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Q: I'm a new goalie to the ice hockey world...I'm wondering if you can give me a list of workouts I should be doing so I can be the best I can be in goal...things I should do at home between practices and things I should do at practice. I'm 23...and still shaky on my balance...any help would be greatly appreciated.

A: Given the focus, it sounds as though you are ready to take on the challenge of being a goalie. We think its great. But before we get into various drills that you can do, we want to talk about balance. Balance is one of the most important attributes of a good goalie, and contrary to what people think, goalies need to be great skaters. Goalie's need to be quick on their feet and have strong lateral movement. It takes a lot of practice to develop speed and agility around your crease. If you think that your skating needs work, consider taking a power skating course. There should be several rinks that offer these courses over the summer (even for adults). As well, since you are new to the position, you may not have goal skates. Goalie skates are important for both protection and lateral movement. In comparison to regular skates, goal skates have a long, flat blade. There are no rounded ends, or rocker as it is called. Playing goal in regular skates will be harder, and it will be tougher to keep your balance. (Let it be said though that there will be an adjustment period for you when moving to goal skates.)
      Now with regards to drills, there are lots out there for both on and off of the ice. First off, we recommend working on your flexibility. Remember to stretch well before and after playing. Staying limber should be an important part of every goalie's routine. Improving your flexibility will make you a better goalie and will protect you from injury. As well, you should make stretching an important part of your summer and off-ice routines.
      On the ice, you should start by learning your crease. Practice moving post to post and up to the corner. Using the four corners of your crease, practice moving back and forth and diagonally. When it comes to your crease and playing goal, you need to learn your "angles". Playing goal is as much about cutting down the angle (the amount of net the shooter has to shoot at) as it is about reaction time. By coming out and challenging the shooter, you take away the net. But it should be noted that you need enough mobility to get back in position if the player passes the puck or tries to deak. Agility in the net is as important up and down as it is side to side. A good goalie needs to recover quickly after going down so that they can react well to the next shot. Practice going up and down, using the butterfly, skate save, and two-pad slide. Learning to get up quickly will improve your game immensely and will help teach you good balance.
      Off the ice, you can do things for stamina, leg strength, and reaction time. Playing other sports over the summer will help you with all of these. Soccer will help with stamina and leg conditioning, and racquet sports will help with reaction time and eye-hand coordination. Other sports are a great way to train....after all, great goalies are great athletes. You may also want to consider going to the gym to work on your leg strength. Squats and other leg exercises will all help. It is important to note that maintaining your flexibility will be important if you start a leg routine at the gym. When it comes to reaction time, try doing anything that causes you to react quickly. Drop a tennis ball from above your head but behind your back. Then turn around and catch it. Or, stand close to a wall (move closer as you get better) and have someone throw tennis balls over your shoulder to the wall. React by catching the rebounding tennis ball.
      When it comes to exercises, there a lot of places that you can turn to. There are many good books on the market that teach goaltending. But, your success in goal all starts with skating. From there, you can build your skills by learning different save techniques.