10 year old wants to play goalie, any advice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure he has all the right equipment (and wears it). Make sure he is on supportive teams. It can be a tough and isolated position for the kid and the parents; but, a good goalie is foundational for a team and always in demand. Mine started in goal in kindergarten and she's never looked back. Hasn't played in the field in about 10 years. Loves every minute of it and will be playing in college soon.

Congrats to her, that’s awesome. I’m interested what you mean about a tough an isolated position. He’s really young and we have not noticed any difference in positions or treatment at this age. Is that a thing later?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make sure he has all the right equipment (and wears it). Make sure he is on supportive teams. It can be a tough and isolated position for the kid and the parents; but, a good goalie is foundational for a team and always in demand. Mine started in goal in kindergarten and she's never looked back. Hasn't played in the field in about 10 years. Loves every minute of it and will be playing in college soon.

Congrats to her, that’s awesome. I’m interested what you mean about a tough an isolated position. He’s really young and we have not noticed any difference in positions or treatment at this age. Is that a thing later?

He means goalies are basically on their own little island. It's a lot like an NFL placekicker, they're expected to make all their kicks and people really notice when they miss. Every other field position can screw up and the team can most likely recover, but a mistake by a goalie usually is highly visible and results in a goal.

It's not all bad though, the opposite is also true--a goalie playing out of his mind is also visible and gets their team pumped up.

So I guess ultimately the lows are lower but the highs are higher, so you'll just want your kid to have an even keeled personality is all. It's a great position to play, you can have an outsized impact on a game, which is cool. It's pretty stressful for parents though, so be aware of that.

--goalie dad

[Anonymous]

the goldfish mentality is a must

[Anonymous]

Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

I would have him play goalie for some rec games (or all, if he wants to and no one else volunteers). Let the club coach know that he’s trying it out and is available as a backup. Bring his pads to practice and they may have him suit up as a second goalie during scrimmages at the end of practice to see how he does. The starting goalie could get sick or hurt, could be otherwise unavailable for a game - and now the team will have options which is very valuable. Even better if one of the coaches was a goalie when they played - they are often happy to work with a goalie one on one while the other kids do drills with the other coaches.
As far as practicing at home, it’s not just about saving shots but also being able to handle the larger stick and clearing/passing accurately to a teammate. Have them practice both! The weight and balance of the goalie stick can really throw them off, something to get used to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

I would have him play goalie for some rec games (or all, if he wants to and no one else volunteers). Let the club coach know that he’s trying it out and is available as a backup. Bring his pads to practice and they may have him suit up as a second goalie during scrimmages at the end of practice to see how he does. The starting goalie could get sick or hurt, could be otherwise unavailable for a game - and now the team will have options which is very valuable. Even better if one of the coaches was a goalie when they played - they are often happy to work with a goalie one on one while the other kids do drills with the other coaches.
As far as practicing at home, it’s not just about saving shots but also being able to handle the larger stick and clearing/passing accurately to a teammate. Have them practice both! The weight and balance of the goalie stick can really throw them off, something to get used to.

This is good advice. At that age coaches are usually just looking for a kid who actually wants to get in the cage and is not afraid of the ball.

Also great advice in that response re practicing - new goalies usually don't realize how important clearing is. In order to clear well, they need to be able to pass accurately with a goalie stick, which can take a while to learn. Just play catch with him/her, maybe 10-15 yards apart at first, 25 reps a day. Their arm will get stronger and you can gradually increase the distance.

[Anonymous]

If he starts playing, sign him up for field clinics and make him play with his goalie stick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

I would have him play goalie for some rec games (or all, if he wants to and no one else volunteers). Let the club coach know that he’s trying it out and is available as a backup. Bring his pads to practice and they may have him suit up as a second goalie during scrimmages at the end of practice to see how he does. The starting goalie could get sick or hurt, could be otherwise unavailable for a game - and now the team will have options which is very valuable. Even better if one of the coaches was a goalie when they played - they are often happy to work with a goalie one on one while the other kids do drills with the other coaches.
As far as practicing at home, it’s not just about saving shots but also being able to handle the larger stick and clearing/passing accurately to a teammate. Have them practice both! The weight and balance of the goalie stick can really throw them off, something to get used to.

Thanks, that’s helpful. Any stick suggestions for this age? Would you buy the goalie pads too? He has regular pads and they do provide it if you play in a game.

I’m going to have his brother practice with him. There’s not a goalie coach unfortunately on the club team at this age and level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

I would have him play goalie for some rec games (or all, if he wants to and no one else volunteers). Let the club coach know that he’s trying it out and is available as a backup. Bring his pads to practice and they may have him suit up as a second goalie during scrimmages at the end of practice to see how he does. The starting goalie could get sick or hurt, could be otherwise unavailable for a game - and now the team will have options which is very valuable. Even better if one of the coaches was a goalie when they played - they are often happy to work with a goalie one on one while the other kids do drills with the other coaches.
As far as practicing at home, it’s not just about saving shots but also being able to handle the larger stick and clearing/passing accurately to a teammate. Have them practice both! The weight and balance of the goalie stick can really throw them off, something to get used to.

Thanks, that’s helpful. Any stick suggestions for this age? Would you buy the goalie pads too? He has regular pads and they do provide it if you play in a game.

I’m going to have his brother practice with him. There’s not a goalie coach unfortunately on the club team at this age and level.

Get the lightest shaft you can find (usually an attack shaft), then cut it down to a manageable length (check the league rules, there's min/max length that adjust as players get older). Get a goalie head, either Cascade or STX. I would def get the pads, a goalie chest protector is different from what field players use. If you want to save money, use sidelineswap.com and look for used stuff. Might want to consider getting the head new however, all heads get more brittle as they age and goalie heads in particular can crack from a hard shot.

For stringing, you can prob get something pre-strung. If he gets more established and wants to pursue the position seriously, look up Mr Wanderful on Instagram, he strings a nice head that throws accurately every time.

Re training, again, and only if he commits to the position and you want to pursue more training, look into Goaliesmith. They train all ages and are great. You pointed it out, there's not a lot of goalie-specific training at club level even at the older ages, so if he's serious about the position you'll have to look outside of club/rec. But again, don't spend any extra $$ at this age, just see if he likes it and takes to it. Maybe around 5th/6th grade you'll have a better idea of how committed he is.

[Anonymous]

PS forgot to add, definitely get a good cup. Nothing will kill a new goalie's enthusiasm for the position than a hard shot to the nuts.

You'll also need a throat protector, at this stage just get the kind you tie on to the helmet bars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

I would have him play goalie for some rec games (or all, if he wants to and no one else volunteers). Let the club coach know that he’s trying it out and is available as a backup. Bring his pads to practice and they may have him suit up as a second goalie during scrimmages at the end of practice to see how he does. The starting goalie could get sick or hurt, could be otherwise unavailable for a game - and now the team will have options which is very valuable. Even better if one of the coaches was a goalie when they played - they are often happy to work with a goalie one on one while the other kids do drills with the other coaches.
As far as practicing at home, it’s not just about saving shots but also being able to handle the larger stick and clearing/passing accurately to a teammate. Have them practice both! The weight and balance of the goalie stick can really throw them off, something to get used to.

Thanks, that’s helpful. Any stick suggestions for this age? Would you buy the goalie pads too? He has regular pads and they do provide it if you play in a game.

I’m going to have his brother practice with him. There’s not a goalie coach unfortunately on the club team at this age and level.

Get the lightest shaft you can find (usually an attack shaft), then cut it down to a manageable length (check the league rules, there's min/max length that adjust as players get older). Get a goalie head, either Cascade or STX. I would def get the pads, a goalie chest protector is different from what field players use. If you want to save money, use sidelineswap.com and look for used stuff. Might want to consider getting the head new however, all heads get more brittle as they age and goalie heads in particular can crack from a hard shot.

For stringing, you can prob get something pre-strung. If he gets more established and wants to pursue the position seriously, look up Mr Wanderful on Instagram, he strings a nice head that throws accurately every time.

Re training, again, and only if he commits to the position and you want to pursue more training, look into Goaliesmith. They train all ages and are great. You pointed it out, there's not a lot of goalie-specific training at club level even at the older ages, so if he's serious about the position you'll have to look outside of club/rec. But again, don't spend any extra $$ at this age, just see if he likes it and takes to it. Maybe around 5th/6th grade you'll have a better idea of how committed he is.

Thank you, this is all so helpful. I plan to have a local high school student work with him for a few sessions to get going for rec season and if he likes it and wants to stick with it I’ll look into more training. All of this advice is great. I’m
already balking at buying the new stick and pads since we just sized him up with his regular stick and pads! We have gotten the heads strung at a local lax store. Is that a good option if I buy a goalie head?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! If he does continue on club teams and wants to play goalie, what’s the best way to broach it with the coach? Right now there is a starting goalie. Does it make sense to ask the current coach if he can try it out if an opportunity becomes available or would you start playing on rec and then try out for another club down the line? This is a 3033 team.

I would have him play goalie for some rec games (or all, if he wants to and no one else volunteers). Let the club coach know that he’s trying it out and is available as a backup. Bring his pads to practice and they may have him suit up as a second goalie during scrimmages at the end of practice to see how he does. The starting goalie could get sick or hurt, could be otherwise unavailable for a game - and now the team will have options which is very valuable. Even better if one of the coaches was a goalie when they played - they are often happy to work with a goalie one on one while the other kids do drills with the other coaches.
As far as practicing at home, it’s not just about saving shots but also being able to handle the larger stick and clearing/passing accurately to a teammate. Have them practice both! The weight and balance of the goalie stick can really throw them off, something to get used to.

Thanks, that’s helpful. Any stick suggestions for this age? Would you buy the goalie pads too? He has regular pads and they do provide it if you play in a game.

I’m going to have his brother practice with him. There’s not a goalie coach unfortunately on the club team at this age and level.

Yeah, stringing at somewhere like Lacrosse Ultd or PJ's is fine. The guys doing the stringing generally aren't goalies though so as he gets more into he'll want to use someone like Mr Wanderful.

You can also prob find a used head, already strung, on sideline swap. Quality may vary but at this stage just save a little $$ and make sure he wants to actually be a goalie before spending more.

Good idea re using HS players for training. Tell your boy that 90% of the save is just being in the right position between the pipes prior to the shot. The best goalies ake it look easy due to superior movement and footwork. And remember to practice clearing. There's nothing more demoralizing than making a big save and then giving it right back to the offense because of a bad pass. Seriously, just have him do 25 reps a day w the goalie stick, his arm will get stronger quickly and he'll have an edge over most other goalies.

Get the lightest shaft you can find (usually an attack shaft), then cut it down to a manageable length (check the league rules, there's min/max length that adjust as players get older). Get a goalie head, either Cascade or STX. I would def get the pads, a goalie chest protector is different from what field players use. If you want to save money, use sidelineswap.com and look for used stuff. Might want to consider getting the head new however, all heads get more brittle as they age and goalie heads in particular can crack from a hard shot.

For stringing, you can prob get something pre-strung. If he gets more established and wants to pursue the position seriously, look up Mr Wanderful on Instagram, he strings a nice head that throws accurately every time.

Re training, again, and only if he commits to the position and you want to pursue more training, look into Goaliesmith. They train all ages and are great. You pointed it out, there's not a lot of goalie-specific training at club level even at the older ages, so if he's serious about the position you'll have to look outside of club/rec. But again, don't spend any extra $$ at this age, just see if he likes it and takes to it. Maybe around 5th/6th grade you'll have a better idea of how committed he is.

Thank you, this is all so helpful. I plan to have a local high school student work with him for a few sessions to get going for rec season and if he likes it and wants to stick with it I’ll look into more training. All of this advice is great. I’m
already balking at buying the new stick and pads since we just sized him up with his regular stick and pads! We have gotten the heads strung at a local lax store. Is that a good option if I buy a goalie head?

[Anonymous]

Sorry, messed up my prev reply:

Yeah, stringing at somewhere like Lacrosse Ultd or PJ's is fine. The guys doing the stringing generally aren't goalies though so as he gets more into he'll want to use someone like Mr Wanderful.

You can also prob find a used head, already strung, on sideline swap. Quality may vary but at this stage just save a little $$ and make sure he wants to actually be a goalie before spending more.

Good idea re using HS players for training. Tell your boy that 90% of the save is just being in the right position between the pipes prior to the shot. The best goalies ake it look easy due to superior movement and footwork. And remember to practice clearing. There's nothing more demoralizing than making a big save and then giving it right back to the offense because of a bad pass. Seriously, just have him do 25 reps a day w the goalie stick, his arm will get stronger quickly and he'll have an edge over most other goalies.

[Anonymous]

Really, with a 10 year old equipment advice is tough because he'll out grow it in no time. Chest protector as long as it has EKG protection you should be good. I use an Unequal for better movement but get him what fits, the STX Shield line is very popular with kids I work with.
Gloves: get what fits with the best thumb protection you can find. I use old Romes (bought a few pairs when they went close out).
Helmet: He's a little dude but my standard answer is a Cascade with screw on throat.

On to Sticks: maybe 90% of goalies I work with or know use an STX Eclipse. Great option and the Eclipse 3 fixes all the issues I had with the 2.
The ECD Impact is a great option and I recommend you try it.
Mesh: I used Otter mesh but this was discontinued years ago and now use the Impact semi hard.
Shaft: Whatever Epoch carbon fiber attack shaft in C pattern in the lowest iQ available. I always bought whatever color was cheapest because I tape heavy.

My recommendation is an Eclipse 3 with either Stringking or ECD semi soft meash on a Epoch Dragonfly C30 iQ5.

When you get it strung, don't go too crazy with channeling or something like two shooters and V. A simple pocket with low whip and 1 shooter and a nylon or 2 shooters. Some of the girls I work with are going no shooters and I don't hate this. lol!

The STX complete goalie stick. A good bargain but you'll end up replacing the shaft almost immediately and the pocket needs works to get it to work. You're better off in the long run just building your own for the little dude.

Final note and some will debate me on it: If you're going to get it dyed avoid dying the scoop. This will make it softer and may lead to "peel back."

Final final note: DO NOT leave the stick in the car especially in heat or severe cold. Keep it clean and have him take care of your investment.

[Anonymous]

Hey there,

I played goalie from youth league through college. I’ve coached youth through high school aged goalies for 20 years and currently coach both club and rec teams in NoVa. I also string sticks.

If you want to reach out my IG name is upper90strings

Happy to answer any questions you may have.