Goalie Drills

Drill Information

1. Before gearing up, goalies pair off with a partner and a tennis ball.
2. Partner tosses toward chest, glove side, blocker side, and low; goalie catches or blocks with the matching hand.
3. Progress to reaction catches: goalie closes eyes until partner taps a shoulder, then tracks and catches.

Coaching Focus Points

• Eyes follow the ball all the way into the hand. Head moves, not just eyes.
• Athletic stance: knees bent, hands out front where you can see them.
• Short, fun sets. This is a warm-up, not a workout.

Skills Focus

• Tracking
• Hand-Eye
• Stance

Drill Information

1. Goalie starts on one post in stance; coach stands in the slot as the visual reference.
2. On the coach's signal, goalie rotates head and shoulders toward the far post and points the lead skate.
3. One strong T-push across, stopping square and set on the opposite post. Repeat both directions.
4. Once movement is clean, coach adds a soft shot after each arrival.

Coaching Focus Points

• Look first, then push. Head and eyes lead every movement.
• One powerful push beats three small ones.
• Stop in stance, square and set, before the next rep.

Skills Focus

• T-Push
• Positioning
• Stance

Drill Information

1. Goalie sets at the top of the crease facing the coach in the slot.
2. Coach points a stick left or right; goalie shuffles 2-3 feet that direction, sets in stance, holds one second.
3. Coach changes direction randomly. Work 30-second reps with full rest between.

Coaching Focus Points

• Stay square to the coach the whole time. Shuffles are for small lateral moves.
• No bouncing: head stays level, knees stay bent.
• Set and still before each new direction, with no drifting.

Skills Focus

• Shuffle
• Stance
• Positioning

Drill Information

1. From stance: drop to butterfly, recover to skates.
2. Shuffle left, butterfly, recover. Shuffle right, butterfly, recover.
3. Three rounds of 20-30 seconds with full rest between. Quality over speed.

Coaching Focus Points

• Recover with the back leg driving up. Chest stays up and facing play.
• Hands stay in front on the way down and the way up.
• At 10U, keep sets short. Tired legs teach bad habits.

Skills Focus

• Butterfly
• Recovery
• Shuffle

Drill Information

1. Coach walks the puck slowly around the zone, corner to slot to opposite corner.
2. Goalie moves through the crease staying square, keeping the puck centered in vision.
3. No shots at first; add a soft shot at the end of each walk once tracking is smooth.

Coaching Focus Points

• Nose follows the puck. If the head isn't moving, the eyes are cheating.
• Small adjustments: shuffle when close, T-push when far.
• Reward quiet feet and a still upper body.

Skills Focus

• Tracking
• Angles
• Shuffle
• T-Push

Drill Information

1. A coach or player stands as a light screen at the top of the crease.
2. Shooter takes slow wrist shots from the point.
3. Goalie finds the puck early, looking around (not through) the screen, and sets before the shot arrives.

Coaching Focus Points

• Find the puck before the release. Move the head to see around bodies.
• Stay big and patient; don't guess or drop early.

Shooter Focus Points

• Keep shots low and controlled, below the pads at this age. Safety first.
• Vary release timing so the goalie has to keep re-finding the puck.

Skills Focus

• Tracking
• Positioning
• Patience

Drill Information

1. Shooter delivers controlled low shots at the pads from the mid-slot.
2. Goalie directs every rebound toward the corner with an angled pad or stick.
3. Coach tracks where each rebound ends up: 2 points for a corner, 0 for the slot.

Coaching Focus Points

• Turn the pad or angle the stick blade. Rebounds never go back to the slot.
• Stick blade stays on the ice, sealing the five-hole.

Shooter Focus Points

• Accuracy over power: low, on the pads, from the same spot each rep.

Skills Focus

• Rebound Control
• Stick Work
• Stance

Drill Information

1. Soft shots to the glove and chest from the mid-slot.
2. Goalie catches cleanly or traps the puck against the chest.
3. Cover with the glove like a forward is crashing: freeze, look up, reset.

Coaching Focus Points

• Watch the puck all the way into the glove, head down into the catch.
• Squeeze and cover immediately; loose pucks are goals waiting to happen.
• Celebrate clean catches. Glove confidence is huge at this age.

Skills Focus

• Glove Saves
• Puck Coverage
• Tracking

Drill Information

1. Coach rims a slow puck around the boards.
2. Goalie skates behind the net and stops the puck with the stick.
3. Set the puck flat for a defenseman, then return to the crease post-side.

Coaching Focus Points

• Two hands on the stick, blade square to the boards to stop the rim.
• Leave the puck flat and still. A rolling puck is worse than no touch.
• Hustle back post-first; never turn your back on the play.

Skills Focus

• Puck Handling
• Skating
• Communication

Drill Information

1. Coach tosses a puck into the low slot.
2. Two players battle for it and try to score; goalie battles to find the puck, make the save, and cover.
3. Reset every 10-15 seconds. High energy, big celebrations.

Coaching Focus Points

• Never give up on the puck. Second and third effort is the whole drill.
• Stay on the feet as long as possible; drop only to save or smother.

Shooter Focus Points

• Keep it under control, with no lifting the puck from in tight.

Skills Focus

• Compete
• Recovery
• Puck Coverage

Drill Information

1. Players line up at center ice and take breakaways one at a time.
2. Goalie plays each one; track saves. The goalie "wins" by stopping half.
3. The whole team cheers every save.

Coaching Focus Points

• Start at the top of the crease, match the shooter's speed backward.
• Be patient and let the shooter make the first move.
• This is confidence-building: set the goalie up to succeed.

Skills Focus

• Depth Management
• Patience
• Compete

Drill Information

1. Goalie stands tall on the post, pad and shoulder sealed, watching a coach hold a puck below the goal line.
2. Coach walks the puck out toward the slot.
3. Goalie pushes off the post to the top of the crease and sets square.

Coaching Focus Points

• Keep it simple at 10U: stand-up post coverage, no RVH yet.
• Seal the short side, with no gaps between body and post.
• Explode off the post the moment the puck crosses the goal line extended.

Skills Focus

• Post Play
• Positioning
• T-Push