How to Get the Most Out of Goalie Camp

Photo Credit: Seth J Sports

Goalie camps are some of the most fun experiences we get to have as goaltenders. It’s unusual to find yourself in an environment directly focused on your position, and learning alongside other goalies who are all trying to improve their game just like you are. And while camp is so much fun, we still have to make sure that we are getting the most out of the short amount of time we have working with the coaches and other goaltenders.

While you get to do a ton of reps at camp, they don’t necessarily improve your game past camp. The most important valuable you leave goalie camp with besides great memories, is the knowledge you receive from the coaches and other goalies in your short time around them. This knowledge is what is going to allow you to improve and play better in the long run, and develop your game as a goalie.

We have had many experiences at goalie camp, and we would like to share some of the ways you can get the most out of camp, and improve your game to the max as you head back to your team.

Make Sure Your Gear is Ready to Rock

Goalie camp is a lot of hours on ice in a short period of time. That means a lot of hours in your gear. There is nothing worse than showing up to camp and not being able to participate to the fullest because your gear isn’t working. You can’t focus on what the coaches are saying, or doing the drills right if you are concerned about your gear the entire time. It helps to run through a gear checklist in the days leading up to camp. Make sure everything is in working order. Make sure your skates are sharpened. Make sure your toe laces are in good condition. If you have new skates, make sure they are sharpened and your feet are ok with being in them for hours, because your feet will be in them for hours, and they will be prone to pains and blisters in new skates. It would be smart to bring your old pair along, just in case things go poorly with your new ones.

There are plenty more examples of things you could check, but you get the idea— you don’t want to be grounded before you even take off for camp due to a gear issue. If you are focused on your gear, you aren’t focused on what you’re learning, or applying that knowledge to the reps you are practicing.

Do Everything Right

When you are surrounded by coaches and other goalies, you may feel like you need to stop every puck during every ramp at camp. If you are focused solely on stopping the puck, you will revert to old habits that may be bad, and lose the value of doing the reps right the way.

If it’s a skating drill, don’t worry about being the first done, worry about doing it right. Skating drills are not a race, and if you are rushing to be done first, you will again revert to old habits, and you won’t get the true value out of the skating drill. If it’s a shooting drill, focus on doing the drill properly, even if you get scored on.

Sometimes you may feel like the coaches or peers will not think you’re any good if you’re not making every save. There are a couple things to think about to get around this mental block. First of all, if the other goalies are trying to do everything right instead of focusing on being first, or stopping every single puck, then they won’t be making every save either. Everyone should struggle in their own way at various skills they need work on, and therefore everyone is on an even playing field.

Secondly, no coach worth their salt is going to judge you based on how many pucks you stop during a goalie drill, particularly when you are getting out of your comfort zone trying to execute a skill the way they have asked you to. All coaches care about is your work ethic, coachability, and if you are genuinely trying to do what they have asked you to.

So don’t worry about stopping the puck. Focus on doing everything right even if you get scored on. That will allow you to improve faster, and stop more pucks in the long run when it counts.

Get Uncomfortable

If you are attending a good goalie camp, you should be asked to do things that make you uncomfortable. This might be a new movement or skill you have not tried before, a new stance, or different positioning. Whatever it may be, discomfort is the only way you grow. Get out of your comfort zone, even if it means you fall, get scored on, or make a mistake. Remember you are there to grow, not to stay in your comfort zone. If you stay there, you won’t get any better.

Try new things. It could be adding another tool to your game. Or, maybe another goalie there has a gear hack they recommend, and you try something a little different with your gear for a skate or two to see if you like it.

Some of the things that you are uncomfortable with now may be the things that most help you during the season once you get good at them or used to them. Camp is the time to try new things and get out of your comfort zone.

Focus In

Camp days are long, but they don’t last forever, and neither does the camp.

So while you are there, whether it’s on the ice, in the classroom, or in the off ice workouts, it is crucial that you focus in and do everything with intent. This way you absorb all the information that you need to absorb in every moment, and, you then take what the coaches are telling you and hardwire it in by doing the reps correctly.

YES, sometimes you will be bored. Some of the things you do in the classroom, in the off ice workouts, and on the ice aren’t gonna be fun. But, that’s part of getting good at something— doing consistent, boring work with intent.

If you are just going through the motions, you won’t get the most out of any part of the camp. If you are focused and always ready to learn, you will.

Take Care of Yourself

Although they’re a ton of fun, it’s no doubt that the days at goalie camp are long days filled with loads of hard work. It’s a large volume in a small amount of time. This means you are going to be sore, and you are going to have aches and pains, probably starting Day 2 of camp.

When you are not at camp, make sure you are getting adequate and proper water, rest, and food. If you cannot function well enough to participate, you won’t get any practice, and you won’t be able to do reps to hardwire the new skills you are working on.

If you have injuries, or something bothering you with your body, be sure to let the staff know ASAP. They are there to help you feel your best so you can get the most out of your experience. If they don’t know something is hindering you, there is nothing they can do to help.

It May Sound Old Fashioned… But Bring a Notebook

When you go to a camp, you are going to be absolutely bombarded with information. Often times, it will be information outside of the realm of goaltending as well, in areas like strength and conditioning, mental performance, and nutrition. The coaching staff at the camp will be attempting to take years of training and expertise, and transfer all of it to you in a few short days. So bring a notebook to take notes on and write down everything you learn.

When you get off the ice or done with a workout, write down what you learned on the ice or in the workout. When you are in a classroom session, take notes on whatever the presenter is teaching you. It is impossible to remember all of this information just from listening to it and trying to remember it. It’s hard to remember years of information being told to you in a few short hours.

When you get home for the day, write down what else you learned that you may have missed.

Understandably, you could take notes on your phone. But, there are studies that show you remember notes better when you take them by hand, AND, you do not want to be looking down typing on your phone all the time during a classroom session. Teachers know you are engaged when you are writing down notes. If you are on your phone, they don’t know if you’re listening.

It will also be easier for you to stay engaged in a classroom setting when you are constantly listening and deciphering what information to write down.

We know that it may be uncomfortable to be taking notes when no one else is. We’re afraid the other students may be thinking, “What a nerd— writing everything down in that notebook”. Well guess what— the people who are the best at what they do are giant nerds in their fields of expertise. It’s the nerds who are the most successful, not the cool people who don’t need to take notes cause they’re too cool. You can decide you want to be cool, but we think it’s better to commit to getting better, and stopping more pucks when it matters.

Remember, the most important value you leave goalie camp with is the knowledge you obtain while you are there. If you aren’t taking notes, you will forget many things you learned, and therefore, you won’t leave with as much value as you should be leaving with.

Make a Plan for Improvement

Once you have completed the camp, and you have all of that new information of what you can do to improve bouncing around inside your head, it’s time to make a plan for improvement moving forward. If you complete a camp then never think about it again, or use the knowledge you gained while you were there, then there’s no point in going to camp.

You should have an exit meeting with your coaches before you leave. When you do, discuss a plan of improvement with them moving forward. They should tell you where you can improve, and help you come up with a plan to do so.

Look through your notes from camp, and see what they may have missed that you know you need to work on. Then, make a measurable plan to improve your game, and execute that plan.

If you take all of the steps above, you will not only have as much fun as possible at camp, but you will also gain as much value as you can from camp, and improve your game as quickly as possible.