ON ICE / OFF ICE COLLABORATION
This program aligns the clinical and on ice assessment, with the intent of creating an individualized timeline for development based on the athletes inherent capabilities and stated goals. This approach continually assesses the health of the athlete, thus reducing the likelihood of injury and subsequent missed training time.
Goalie coaches do not have access to a national coaching certification program similar to bench coaches on teams, which makes it difficult to curate a grassroots development program for goaltenders. I combine my sports injury chiropractic tools and goalie coach vocabulary to create a program that is objectively directed and translated naturally into goalie speak.
Open communication between the clinician and skill coach is utilized to monitor progress and make changes on the fly, or immediately address an injury.
Clinician Directed Goaltending Development
Need more power or control out of your powerslide?
Are your hips painful throughout the season?
Need better lateral mobility and edge control?
Are injuries keeping you out of the game?
Are you playing injured?
Have you and your goalie coach hit a roadblock in training?
House League, Rep, Jr, Pro, level doesn’t matter, your personal goal is the priority.
A symbiotic relationship exists between my clinical and goalie coaching experiences.
I have been strapping the blades on my feet for 42 years, and I don’t forsee that streak ending.
My approach to goaltending development incorporates clinical assessment tools designed to identify an athlete at risk for injury and/or explain a history of injuries. The primary focus of this approach is to keep the athlete healthy through training and competition.
I utilize my clinical tools to create a low risk, high reward goalie training environment.
Clinician Directed Goaltending Development
Development Path
CLINICAL ASSESSMENT
ON ICE ASSESSMENT
With JCDC
With JCDC & GC
Video review practice and/or game
CONSULTATION WITH HEALTHCARE & FITNESS PROFESSIONALS
CONSULTATIONS WITH TEAM & SKILL DEVELOPMENT COACHES
Team coach game feedback/
Discuss practice environment, goalie friendly drills
CONSULTATION WITH GOALIE COACH
Goalie coach input using goalie vocabulary/
Discuss practice vs game performance
Review and discuss drill planning
Development Path
Establishing Goals
Clinical off ice assessment identifies the
Assessment
Programming
Goaltending development coaches were scarce when I was a young puck target. Goalies were forced to learn on the job and study what little film existed of the big league tenders. I was drawn into goalie coaching when I was 17 years old by my passion for the position and perpetual desire to learn, but mostly because I wanted to give back to the goaltending community. As I progressed my academic and professional careers my goalie coaching approach progressed as a result.
“The best thing about being a goalie is, it doesn’t matter what level you play, we can all sit down together and have a conversation about what we share in common”.
- Dave Dryden, retired NHL goaltender
Comprehensive Goaltending Development
Clinical evaluation including patient history of injuries, patient’s current subjective complaints if any, and history directed physical evaluation. Physical evaluation will include orthopaedic and functional assessment
My goal is to get you better quickly, and teach you how to care for yourselfand make
CLINICAL ASSESSMENT
PATIENT HISTORY
Current problem focused questioning
History of previous injury/conditions
Discuss goal setting
PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT
Directed by findings from patient history
Orthopaedic/neurologic testing
Functional testing
Identify current movement capacity/risk factors
REPORT OF FINDINGS
Educate
Empower
PLAN
Immediate vs short term goals
Scheduled reassessments to gauge program success and monitor athlete’s health
Open communication
Mutual decision making process