Parents should not be in a hurry to buy big gloves for their little goalies. The best thing a parent can do is to buy gloves that fit well. Gloves that fit well improve a goalie’s hand speed and improve his or her ability to catch the puck. Gloves that are too big look good and have a bigger pocket but they only hurt a goalie in the long run. Gloves that are too big do not allow the goalie to develop proper hand-eye coordination skills that are necessary to be successful.
Stick To The Right Size
The rule of thumb in choosing the right stick is to be sure and buy a stick that is the right height and weight. Do not rush into the big sticks. When buying a stick, have your goalie get in a stance and hold the stick six inches in front of their feet and make sure the stick lies flat on the ground. If the top of the paddle comes outside the goalie’s right knee and their armis straight when holding the stick, then you have the proper stick.
Sharpen To Fit Your Style
The most frequently asked question by parents is, “How do I get my goalie’s skates sharpened?” There are two things to consider. The first is, does your goalie like to have an edge on the blade to stop quickly or pivot hard. If that’s the case, get a “hollow cut.” The second part of sharpening is the “flat cut.” There is less edge that allows the goalie to slide side to sidemore easily.
Putting The Best Skate Forward
It’s highly recommended putting a goalie in goalie skates as early as possible. The problem is manufacturers only start to make goalie skates at size 2. This forces young and small goalies to wear forward
skates. To sharpen those skates for a young goalie, ask the sharpener not to rocker the skates. Tell him it’s for a goalie and ask him to just sharpen the part of the blade that’s on the ice and to make it a “flat cut.” This will help the goalie keep better balance and move side to side.
