Goalie Shortage!, News (Saugeen Shores Minor Hockey)

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Oct 04, 2021 | R Harris | 563 views
Goalie Shortage!
Hey SSMHA parents, 

My name is Richard Harris. I've been the goalie development director for SSMHA for 5 years. We are currently experiencing a shortage of goalies in some of our age groups. The reason I'm writing this is to dispel the 3 main myths I hear all the time that are preventing kids from trying goaltending. If you have a child that wants to try goaltending and after reading below you're still hesitant, have other questions or concerns, please reach out to me at [email protected]

1. It's expensive - UNTRUE (for the most part)!SSMHA provides goalie equipment for all goalies that want it. Our equipment rep has done an awesome job of updating the gear over the last few years. We even have goalies in the U15 and U18 age groups still using gear provided by SSMHA. The cost of equipment should not be a barrier for kids trying goaltending. Sure at later ages the equipment can get costly but used gear is readily available through many channels. 

2. Goalies don't get coaching - UNTRUE! For more than 20 years SSMHA has held a weekly "goalie development" program throughout the season. This is a FREE program for all SSMHA goalies. I have been the head coach of this for the last 5 seasons. Over the last number of years I have also provided literature and drills to many coaches and attended countless practices to help coaches with their goalies. In 2019 SSMHA hosted an OMHA  "Goalie Coaching" clinic. About 25 SSMHA coaches attended that clinic and have since taken their knowledge back to their team practices.

3. Once they commit to goalie they can't go back to player - UNTRUE! If a player tries goalie for a season or 2 and decides it's not for them, that's no problem. They can hang up the pads and be a player again. In fact, in the past many of our Local  League teams have had 2 goalies. If this is the case we encourage them to rotate games. Be a player for the game they are not the goalie. Practice as player sometimes and goalie sometimes. At the Local League level we don't want a kid sitting on the bench the whole game while they could be playing and learning the game.

I hope this helps anyone out there wrestling with this decision 

Yours in goaltending
Richard Harris
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