Billy Daye Warming Up Boston Cannon Goalies

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

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?

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.

How To String a Lacrosse Goalie Stick

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!!!

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

Jonathan - The Goalie Guru

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

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

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

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

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

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

Olympic Weightlifter Mathias Steiner of Germany

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?

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?

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

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

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?

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?

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?

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?"

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

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