The many characteristics needed to be a great goalie

There aren't many goaltenders who embody the attributes
required to play the position better than Jonathan Quick.

Hi gang,

A while back, my editor threw me a curve when he asked me to write a column on "the basic qualities that make a good goaltender." My response? "You're kidding, right?" I mean, books have been written on that topic. Trying to do it justice in under 1,200 words seemed crazy.

But the more I thought about it, the more I warmed up to the idea. It was a challenge, and any goaltender worth his or her salt loves a challenge. Below is what I came up with. Let me know what you think.

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The many characteristics needed to be a great goalie

So, you want to be a goaltender? It's an age-old question, one that has challenged youngsters and their parents alike. Why would anyone volunteer to play a position generally considered one of the toughest in sports, a position where you can only lose games, not win them? That's a lot to digest for a young child – boy or girl – just starting out.

I've addressed many aspects of the question over the years with my Goalie Guru column, but when asked to take a look at the "big picture," I have to admit I was a bit overwhelmed. It's a daunting undertaking. There are so many factors to consider.

Suffice to say, kids who don't play the position don't understand how tough goaltending can be (much like coaches who never played in the nets). It requires an entirely different skill set, from goalie-specific skating to setting up on your angles. You've got to follow a rock-hard puck, measuring only one-by-three inches, and stop it from entering a four-by-six foot goal. And you've got to do it while trying to move around in bulky gear designed to protect you. That's a tall order for most youngsters.

Plus, you can't take a shift off. Regular players make mistakes all the time, but most of the time those gaffes don't result in goals. Kids rarely notice the errors of their linemates. But they do notice the goals, and if a goalie makes a mistake that leads directly to a goal, that goalie is going to hear about it.

Which is why goalies, even young ones, face tremendous pressure. Even on teams with enlightened coaches, who try to shield their netminders from unwarranted criticism, being the last line of defense is no picnic. If you never play the position, you never develop the appreciation of that particular brand of torture. We live and die a little bit with each save and each goal (that probably goes double for goalie parents).

So, why play goalie? It's a simple question, with a very complicated answer. If I had a dime for every time a parent asked me "How do I know my kid will stick with playing goal?" I'd be a very wealthy man. But there are things that can help parents make an educated guess.

Let's start with the individual child, and consider the emotional, mental, and physical attributes that will assist a nascent goaltender. There are a number of personality traits that are important, if not essential, to succeed between pipes. Different kids will possess these traits in varying degrees. The challenge for goaltenders and their parents and their coaches is to nurture each quality to its fullest.

That's easier said than done. Below are the qualities that I recommend focusing on. Admittedly, there's going to be some overlap. That, I think, speaks to the complexity of the position.

Emotional

Courage. Despite the improvement in goaltending gear, getting hit with a puck can still hurt. A lot. Much like a positional player can't shy away from the corners, afraid that he might get pancaked by a defenseman or forechecker, a goalie has to accept that he (or she) will occasionally get a stinger. Knowing that, and still bearing down on each shot without flinching, while remaining cool and calm, takes guts.

Toughness. The ability to handle pressure is paramount. You're going to get knocked down. Few goalies go through life without giving up bad goals. And these days, when goalies are becoming so dominant, and goals are even harder to come by, the pressure to be perfect has never been greater. Dealing with that requires intestinal fortitude.

Confidence. Some kids are naturally confident. Others gain a measure through hard work, repetition, and experiencing the success that often results. Confidence isn't arrogance. It's a belief that, no matter shots may have gotten behind you, the next one won't. And it's not enough for a goalie to be sure about his or her own abilities. They have to exude confidence. A team needs to believe in its goaltender. If it doesn't, it's starting the game behind the 8-ball, and will almost certainly play tentatively.

Responsible. The notion of "taking ownership" is vital for goaltenders. As great as he was, Patrick Roy had an annoying habit of showing up his defense when he felt a goal wasn't his "fault." I've got news for St. Patrick – they were all his fault. Because he only had one job, and that was to keep the puck out of the net. Goalies need to accept this reality. If they do, their teammates will play harder in front of them. I guarantee it.

Passion. A goalie has to "want it" to be great. He or she has to care. Passion is what drives a young goaltender to work hard every time he or she is on the ice. Passion means taking care of your gear, getting to the rink early, helping your teammates. Simply, it means doing whatever it takes to win.

A sense of humor. This is one of the most underrated traits for a goaltender. At the end of the day, hockey, for the vast majority of players, is still a game. It's not a job. You have to be able to enjoy it. It's been my experience that the more fun kids have, the less likely they'll burn out. This is really about perspective.

Mental

Analytical. For all his physical gifts, Marty Brodeur had an almost uncanny ability to read a hockey game. I believe that was a pivotal part of his greatness. Good goalies are usually students of the game. During actual games, a sharp goalie will pick up on tendencies of the opposing team and other details – is the attacking player a right shot or left? – that help with positioning and instructions for the defense. The flip side is to not "overthink" things. "Read and react" is the goalie's mantra.

Focus. Many goals can be attributed to a momentary loss of concentration (for a particularly glaring example, Google Philadelphia Flyer Steve Mason and the words "bad goal" from this spring's Stanley Cup series against Washington). Goalies must learn to be "on point" the entire time they are on the ice.

Determination. I've seen far too many goaltenders with the requisite physical tools to succeed fall short because they simply didn't have the resolve to put in the grueling hours to maximize those gifts. Many of them could talk the talk, but they wouldn't walk the walk. That's a shame. Great goalies know that practice is where the difference is made.

Competitiveness. This is the "fighting spirit" that often separates average goalies from good goalies, and good goalies from great goalies. You often have to fight for position, or fight to find the puck. You can't shy away from contact, or other challenges that your opponents present. You have to embrace it.

Resiliency. Brian Daccord of Stop It Goaltending likes to say: "The first rule of goaltending is that you're going to give up goals." He's right. The key is how you respond to those goals. There are good goals and bad goals. But they all count the same, and the key is to not let one bad goal lead to another.

Patience. Another underrated trait. Whether it's flopping to quickly, or being too aggressive, impatience is not the goalie's friend. By the very nature of the position, you have to let the play come to you. That requires discipline, but patience will serve you well.

Physical

Size. There's an old basketball adage that "you can't coach height." More and more these days, good size is considered a "must" among hockey goalies. It's not, of course, but it sure helps. If everything else is equal, a bigger goaltender simply takes up more space.

Athleticism. Size, of course, isn't everything. You have to be able to move, and move quickly. Some goalies take more quickly to goalie-specific techniques, but everyone can improve to the point of behind a serviceable backstop with the requisite effort. Still, each of us has a certain level of natural athleticism, and the great netminders are usually granted an extra measure.

Fitness. I'm old enough to remember the days when the big, slow kid got stuck in the net. Perhaps the biggest misconception these days is that you can still get away with that approach. If you're a big goalie, but not fit, you'll be quickly exposed as you travel up the hockey ladder. Goalies who drop too soon, and have difficulty recovering, are like beached whales. And no matter how big, a beached whale isn't going to be a great goalie. That's even more evident at the end of a 60-minute game.

Good eyesight. Top-flight goalies these days are so good that most pundits agree, "If they can see the shot, they can stop it." That's why you'll see so many forwards crowding the slot. I once coached a squirt team that had a goalie who would surrender some comically soft goals. He was a little puck shy by nature (never a good thing), but he was flat out missing on easy shots. Then I saw him walking into the rink on day with glasses. "Danny, what can you see without your glasses," I asked him. "Not much, coach," was his reply. And his folks knew it. I was dumbfounded. Once "Danny" got himself some sport glasses, he started to have more success. To this day, I still can't figure out what his parents were thinking.

Hand-eye coordination. Having 20/20 eyesight is a good start, but you've got to be able to react to what you see. Hand-eye coordination is the ability to translate what you see into action, and get your body (or another piece of equipment) behind the puck.

Reflexes. This is closely related to hand-eye coordination. Hockey is a game of speed. There's no two ways around it. With that advent of composite sticks, even at the intermediate and junior levels, kids and beer leaguers are shooting the puck harder and faster all the time. Being naturally quick is an enormous advantage.

OK, so you think you might have the emotional, mental, and physical make-up to be a goalie? Great. You're halfway there. Yes, there's a lot more to consider. I'll try to keep this brief.

Parental support

Hockey is an expensive, time-consuming sport. People often say that raising hockey players is a "family commitment," and I'm inclined to agree. Being an ice hockey goalie takes that "expense" part of the equation and takes it to another level.

First is the gear. Even at the youngest levels, goalies deserve adequate protection. That usually means goalie-specific equipment. And the gear, as any goalie parent knows, ain't cheap. But it is important. Good gear will help a good goalie play better.

However, even the best equipment isn't going to transform a dumpy, unmotivated kid into the next Henrik Lundqvist. What youngsters usually don't understand, initially, is that it's not enough to toss on all this cool gear and jump in between the pipes. That equipment, designed to protect them, takes some getting used to, and considerable effort to master. That challenge gets even more difficult if the gear is outdated, incomplete, or ill-fitting.

Be sure to invest in properly sized equipment. Don't buy gear that's too big (no matter how much you think your kid will grow), or too small (no matter how good the deal is). Gloves, pads, chest protectors, and pants are all made in junior, intermediate, and adult sizes. A few items (like pants) can be bought oversized. But most gear that's too large will only inhibit your youngster's ability to move properly.

Goalie skates make a huge difference in a young netminder's ability to execute goalie-specific movements. Regular skates, with their thinner blades and a more rounded radius, are far more unstable. Goalie skates are a much better investment than a goalie helmet at the mite and squirt levels (though a neck dangler is recommended). However, if you do buy a goalie mask, make sure it fits correctly. A loose mask that moves is dangerous.

Finally, parents need to make the extra effort to get their child to the rink on time for the practice as well as the games, because it takes longer for a goalie to suit up. Parents should also to learn how the gear goes on (this is not the coach's job). Help them when they're young, but also encourage them to learn how do it on their own (that's part of the "responsibility" trait mentioned above).

Team support

We touched on this earlier, but it bears repeating: The relationship between coaches and goaltenders is critical, especially early in the goalie's development. Look for a program or a team where the coaching staff has at least some understanding of the unique demands that a goaltender faces, and is determined to help cultivate a positive environment were young goalies can flourish.

This has been one of my "hot topics" over the years. Far too many programs and teams still don't understand how easy it is to literally ruin a young goalie with too many shooting drills, and not enough support or encouragement. I've never been a proponent of "babying" goaltenders. But you can't run them into the ground, either. Remember my "20:1 Rule." If you've got 20 players in a shooting drill and a single goaltender, that poor kid in the crease is seeing 20 shots for every one that each player takes. That's crazy.

Instruction

Then, finally, there are goalie-specific lessons. I know this will sound self-serving, since I make part of my livelihood as a goalie coach. But the reality is that most team coaches, even at select programs, don't have much background in coaching goalies. Fortunately, many youth and select teams do offer some additional goalie coaching separate from routine practices (and, yes, this is where goalie coaches like myself often make our income "in season").

I understand that those "extra lessons" not only equate to extra coin (unless the cost is folded into the program fee, which I advocate), but also extra time (and additional driving, if the coaching outfit has its own facility). And again, parents typically bear that responsibility. But the truth of the matter is that a young goalie will advance more quickly if they get proper instruction early, instead of arriving with a number of bad habits already entrenched in their game.

Breaking bad habits is often more time-consuming, and more thorny, than creating good habits in the first place. That's why I advocate that programs send their coaches as well as their goalies to these private sessions, so they can better understand how to work out a goalie properly.

So, you still want to be a goalie? Great. Join the club. Just be ready to work. Hard.

FINIS

When a goalie's body language speaks loud and clear

In goaltending, as with most sports, it's not how often
you fall that matters. It's how often you get back up.

Hi gang,

After spending last weekend evaluating young goalies at the MassHockey/CCM High Performance Festival, I thought this column on body language was particularly appropriate. It was quite remarkable how you could see, even from a distance, which goalies had confidence, and which ones doubted themselves.

Confidence, of course, is a tricky and sometimes elusive thing. Some kids are born with it. Others develop it as they experience success. But its definitely a characteristic that can be nurtured and developed. And that starts with body language. It's a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. The more you project an air of confidence, the more likely you'll assume the actual trait of being self-assured.

Let me know what you think. Thanks.

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Body language that speaks loud and clear

During summer camps, we goalie coaches spend most of our time on the ice teaching technique, the physical tools required to stop the puck. We concentrate on things like skating (and more skating), angles and positioning, head trajectory, reading shots, proper stance, the butterfly, butterfly slides, butterfly pushes, and recovery.

For younger goalies, we'll also assess equipment. We want to make sure it fits properly, so the gear can do its job and protect the person wearing it. But there are other facets to the position that, while subtle, can be very important. Good camps, and good goalie coaches, will make an effort to focus on those aspects as well.

When covering team settings, we often discuss communication, and the goalie's responsibility to be a quarterback of sorts, providing instructions and encouragement to teammates. There's also non-verbal communication, which can have an enormous impact on a team's fortunes. In short, body language can speak volumes.

The way a goaltender carries himself (or herself) is vitally important to both individual success and team success. The position, as the last line of defense, brings with it inherent leadership qualities. A goaltender needs to exude confidence (even if his knees are shaking underneath those pricey leg pads). A goalie who looks nervous will typically play nervous. It's a form of self-fulfilling prophecy. And that nervousness can infect an entire team. Defensemen start playing tentative, and forwards are apt to take fewer chances.

Furthermore, goalies who look nervous gives their opponents a big boost. Hockey forwards – good hockey forwards – are predators. And like any predator, they go for the weak link. The last thing any team, or goalie, wants to do is give their opponents any additional edge.

Confidence, of course, is built through good practice habits, and exacting repetition. The "appearance" of confidence, I believe, breeds genuine confidence. So, during camp, I encourage my goalies to take chances. When I ask for a goalie to demonstrate a drill, I want them all racing for the net. Though a simple step, it reveals a willingness to step into the spotlight, and to take chances. That's essential.

Here's another example of how body language can affect both your team, and your opponents. How do you react when you give up a bad goal, or when your defense hangs you out to dry? Do you throw a tantrum, slamming your stick, or yelling at your teammates? Trust me, that isn't passion. It's immaturity. And, more often than not, an immature goalie is a liability.

I don't allow these little hissy fits during camp. In fact, I'll stop a drill to let the goalie know, in no uncertain terms, that these outbursts are never acceptable. Typically, a young goalie will say, "But I won't do that in a game." I don't believe it. One of the great truths of hockey, and goaltending specifically, is that you typically play the way you practice.

In a recent USA Hockey article, Boston University sports psychologist Adam Naylor talked about the importance of hockey players developing a healthy sense of "swagger."

"Body language is one of those funky things where our emotions can shape our body language and vice-versa," said Naylor. "Our body language can shape our emotions. We usually don't appreciate that blend.

"So I always tell players to go beyond what they look like to others," he said. "How will your body language feed your performance?"

A goaltender with bad body language can almost appear to shrink in the net. Positive body language, meanwhile, helps a goalie look bigger, can buoy an entire team, and demoralize opponents.

"To me, there's so much more than putting a fake smile on it," Naylor told USA Hockey. "I always talk about that with hockey teams: how do you spread emotions? I think it's just awareness and knowing the performance benefits."

Again, practice is where you develop that veneer of invincibility. Summer camps are also a great setting. Why? Because no one there is judging you. At least no one that really matters. Your coach isn't there, and your teammates probably aren't there either. You're not going to win the starting position during summer camp. But you can build the foundation that will allow you to compete for that starting spot, or league all-star honors. Whatever goals you set for yourself, attaining them starts well before the season.

On that point, it's important to address one influential group that is present during summer camps: Parents.

My advice to parents is to dial back their expectations during the summer. Yes, I appreciate the investment. You're footing the bill, and you want to make sure it's money well spent. I get it. But I can tell you from experience, as a coach and as a hockey parent myself, that you can undermine your child's development by being overly analytical.

You can demand effort. Absolutely. There's no substitute for hard work. You can expect that your child be engaged, as opposed to simply going through the motions (yes, kids, we can tell the difference). But try not to get into the habit of dissecting every drill, and every goal. I learned this the hard way, with my own daughter.

I wanted so much for Brynne to improve – believing that the better you are, the more you enjoy the game – that I risked squeezing the fun out of the game. That's what constant critiques, no matter how well intentioned, can do.

So, instead, I enrolled her in a couple of light-hearted sessions of the Northeast Women's Hockey League. NEWHL, run by long-time goalie coach and girls' hockey advocate Bob Rotondo, is almost like organized pick-up hockey. NEWHL has teams and coaches and refs, but no real pressure to win each Sunday. That gives girls the freedom to experiment, to dare, to try new things without the corresponding peril of failure. All I asked of Brynne was to try hard each time she was on the ice. In return, I promised not to pick apart her game.

As a result, Brynne's game flourished. Though she plays defense, and not goal, Brynne's newfound confidence was evident. She was more comfortable handling the puck, made fewer turnovers, made more precise passes, had better gap control. This past season was by far her best, as she played with a new level of poise and self-assurance. It was a wonderful thing to watch.

Which brings us back around to goaltending. Confidence can be a fragile thing. You need to nurture it, constantly. That comes more easily to some than others. But confidence is almost always rooted in two things – hard work, and a joy for the game. Focus on those during practice, and during summer camp, and confidence will become a hallmark of not only your game, but also your character.

It will show in your body language. And your team will be the beneficiary.

FINIS

Getting the balance right for young goaltenders

Not exactly the kind of balance I had in mind, but
pretty impressive nonetheless.

Hi gang,

Hope this finds you all enjoying a successful season. The midway point of the season is always a good time for me to reflect about why I coach. This season, that idea really hit home, since I just got back on the ice this month after hip revision surgery last September.

It was a long and sobering four-month recovery period, and I found myself counting my blessings that I still have the opportunity, and the privilege, to coach. Which brought me to this column, which I originally wrote for the New England Hockey Journal. It really gets to the heart of coaching, at least how I like to practice it. Let me know what you think ...

Getting the balance right for young goaltenders

Sometimes writers choose their column topics, and sometimes the topic chooses the writer. Maybe it's an editor who "suggests" a particular theme (to which the best responses are typically, "That's a great idea," or "I quit"). Other times, it's simply circumstance. This is one of those times.

In the past week, I had two young goalies who were reduced to tears during clinics, not because they got hurt, but because they were embarrassed, overwhelmed, or simply distraught. I'm not sure which, because I never found out what was upsetting them. As most parents can attest, when a child decides to clam up, it's all but impossible to break down that wall. Plus, I had to think of the other kids in those sessions, and it wouldn't be fair to them to allow one child to distract me from the task at hand.

However, both boys reminded me of another situation, last spring, when I watched a young goaltender sobbing uncontrollably after his Pee-Wee team was eliminated from a post-season tournament. Then, this week, I got an email from a concerned mom with a son who was struggling with the emotional demands of the position. She talked about how her son "loves playing goal, but when it comes to being scored on, his emotions take the best of him and he has (and does) cry in the net."

"(Johnny) likes to be a leader and is very confident in himself and outgoing, but he does have quite the temper at times and gets down on himself pretty bad when he lets a puck come through and is scored on," wrote the mom.

Her son, it should be noted, is a Squirt, which means he is only 9 or 10 years old. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Normally, I'd simply tell his mom to remind her son that it's just a game, and not to take it too seriously. But then I thought of my own teary-eyed students (ages 7 and 9, respectively), and the inconsolable Pee-Wee goalie (who was 13). All were feeling a very real stress that they weren't able to deal with. Those events, combined, convinced me that I needed to give the subject more thought, and write about it.

If you spend enough time in a rink, it's easy to forget how young and impressionable these little netminders really are. It happens to me, and I work every week with "kids" from 6 to 56. We all have to be mindful – vigilant, actually – about the emotional well-being of the children we coach.

Of course, that doesn't mean pampering them, and therein lies the quandary for many coaches. We need to find the right balance, even if that balance point is something of a moving target. Every child, and every team, is different. Just like there's no "one size fits all" way to play goal, there's certainly no universal approach to coaching youngsters. They all bring their own set of characteristics, at different ages, and sometimes that includes some emotional baggage. We often don't know much about their home life, or their school day, or even their after-school activities with friends.

Therefore, it behooves us to be flexible, and keep an open mind when any of the kids appear to be off their game. So, here are a few thoughts to remember, primarily for coaches, but for parents as well.

In my goalie clinics, I always remind my shooters to keep their shots "age appropriate." The same goes for coaching. The younger the goaltender, the more important it is to keep the mood light. Again, hockey is a game, and we can't lose sight of that. Coaches can have expectations, but one of those is to make the game enjoyable.

During my first year coaching a local Squirt team, my assistant coach asked: "So, what are your expectations for the season?" My reply – "I want to make sure every child has so much fun that they want to play next year." – was clearly a bit too abstract. He wanted to work on our forecheck and transition game, which was fine. I let him handle the X's and O's of our practice and game planning. Meanwhile, I was the mood czar, pushing kids when I thought they could handle it, and backing off when they needed a softer touch.

Coaches, engage your parents. Parents, engage the coaches. It's critical to have everyone on the same page. That's doesn't mean you'll always agree. I recently had a post-clinic chat with a parent who didn't like my approach. He wanted more repetition, less instruction. I calmly explained my rationale, and why it was crucial for me to set the agenda, not his son. I also reminded him that repetition without proper technique often leads to bad habits.

The distinction, of course, was this was a private lesson, and the father could opt not to have his son participate. A team setting is a bit trickier. Still, the more coaches and parents know about each other's expectations, the better prepared they are to handle the bumps in the road that inevitably crop up.

Be firm, but be fair. It's perfectly acceptable to set goals, and have structure. Structure breeds efficiency. But don't be a slave to it. When you're on the ice, it's OK to say "Let's get to work." I've always told my players that winning makes the game a lot more fun, and hard work greatly improves your chances of winning.

That said, it's just as important to maintain perspective. Be aware. If a child is upset, it's your responsibility (as a coach) to at least try to figure out why. If you can't, give the child a break from the action to settle down, and follow up afterward with the parents. There may be external issues that you don't know about, or have no control over, but will help you gain a better understanding of the situation.

Don't single out the goaltender. Ever. Even if your young netminder is solely responsible for a bad outing (an extremely rare occurrence, by the way), there is little benefit from publicly chastising the kid. Don't let parents, or the other kids, do it either. There are usually hundreds of "mistakes" made during the game that either go unnoticed, or don't lead directly to goals. The difference for goaltenders is that their mishaps often wind up on the scoreboard. That's a tremendous amount of pressure, especially for a youngster who hasn't developed the requisite emotional maturity.

During a game, there's never a good time for the goalie to lose his or her cool. We have an adage in coaching circles: "You never want one bad goal to lead to another bad goal." As a coach, encourage your goaltender to focus on the next shot. Once a goal is behind him, he has to let it go. There's nothing he can do about it. If the child loses his temper, he's far more likely to let in another bad goal. Goalies, even young goalies, need to learn early that an even temperament is best. A temper tantrum works against him, and against his team. That lesson has to be a mantra, repeated over and over again. Be consistent.

Finally, be positive. We're in the growth business. We want our kids to improve. Routinely, one of my favorite moments during a goalie clinic is when I tell a child, "I don't care how many goals you give up here. I don't choose your team, or who the starting goalie is. I just want to see you get better." The relief that typically follows is often cathartic, and it's not surprising to see the same youngster play much better once he (or she) relaxes. It's the ultimate win-win. A happy, relaxed goalie, playing well. What could be better?

FINIS

Getting the most from your goalie gear

Hey everyone,

I'm still in "catch up" mode, but think this piece written for the New England Hockey Journal last summer is really sort of timeless. Not in a "great writing" way, but in terms of the "subject matter." Far too many goaltenders thing the "gear makes the man," and that simply ain't true. Plus, I got a chuckle out of the postscript below, seeing LA's Jonathan Quick is again playing at a level most humans can't even imagine!

Getting the most from your gear

There's an old axiom in beer league hockey: beware the guy who shows up with a ratty old bag of well-worn gear. More often than not, those are the characters who can skate circles around the guys sporting a head-to-toe top-of-the-line set of pricey equipment that they bought with their year-end bonuses.

Here's the goaltending corollary – equipment doesn't make the goalie. Now, good gear will help a good goalie play better. But even the best equipment isn't going to turn a dumpy, unmotivated kid into the next Martin Brodeur. I always try to judge each goaltender I coach on his own merit, but there's a growing group of kids who watch guys like Tim Thomas or Tuukka Rask (or Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Miller, or Jonathan Quick), see them as stars, see the accolades that come their way, and want some of that action.

What they don't understand, initially, is that it's not enough to toss on all this cool gear and jump in between the pipes. That additional equipment, designed to protect them, takes some getting used to, and considerable effort to master. That challenge gets even more difficult if the gear is outdated, incomplete, or ill-fitting.

So here, free of charge, are a few tips to help your young netminder get the most of the gear you do buy.

First, get the properly sized equipment. Apply the Goldilocks' Rule – don't get gear that's too big (not matter how much you think your kid will grow), too small (no matter how good the deal is), but is "just right" for your neophyte netminder. Gloves, pads, chest protectors, and pants are all made in junior, intermediate, and adult sizes. A few items (like pants) can be bought oversized. But most gear that's too large will only inhibit your youngster's ability to move properly.

For this reason, I often advocate buying your child's gear from a reputable "brick & mortar" store, with a knowledgeable sales staff. You can find great deals online, but you're also making a "blind purchase" to some extent (unless you already know exactly what you're looking for, in which case you probably don't need my advice).

I'm typically a fan of "second hand" stores or even places like Craig's List, provided you're confident that you can correctly assess if the gear will fit. If you're as new to the sport as your child, then you're really at the mercy of the person making the sale. There have been dozens of design changes in gear (particularly leg pads and chest protectors) that mirror recent developments in how the position is played. Getting an old set of pads – even if they're in great shape – might inadvertently put your child at a disadvantage if they're not designed to play the butterfly technique. Specifically, look for adequate knee stacks and synthetic leather (not cloth) on the insides of the pads, which allow goaltenders to execute modern techniques (like the butterfly slide and push) with greater ease, while protecting their knees.

Similarly, goalie gloves should be comfortable, with straps that cinch around the wrist, permitting the hands to move freely. Some new gloves, and many old ones, can be stiff, preventing the goaltender from catching a puck, covering a puck on the ice, or holding a stick properly.

Employees at better retail stores will not only help you get the correct size equipment, but also show you how it's supposed to be worn. I can't stress this last point enough. Once you've laid out your hard-earned coin, take a few extra minutes to learn how to put the stuff on (and teach your child how to do it as well).

Most straps on leg pads have a specific purpose, but none are more important than the toe lace/buckle, and the knee straps. I'm amazed at the number of times I've seen young goalies – obvious beginners – get on the ice with the toe straps removed altogether, or tied not to the skates, but to other straps to keep them out of the way. When I ask parents why, I get one of two responses: "I didn't know what to do with them," or "I didn't think they were that important." Invariably, these are the same parents who strap on their kid's pads so tight that they fit more like a corset than goalie gear. No wonder these youngsters have so much trouble moving.

In reality, these toe straps are essential to keep the leg pads "centered" as they rotate back and forth while a goalie executes butterfly saves. If the toe straps are used correctly (laced through the skate, and tied by the ankle) the remaining straps can be loosened, which enhances the pads ability to rotate, forming a tight seal on the ice. That's why the knee strap is important; it keeps the knee secured in the knee cradle while the pads rotate.

Two more quick points. Goalie skates make a huge difference in a young netminder's ability to execute goalie-specific movements. Regular skates, with their thinner blades and a more rounded radius, are far more unstable (which can be very frustrating for youngsters). Goalie skates are a much better investment than a goalie helmet at the mite and squirt levels (though a neck dangler is recommended). However, if you do buy a goalie mask, make sure it fits correctly. A loose mask that moves is dangerous.

Last, but certainly not least, is the goalie stick. This is perhaps the most underappreciated piece of equipment among a goalie's "tools of ignorance." What many parents, and coaches, don't understand is that the paddle length of the stick often determines whether the goalie will have a balanced stance. The key is to make sure the goalie is holding the stick properly (with the blocker hand at the top of the paddle, with the index finger on the paddle for stability) while in his or her stance.

So, for example, a goaltender who plays in a low crouch can get by with a shorter paddle. I'm almost 6-foot-3, but I use a 26-inch paddle. Many goaltenders my height, however, play more upright and will use a 27-inch paddle. Personal preference is huge. So when you buy a goalie stick, bring your young netminder to the store, and have them try different paddle lengths (while wearing their goalie skates). The correct stick will be the one that feels most comfortable. Simple as that.

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The Goalie Guru postscript. Last month, I took Tim Thomas to task for what I felt was his selfish behavior this past year, and how it helped doom the Bruins' season. Obviously, his decision this spring to take next season off, walking out on his front-loaded contract and leaving the team with a $5 million hit on the salary cap, only reinforces my belief. In contrast, I love what I've seen from Connecticut's favorite son, L.A. Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, this year's Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the Stanley cup playoffs.

Consider this terrific quote for LA defenseman Willie Mitchell on Quick, from Sports Illustrated: "He's also one of the best teammates ever because he's such a selfless guy. I'll make a mistake, it'll end up in our net, and he won't glare or say anything except 'I shoulda had it.' Love the guy."

Who wouldn't? Quick not only played like an all-world talent during the Stanley Cup playoffs, but he was the consummate teammate in the consummate team game. Tim Thomas could learn a thing or two about team play from his former USA Olympic teammate. That is, if he ever plays again.

FINIS