Taking the next step

[srv2miker 0]

Hey Guys,

Not equipment related, but definitely goalie related.

I've sort of hit an impasse in my journey becoming a goalie. The stick & puck sessions have sort of lost their luster, and at this point I'm having a really hard time finding any game action to participate in - I haven't found a single drop-in near me that needs a goalie.

Having said that, I'm not sure I'm at a technically proficient level to play on a team. It's one thing to learn defense as the 6th dman, it's quite another to learn goaltending as the starting goalie!

Has anyone else had this same issue? How did you deal with it? Share time with someone else? Find a forgiving team? Just signed up and sucked until you slowly developed? :) Any advice would be appreciated.

[fatwabbit 93]

Why not give it a shot? A lot of teams dont have the privilege of having a goalie at all. I'm sure the guys would appreciate someone in the net, instead of having to draw straws on who plays in net.

I might try playing in net later on in the year... think my knee is just recovered, and dont want to risk it. It does feel good playing in net though... gotta love those windmill glove saves!@

[number21 3]

Any place near by have an adult hockey class?

Usually those classes could use a goalie. Maybe not the whole class or every session, but it might be better than nothing.

[Law Goalie 147]

Jump right in, Miker.

If you'd done this when you were a kid, you might have had one big goalie skills session and maybe one practise before you got thrown into a game - and you'd only have had the goalie session if you were lucky enough to join an association that runs them (there aren't many).

Stick-and-puck is (never having been to one) sounds like it would get old fast for a goalie - a bit like being the only goalie at a badly disorganised hockey camp for players only. Hell, I can barely stomach good shinny games some weeks because the play is so erratic and ungamelike. Shinny has absolutely eroded my instincts for controlling the puck.

If you can find a well-organised shinny/pick-up game, grab it - but in my experience, those are harder to find than a league team that needs a goalie. The other advantage is that most needy league teams are so thrilled to have found a goalie that they'll shower you with praise and excuses ("We hung you out to dry..." "No D tonight, boys...") even after the worst result. They only start harping on you after you win them a championship when they average less than two goals for per game, but can't get hem into the playoffs when they're barely giving you one per game.

side-note: glad to hear your knee is coming along, FW.

[Machinehead2k5 32]

I just started playing goalie again for one of my friend's team after his goalie got up in the middle of one of their games and left the ice after he let in the 7th goal in the 2nd period. The old goalie knew that the team was a bunch of beginners (they play in the lowest level), so he knew he would be shelled and this team I play on is a pretty easy going team, they want to win but they still want to have fun doing it.

I jumped into goal for them 2 games ago and given up 8, 9, and 6 (last night) goals respectively. There's only 1 D of the 5 they use that can skate backwards effectively, but I don't mind at all. The only problem I have with them is they don't skate as hard as they should. We scored 4 goals on 15 shots last night. I made 36 saves.

Just go find a team and have at it. It will be fun and you'll enjoy feeling some pressure during the game instead of just goofing around at a sticktime. My technical skills aren't there, I can butterfly well and have really good instincts but I can't push post to post in butterfly or laterally as much as I would like.

[srv2miker 0]

Thanks guys, you're definitely making me feel more confident. One question - is it typical for goalies to pay their own way into a men's league (like the ASHL), or is the old axiom that "goalies play free" still hold true? Just curious, more than anything else.

[Oykib 0]

Thanks guys, you're definitely making me feel more confident. One question - is it typical for goalies to pay their own way into a men's league (like the ASHL), or is the old axiom that "goalies play free" still hold true? Just curious, more than anything else.

That kinda depends on skill level and how bad you want to play. If you were starting out I would recommend paying. If you play well people come out of the woodwork offering you ice time.

[Law Goalie 147]

It also depends to a large extent on how desperate the team is. If the league is already under way, and they're looking at losing their money AND being kicked out of the league for defaulting games without a goalie, they may take you on.

[fatwabbit 93]

haha.... you should come over here! Goalies play for free, plus at the end of the season we (players) all chip in to get the goalie a stick or something.