get a stick in your handa a soon as possible.

Now I'm not sure if you've played lacrosse before. But whether you have or haven't my advice will still be the same.
1) Get a goalie stick in your hand and start throwing. Throw every day. I don't care if it's cold out, find a wall and start throwing. You need to get your confidence up and getting your stick skills better will help.

2) Start working out to get your body in shape. If your body is in shape your mind will be as well. You'll feel more confident and you'll play better.
3) Read everything you can here and on my blog at www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com Read everything you can on goaltending. This will give you a chance

4) If you can, have a buddy shoot on you daily. This might be difficult I know but it's better than nothing. Have him take twenty shots in a row to a spot on the cage. Work on moving properly to he ball. Have him shootall those shots in a row, you're trying to work on seeing the ball and moving properly. You'll have plenty of time and shots later but if you can do this on thing even once a week it will help.

5) Get plenty of equipment to protect you. This is a very important step. It's important you are protected so make sure you have the right equipment before they throw you to the wolves in practice.

Hope that helps Matt. Email me if you've got any more questions at jone94@shaw.ca

Good luck!

Jonathan Edwards
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

Freshman Daughter Trying Out For The Varsity. Any Advice?

2007-12-23T00:33:00.000-08:00

Question:

Jonathan,

My daughter is a freshman in high school she will be trying out for the Varsity in the spring. Can you help me with some drills to sharpen her skills? My son plays middie and shoots on her, but anything that you have would be great.

Thanks,

Answer:

Thanks for the email and congrats to your daughter for taking up the best position in the game.

Two major things that will help her:

One: Build her confidence. With a brother shooting on her the potential for her to get stung by a few balls is very high. This can lead to fear of the ball which will destroy a lot of her learning curve. Make sure he shoots from far enough away but is accurate with his shots. He's going to want to come in and fake and shoot, but I'd rather see him back up and pick the corners. It's great for him to work on his accuracy and it's awesome for her.

Two: Make sure she knows where the ball is going before he shoots it. This is imperative for the learning goalie. If you've read some of my posts at AllExperts.com and my blog www.lacrossegoaltending.blogspot.com I'm sure you've heard me explain this. If not I'll explain again: For the new goalie there is a ton of things going through her mind. First: Where is the ball going? How am I going to move to the ball to make the save? Is it going to hurt? By letting her know where the ball is going, and by making sure the shooter is a safe distance she can focus on moving properly to the ball. What we are trying to do is wire her like we would wire a computer. Ball-goes-high-stick-side-enter. Goalie responds with the program to save that ball. What can happen with a new goalie is if there is too much input the system will not respond properly. If we can limit the amount of input the chances for the output to be correct goes up. Does that make sense?

The question is always: But in a game she won't know where the ball is going until the shot is taken and the shooters don't tell her where the ball is going to go? That is completely true. But our goal here is to give her he best chance to save that ball in the game and by doing that we are trying to wire her body to make the right response in the game. In the game her eyes will see where the ball is going and her body will do the thing it has been programmed to do in practice. It is an amazing thing to see when a young goalie gets it.

Three: I think this is three, I made a bunch of points in that last one. Ok, here it is...get her in a weight room with a strength and conditioning coach and possibly one who can teach her the Olympic lifts. If you remember high school physics at all you may remember the Force equation? Force equals mass multiplied by velocity. So in this case the mass she needs to move is the stick. Velocity is actually distance divided by time. So the more force she can apply to the stick, and to her body the faster that stick will move over a certain distance? Make sense? The stronger she is physically the faster she will be able to move.

Most young goalies can see the ball coming at them. And they know how they need to move, they just don't always move fast enough. The stronger she is the faster she will move. The faster she moves the more balls she saves. The more balls she saves the more her confidence goes up. The more confidence she has the more relaxed she is in the cage. And the more relaxed she is the more she can focus on the ball and make even more saves. It's a pretty cool process and an empowering one for all goalies. (And especially with the girls.)

I'm not sure where you are in the country but if you let me know where you are I may be able to put you in touch with someone, or at least give you some guidelines.

Building her strength also has a ton of benefits off the field as well. Stronger body. Stronger mind. Empowered athlete. Empowered person. It's pretty cool.

As far as specific drills go my biggest recommendation is to spend time moving to the ball properly. You do this by first having her make saves without a ball. Just have her move to a space. I don't have enough space here to go over how to move to every save. You may already have an understanding of that, if you don't just email me back. I'm working on an ebook and I'll send you that chapter as soon as I get it completed.

By having her visualize a ball coming at her, and then her moving properly she can train her body to move without the stress of getting hit with the ball or the ball going by her. The goal here is to have her perfect moving properly and then her body knows what to do when she finally gets in front of the ball. If she spends a couple minutes a day doing that she will be miles ahead of all the other goalies who never do it.

My other suggestion for drills is to pick one shot and work on that shot for ten minutes. Don't try to hit everything in the same session. Maybe its a shooter sweeping around the front of the cage from right to left and then shooting at her feet. Have her focus on taking small steps to follow the shooter and then exploding down to the ball and making the save. Hands out in front. Head and chest over the ball. Then in another session you can work on something else. Maybe a shot in close. It's endless what you can do really.

Ken I hope this gives you some ideas to start with. Any drill will help her as long as you follow the principles I've given you. On the other hand every drill if done impoperly will destroy her confidence and stifle her progress and potentially lead her to quit. I don't ever want to see that happen.

Please feel free to email me with more questions. I'd love to know how things go and how your daughter is improving. It's great to get the feedback. If you have anything else just let me know.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

All the best,

Jonathan Edwards - Olympian
www.LacrosseGoaltending.blogspot.com

First Shots of the Season Come Hard And Fast, Saves Are a Bit Slow. Why?

2007-12-11T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hey Jonathon,

My name is (name witheld) and I'm a freshmen in high school and playing lacrosse. i had practice today and didn't do so hot so i looked up some goalie tips and your name came up, i hope this isn't a problem.

I'm currently playing indoor Lax but in the spring I'll be playing field. I played great and got MVP in middle school but right now in pre-season for high school I'm noticing that if i get the save it's usually lucky and off my body not my stick. I know the main thing i need is just more practice but i thought if you had any great tips that could help me out that would be great, especially things for help with the bounce shots.

Thank you and i hope we can keep in touch,

(Name witheld)

Answer: Hey there man. Thanks for emailing. Not a problem, that's why I'm here.

Couple things,

It's early. You're going to have a little rust. Your box season should have helped you with keeping your eye on the ball unless you got into a bad habit. That habit can be taking your eye off the ball.

I haven't played box lacrosse as a goalie but I am a hockey goalie. They are very similar and what I find happening is that I tend to rely on my equipment more to make the save instead of my hands which is what we need in field. Couple of thoughts...really try to focus on seeing the ball all the way into your stick. Work on this especially when you are passing with a friend or just goofing around. It's really important and I can't stress it enough. What tends to happen is that we get comfortable and don't really realize that our eyes are seeing the shot leave the stick and then we zone out a little bit and then catch it. But along the way our eyes aren't really tuned in and therefore our hands aren't either.

It's also High School. The shots are probably coming a bit faster because everyone is just a bit bigger and stronger than they were in the middle school. So with that your reaction times that you had last year are not up to speed with these new shots. Take some time alone to visualize the shots coming at you about ten percent faster than normal. Get your mind ready and your body will follow. Work on visualizing yourself making the saves to these faster shots. What you'll find is that less of the balls will hit you, or go by you, and you'll start making those saves again that you found easy last season.

As far as bounce shots. Keep these things in mind: Get your hands out to the ball. Most goalies tend to suck their hands into their body and their chest tends to be up and out. You want to get your hands out to the ball and your chest over the ball. This will help especially if you're on an uneven playing surface like grass. If it's wet out remember that the ball tends to hit the turf and slide. It doesn't come up as far so you'll want to really get your stick down.

Take a digital camera and have your friend take a photo of what you look like from the balls perspective. Have your friend hold the camera where the ball would bounce and snap a shot. You'll see exactly the holes where the ball can go through you and you'll know just how badly you need to get down to the ball.

Stay with it man. It will come. You've just got to get used to the pace. If you need to throw on some extra quipment until you catch up do it. No sense getting pegged with the ball and having your confidence blown and then creating a whole bunch of other bad habits because of it.

A new goalie writes in from Ireland

2007-11-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

Question: I have only played for about 3-4 weeks now in goal but love the position. After next weeks scrimmages we will be going into off season for the Christmas break, a period of about 1 1/2 month. I was wondering have you any tips for me as a beginner goalie on how to keep training while at home for the Christmas. By the by no-one in my home town plays lacrosse. Any help would be appreciated.

Yours in Goaltending

Kevin

Answer: Congrats on taking up the best position in Lacrosse!

By the way, a guy from my original home town of South Weymouth, Massachusetts I believe was one of the captains for the Irish team. The name escapes me but I played with him when I was younger.

You say you're not quite fit. Does that mean you're out of breath and are a small guy? Or are you a big guy?

Either way the best thing you can do while you are at home is to work on your stick skills. And this you can do with any flat wall. Hopefully you can find a flat brick wall near your home and you can throw balls at it. This serves a couple of purposes, first it keeps your eyes trained on the ball. Really watch theball all the way into your stick as it rebounds off the wall. This one little habit, tracking the ball into your stick, will help you repeatedly as you play. The other thing it does is help you with your stick skills. Try to work a cradle in when you throw the ball back to the wall. Think of it as a stick fake or a "pump fake" similar to a American Football player faking to one guy and throwing to another. If you are a big guy and not quite mobile it's vital you at least have great stick skills so you can pass the ball to anyone on the field who is open. Nothing worse than seeing a big guy, who can't hang on to the ball get hammered by a little speedy attackman and get scored on.

One of the greatest goalies of all time was a guy named Sal Locasio. I'm talking big, like probably 250-300 pounds big. But he had amazing hands. I even saw him score a goal once. His stick skills are what made all the difference.

Now seeing that no one in your area playes lacrosse you can get a little creative in trying to keep your skills up. If you can find a friend who plays tennis they can always serve tennis balls at you. Tennis balls are actually a great way to refine your skills. You immediately know the ball won't hurt so you can focus on stopping the ball. If you have any hurler friends they can always whack balls at you. Talk about getting your pain tolerance up!

Or you can have a buddy kick soccer balls at you. This may sound a bit odd but really, when you think about it, the larger ball is easier to see. You will be practicing reacting to the ball. (Any ball will do.) Use your stick. When goalies have a tough time seeing the ball I often recommend training with a larger ball perhaps an American Softball or even a cricket training ball would work. You need to be creative.

A small drill you can work on to help you with your footwork is a one-legged hop up the stairs. Stand on one leg, and jump to the first step with the same leg. Keep your upper body in a stance as you would playing in the goal. Try to keep your upper body still and use your legs and hips to drive up to the second stair. This one little move will help you get the muscles activated that are responsible for stepping to the ball. You can do them every time you see a stair case if you'd like. Just make sure your knees are healthy enough to do it. Start slow and work up to a couple sets of 8-10 reps keeping great form.

If you can hit the gym at all try to work on squats to get your hips in shape. Again, if you are a big guy, big guys typically don't like to bend at the knees. So it's important to strengthen the legs so you can move to shots taken at you down low. My first recommendation to my shooters when we see a larger goalie is to shoot low as their mobility is often suspect.

That should get you started Kevin. Email me with any other questions you may have. I'm going to add your address to my newsletter list as well. Kick ass.

Jonathan -

Dartmouth Goalie Scores A Goal!

2007-11-07T19:50:00.001-08:00