Son Wants to be in Goal

[2nhockey 21]

So my son, first year Squirt, wants to be in goal. He has tried it a few times when and where he could and enjoyed it.

Our local association does not have rental gear available once you're out of Mites. Due to the gear issue  - cost - I have not supported my kids playing in net, but the boy is bent on it, probably because I don't want him there.

So... a goalie set has come up for sale here recently. Used equipment, will probably be a little big, but I'm ok with that as long as safety isn't compromised since I would like to get 2 years out of the investment if it is reasonable.

My question is what do I need to look for and/or stay away from in used goalie gear?

Thanks!

[bunnyman666 445]

Stay away from used jocks and breezers (pants). Everything else is fine. One would argue that even jocks and breezers can be sanitised, and maybe they can. I would make certain that the helmet is fibreglass and NOT polycarbonate.

For a growing kid, I would buy senior level if possible. Senior, meaning off-shore made. Of course off-shore made is getting into so-called pro level. Some companies make a low and high end pad and glove.

A lot of people like Hills have a LOT more experience, so wait for his input.

Yes- goaltending is addictive. Have your son mow lawns in the summer and other kid-friendly odd-jobs to help defray the costs.

[psulion22 402]

There's no real difference between new or used gear in terms of what to stay away from, with the obvious exception of undergarments and a cup.  You can easily disinfect any used gear with a spray bottle of 2:1 isopropyl alcohol to water mixture.

The most important piece of equipment is a mask.  Contrary to what most believe, the mask is not there soley to protect a goalie from vulcanized rubber.  It's there to prevent skull fractures from a goalie's head hitting the ice or being landed on by another player.  So it must have enough rigidity to withstand being crushed by the weight of at least one player.  Way too many goalies say they can wear a cheaper mask because the shots they face "aren't that hard".  No they may not be, but the ice still is.  Find out what kind of mask this used set has and let us know.  In kids sizes, it's most likely a Bauer.  And a cheap one with neat graphics, at that.  You're probably going to want to replace it.  But if you let us know, we can tell you for sure.

Other than that, at the squirt level, no one can shoot the puck hard enough to do any damage.  Lower level gear will do just fine.  You might want an intermediate level glove just because it will be a little more protective.  But otherwise you can get away with saving money on gear to spend it on a mask.  He probably doesn't even need goalie skates.  let him play in his player skates to start just to make sure he likes the position if you want to save a little more dough.

There are a lot of places to buy cheap used gear.  eBay is one.  Kijiji or Play it Again Sports is another.  Clearance gear at Goalie Monkey or a different online retailer may find you some values.  And there are a couple facebook groups that are goalie gear related where used gear comes up for sale.  Don't spend a lot of money on gear that your kid is just going to out grow.  It's better to have cheaper *mostly* properly fitting gear than better quality gear that doesn't fit right.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Agreed, the mask has to be good. At that level a poly mask is probably going to be okay (though not ideal), and unfortunately most of the major vendors don't seem to make fiberglass masks for kids. You can certainly get custom fiberglass masks for that level from other vendors (protechsport, etc.) but they won't be certified so he wouldn't be able to use them anyway. Hopefully it wont be long before he can get into an adult mask! 

For me personally, as somebody who can't stand wearing used gear, the only thing I would really avoid in this case is a used jock (as well as undergarments). Anything else can be washed (oxyclean in a bathtub) and sanitized (alcohol mixture @psulion22 mentioned). 

 

[psulion22 402]

That's a good point.  I guess any certified mask in a Junior or Youth size is going to be a Poly shell.  I think I'd still recommend buying a new mask, even if it's still just the same poly shell.  Just to make sure you are getting the maximum protection and that it hasn't been mistreated.

[2nhockey 21]

Thanks for the help. Hoping to see the gear today. My daughter is in a tournament that is 6 hours away so I may not see the gear until we get back on Monday,  assuming he still has it then.

So the mask thing... I see that non-poly cages are somewhat hard to find. Are player helmets and cages ok? What material should goalie masks be made from? 

[psulion22 402]

The problem with player helmets and cages is that they have several flat spots in their design.  They are designed to protect against skull fractures, not meant to deflect repeated puck impacts.  Flat spots, like the forehead, don't deflect pucks or impacts away from the head.  Now at his age, it's doubtful that a player can shoot the puck hard enough to injure him if it does hit a flat spot in the helmet.  But it's still a risk. Along with that, player cages are meant to deflect sticks more than pucks.  The bars are not nearly as thick or strong, and can bend from a shot.  Again, the shots your son will be facing probably wouldn't bend a cgae, but it is a possibility.

Lower level masks are made from a polycarbonate plastic mixture that includes Lexan.  These masks are light, but they are fairly flexible meaning they don't dissipate impacts well at all.  Higher end masks are made with a combination of layers of fiberglass, carbon fiber, or kevlar, depending on the brand and level of protection.  They are extremely rigid and dissipate most impacts thoroughly.  Generally more expensive masks will have more layers of carbon fiber or kevlar because it is lighter.  But a full fiberglass mask will give you excellent protection at a decent price point.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

^ Exactly what @psulion22 said. 

[andysly 1]

My son is a 2nd year squirt goalie who started playing in net about 18 months ago. I see a lot of kids his age and younger wearing the cheap Bauer NME3 mask. PLEASE don't put it on your kid. The NME3 is a plastic mask which will not properly protect his head. At the squirt level it is inevitable that he will take a shot to the head either from a player or a coach in practice. I bought my son a Sportmask X8 with some extra padding to get a secure fit. He's taken shots off his head and had no problems. 

I will also recommend getting proper fitting pads. With the butterfly technique that all goalie coaches teach now he will need pads that are the right size. He won't be able to do his butterfly slides or close his 5 hole with pads that are too short. My guess is he'll probably need 26" to 28" pads unless he is tall for his age. 

Good luck! 

[psulion22 402]

This mask from Wall is also a good choice.  It's made from plastic, but it is a much more rigid matrix and gets very good feedback.  In this price range, I think it would be a great choice.  http://www.goaliemonkey.com/equipment/masks/goalie-masks/wall-goalie-mask-w1-yth-cert.html#2

The Sportmask X8 is a great mask.  I wear the better T3.  But buying a mask that is too big and back filling with padding isn't a great idea.  The mask should fit correctly, without having too much space to fill with padding.  As with player helmets, a properly fitting mask will be more protective than a better shell that needs to be filled in.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

12 minutes ago, andysly said:

 I bought my son a Sportmask X8 with some extra padding to get a secure fit. He's taken shots off his head and had no problems. 

Two things about your post:

First: Is the Sportmask X8 HECC/CSA certified? If not, it's not allowed to be used in either USA Hockey or Hockey Canada sanctioned leagues. 

Second: Don't fall into the logic trap of equating shots to the head without ill effects to having a safe mask :)

Getting a head injury doesn't necessarily mean your mask was crap, and not getting a head injury doesn't necessarily mean your mask is good.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Hmm. Just looked them up. Apparently Sportsmask X8 are indeed fiberglass HECC certified masks. In that case, that would be my suggestion since it's pretty much the only youth fiberglass mask I know of that is. 

[psulion22 402]

3 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Hmm. Just looked them up. Apparently Sportsmask X8 are indeed fiberglass HECC certified masks. In that case, that would be my suggestion since it's pretty much the only youth fiberglass mask I know of that is. 

As far as I know, they don't make a youth sized X8.  He put his kid into an adult small with extra padding to fill the space.  

[andysly 1]

Exactly psulion22. I visited the Goalie Crease in Toronto and they set us up. They doubled up the foam and tightened the straps on the backplate to ensure proper fit. 

 

[andysly 1]

And we are talking about 1/4" padding added. There really wasn't too much extra space there. 

 

[psulion22 402]

1 minute ago, andysly said:

Exactly psulion22. I visited the Goalie Crease in Toronto and they set us up. They doubled up the foam and tightened the straps on the backplate to ensure proper fit. 

 

I trust Roddy implicitly, so if that's what they did I guess I'd be ok with it.

But I think I'd be more comfortable with the properly sized Wall.  

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Totally agree, I'd trust Roddy too.

Does Wall make a youth certified fiberglass?

[psulion22 402]

3 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

Totally agree, I'd trust Roddy too.

Does Wall make a youth certified fiberglass?

It's not fiberglass.  But the word on GGSu, which I'm sure you've seen, is that the Wall plastic shells are far superior to regular Poly ones.  I was skeptical of an ABS shell too, but everything on GGSU seems to dispute that.  I think even Sparks said he would wear an ABS Wall without hesitation.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Yea and I've asked what makes the Wall plastic better than the Bauer plastic but all I get is name-calling if I even mention it.

[andysly 1]

I've read that Wall uses some kind of rubber to strengthen the plastic. I believe there at least 1 or 2 nhl'ers wearing Wall. 

[IPv6Freely 2092]

3 hours ago, andysly said:

I've read that Wall uses some kind of rubber to strengthen the plastic. I believe there at least 1 or 2 nhl'ers wearing Wall. 

Any pros wearing wall are definitely not in the plastic models. Sparks wears a W10, for example. 

[marka 526]

Howdy,

To the OP, I was in your position about 6 months ago... My 9 year old who's had an on again, off again fairly casual relationship with hockey decided that he really wanted to be in goal.  Since I wanted to see him play (if he wanted to), I went with it, even though I started with the same "You can play anything but goalie" stand you had.  And like you, I expect that drove at least some of his desire to be in net.  :-)

Most of the stuff we ended up with was used stuff.  I would say that you pay attention to the same things you would when buying any used gear.... Make sure it fits, make sure it isn't completely destroyed / crap, etc.  You don't want to buy used gear, have your kid wear it a few times, then decide that he needs something better.

I ended up getting a local friend who's been a goalie for a long time to come with us when we hit up the "local" play it again sports.  He really helped us figure out what was reasonable and what wasn't.  After that, during a week long goalie camp we met the goalie expert for a "local" hockey store (KO Sports in Pittsburgh).  We ended up heading down to his place after that with all my son's gear to have an in detail inspection / check out.  That also was hugely helpful.

If you have either option available to you, I'd strongly recommend that path.  Just like with player gear, there's a lot of "try it on and see, because manufacturers are different".  As a for instance, IIRC, the Reebok leg pads vs. Vaughn were different in length enough that my son needed 24" in one and 26" in the other for the same overall knee placement.  There are also strap differences between manufacturers and models they offer and some of that may matter to you in terms of ease of your kid getting himself ready, durability, or whatever.

In terms of a more direct answer to your question... Stuff I'd look for:

* HECC certified helmet that fits well.  If in doubt here, I'd buy new.  We happened to luck out and find an older mask that the above goalie expert thought was just fine.

* glove & blocker that fit his hands well and don't have a bunch of holes.  Make sure the glove folds correctly... We ended up replacing my son's (cheap, thankfully) used glove with a new one because the used one had been broken in or stored wrong and the fold wasn't in the right place.

* chest protector can be oversized without any major concern, but it shouldn't be so big that it interferes with pants or binds him up in terms of movement.

* Leg pads should have his knee hit the inside edge knee pad always.  Doesn't necessarily need to be the center, but it has to hit it or driving his knees into the ice will end up hurting him.

* Check out the knee boards on the leg pads.  If they're not very protective (or not there), then probably just get separate knee pads.

* Make sure the goalie pants and leg pads work together well on your son.  If the pants are a little large and the leg pads have attached knee boards, that may not be a big deal, since the leg pads will help keep the pants up in place.

All that said.. Remember what I mentioned about about being in your place six months ago.  :-)  I'm far from an expert.

Mark

edit:  Also... We went with Junior sizing on most stuff vs. Youth.  My son is probably a little on the larger side for Squirt age though, so YMMV.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

28 minutes ago, marka said:

Check out the knee boards on the leg pads.  If they're not very protective (or not there), then probably just get separate knee pads.

It's 2016. Always get knee pads, regardless of thigh boards or whatever else the pad may already have. Unless you've been playing 20 years and just can't get used to them, there's no excuse. 

[psulion22 402]

35 minutes ago, IPv6Freely said:

It's 2016. Always get knee pads, regardless of thigh boards or whatever else the pad may already have. Unless you've been playing 20 years and just can't get used to them, there's no excuse. 

Agreed.  Just like cages or visors.  If you've been playing with it for years, or are just starting out, there's no reason not to wear it.  I don't wear knee pads when playing goal (though my pants do have built in knee protection that's better than a board or wrap attatched to the pad).  I've tried just about every kind out there, and I just find them to be too bulky and uncomfortable.  But I know i should wear them.  I'm even thinking of getting new pads just to get a more open knee cradle that might work with knee pads better.

[marka 526]

Howdy,

Stupid MSH, making me go buy knee guards for my son...

:-)

Ordered a set, he should have them for his next practice.  :-)

 

Mark