Challenges of Power Skating for Goalies
When I started Upper Echelon earlier last year as a full time endeavour, I was very keen on doing completely unique things on (and off) the ice for the goalies that choose to be involved in my program. From the beginning, I knew for certain there was a major development hole in the goalie instruction market. That hole was in a program that addressed the skating skill needs of goalies.
Power skating is a bit of a catch-all phrase that is bandied about easily. Typically power skating is equated with improving speed, power, agility, efficiency, and quickness. For goalies, I think terms like (inside) edge-control, upper body stability, quiet hands, flexibility, stamina, and balance would have to be addressed by any skating program.
In most of my group sessions, I have always incorporated a large amount of time working skating and in particular, goalie-specific skating/movement drills. While I think these drills are very helpful, they are not exactly what I would consider power skating drills. The goalie-specific movement drills give younger goalies a way to learn the basics of mobility in terms of form and the ASD concepts of Angle, Squareness, and Depth. More advanced goalies can work on being able to move quicker and in more control. The added speed and control of doing these drills can make the advanced goalie more competent at tracking or following the high-speed plays of his/her league. However, even in using these drills with those objectives in mind, I would never consider the drills "power skating" but more "form skating" or something like the "figures" part of a figure skating competition.
As a result of this belief, I really felt that one thing that goalie have lacked in their development is a chance to work on power skating. I am very familiar with several power skating programs and while I think all goalies would benefit from partaking in a well structured long-term program with their teammates, I think that even these programs could and should be adapted to the unique needs of the goalie. The major limitations of standard power skating programs is the over emphasis of the forward stride (something goalies use only occasionally), outside edge work and crossovers. This is not to say that goalies shouldn't work on those skills. The forward stride is a great way to exercise and training stride strength. Crossovers and outside edgework will add agility, balance and stability to the goalie's skating skills. But there may be a better mix of drills that target the movements a goalie does more frequently and still stay faithful to the concept of power skating.
In sitting for the last few days, I have been putting my power skating plans together for my Summer Skills Sessions and I have come across some major challenging hurdles to creating the program.
1. Create a unique program. The urge to be on the cutting edge can sometimes be overwhelming. It is easy to take a standard player power skating program and put goalies through it. The goalies would get a workout and would improve their skating skills, but would the improve as much as they possibly could in a different program?
2. Address skating fundamentals. There are some basic skating skills that all skaters must have whether they are hockey players, goalies, figure skaters, or speed-skaters. Any program can not take any short-cuts to get to the meat or the "fun part" of the program. Patience from both the instructors and attendees is essential.
3. Putting together advanced training technique to address goalies' skating and movement issues. This is the meat of any program. Goalie skating skills will emphasize different techniques than players. These skills should make the bulk of the development time and must follow power skating training tenets.
4. Power skating in while down. Here is something pulls in goalie specific movement that everyone would see in most goalie development programs. However, I think that while these programs work movement skills while down only do so to teach or correct technique, but they are not actual power skating. Can down movement drills be adapted to power skating principles to not only improve goalie technique but to also increase power, stability, speed, and agility?
5. Dynamic stability with torso. Goalies have a very special problem with movement. They have to move as quickly as the players (and their passing), all the while maintaining their upper body stability. "Quiet hands" and "stick on the ice the whole time" are mantras that every goalie coach yells at his/her charges. A power skating program for goalies would have, at some point in the development, drills that encourage the upper-body stability with all movements. There is little reason for a goalie to get more powerful, agile, faster, or quicker, if the goalie cannot control their upper body. Player orientated power skating benefits from less restriction in this manner. While there may be a more efficient way to swing a player's arms during the forward stride, this efficiency is usually based on making the best use of the kinetic chain of movement. Goalies, in their perverse position, have to move very quickly and powerfully with their legs, but also have to break the kinetic chain when it hits their upper body.
I am currently in consultation with two famous local power skating coaches hoping to get some extra assistance on this issue. I understand my own biases and if I continue to design a program on my own, I would end up creating a block of drills that would look too much like goalie-specific movement drills.
Just as a follow-up, please listen to Hockey Canada's interview with Ron Tugnutt
where they discuss his background in power skating and the importance of skating skills for goaltenders.