Different advice from different coaches

A recent conversation with one of our long-time clients prompted me to dig this out of my files and share it with all of you.  The conversation cantered around having a different goaltending coach from the previous year and that coach looking to make some changes to his play.

Mostly, I think this happens simply because each goalie coach has his/her own perception of what is technically correct or how a goaltender should approach/react to game situations.  And I suspect, this is not uncommon.

From our (Alexander Goaltending) perspective once you go beyond the basic foundational technical skill, there may be more than one option to achieve similar results.  Providing, of course, in all instances, that the results are positive.  It doesn't necessarily mean one is right & and the other is wrong.  However, as a coach we need to understand, that because every goalie has different mental & physical attributes (size, speed, strength and so on), what will work for one goaltender may not necessarily work for another.  It is the coach's responsibility to make the best use of those attributes the goaltender already has.  

We, as professional coaches, are entrusted, among other things, to teach the technical skills of the position. Just as important is to ensure our students understand why we suggest a particular method.   Simply put, we are providing a goaltender a tool for his/her "toolbox".  Hopefully they realize the benefit, but, how and if they use it is always their choice.  As long as, whatever they choose allows them to perform at the highest and most efficient level given their particular technical, physical and mental skills.   

If you do find yourself in a situation where you are being asked to do something goaltending related that you feel uncomfortable doing, you need to open a dialogue with the coach to try and understand where the issue is.  Hopefully he/she is not looking to make changes just for the sake of change.  The role of the goalie coach is really all about developing and improving skills, analysing performance and solving performance problems.  

If a change is being recommended to how you are presently doing something, the question here should be "WHY”?  Why change?  Is what I am doing holding back my development?  Is my action (or non-action) causing goals?  How will it improve my performance?  I am sure the competent coach will be able to show you how this change will/could work to your advantage and help you move forward to improve. 

At the same time, however, we do feel it is incumbent upon the goaltender to, at the very least, give something new a try.  Not to do so might be depriving him/her of an opportunity to make a change that improves and/or develops his/her game beyond where it is presently.     

A very high profile national level coach once told me a good coach should always be able to answer the "WHY" question with a positive reply and back up their answer with examples or results.

Note: Research shows it takes between 300 - 500 repetitions to gain competency (many more to be proficient) in a motor skill (trapper save) and 3000 - 5000 repetitions to correct a poor/incorrect muscle motor pattern (need to un-learn and then re-learn).