It was a picture postcard setting as I skated out onto a neighborhood pond recently to give a young goalie a private lesson.
The 8-year-old was so excited about strapping on her goalie equipment and learning how to play the position.
First, we worked on the proper stance, including glove and stick position. From there we practiced skating “as a goalie” frontwards and backwards. And introduced to a handful of the lateral moevments that goalies use. She did a wonderful job.
After that, I shot tennis balls and mini-pucks at her to give her an idea of what it’s like to stop a shot. She was a quick learner and made a number of “big” saves.
I think the goalie had a lot of fun and so did I. She made noticeable improvements to her game during our 60-minute session.
I enjoyed helping her improve skills and it was a great day to be skating outdoors.
