On Fri, 15 Dec 1995, Jill Maser wrote:
 
> Coaching goalies probably isn't too much different from coaching others in
terms of finding out how to
>motivate a player to develop and to play his/her best.
 
Later  TERRY P. KASDAN ([log in to unmask]) wrote:
 
>>I think you are wrong.  I played goalie for four years at the University
>>of Illinois (last year I was an A.C.H.A. All-American).  I think goalies
>>need - and deserve - special attention.  Before you call me a primmadonna
>>(I've heard people call us that many times before!), you should know I
don't
>>mean *more* attention - just *special* attention.
 
Actually you're both right. Being an amateur sports psychologist (my wife's
the pro) and a pick-up goalie, I think you're both saying the same thing
only somewhat differently. Jill's point I believe was that goalies should be
coached the same way any other player should be coached. Now before you say
that goalies are different, consider that good coaches coach each player
differently. Some players respond to screaming, some to coddling. Some
respond to being told
what to do, while others like to be taught.
Terry, your references (Mr. Goalie, Glenn Hall) make me believe you know
something about Chicago sports. Consider the coaching style of Ditka, a
certified yeller. When he had a team full of players that responded to a
yelling coach, he won. However, when he foolishly drafted Harbawful (there's
never been a successful Michigan quarterback in the NFL), and
other players that didn't respond to yelling, he started to lose. That's one
theory why he doesn't have a job in the NFL, players today don't respond to
yellers anymore.
 
Consider however, the really successful coaches like, Scotty Bowman, Ron
Mason, Doug Woog. They know how to do it all, in terms of coaching most of
their players. They know who to yell at, and who to coddle. Up to a point of
course.
 
Its true goalies' mistakes are more readily apparent (red light, horn, etc.)
than other players. However, the good ones probably don't internalize
failure any more than any other player on the ice. And maybe that's the
difference between a good goalie and a bad one.
 
I don't mean to imply that goalies don't need their own special coaches
either. They certainly do, but properly coaching a goalie should be no
different than properly coaching any other player. As Jill said, the key to
good coaching is getting your players to play to they potential.
 
>Now you can see why Glen (sic) Hall threw up before every game (and
sometimes in between periods).
I've read that this use to happen Gump Worsley. I didn't realize this
happened to my idol too. I think Gump retired a little earlier than normal
because his nerves couldn't take the abuse.
 
Michael Smar, Ph.D., R.Ph.
College of Pharmacy
South Dakota State University
Brookings SD 57007-0099
 
Medicines are nothing in themselves, if not properly used,
but the very hands of the gods, if employed with reason and prudence (by a
pharmacist)
with apologies to Herophilius
 
Win95 - Software for the preemptively impaired
 
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