Teams goalie situation

[montylax6]

Our team has a bad goalie situation. We don't have a permanent goalie. We currently rotate through about 3 goalies who all don't really enjoy the position. What would be the best way to treat this situation?

[TigerLax29]

What age group?

[montylax6]

What age group?

11 and 12 year olds. (6th grade)

[CoachK]

You've got to get someone excited about playing the position. They're the most important player on the field, keep rotating if you have to, but someone has to take the position & get excited about it. Cheer for the great saves they make, cheer on the little things, get the defense to do the same. They'll start to take pride in it & go from there.

I converted a middie to goalie for my college team. He hated it, but was a great athlete (our best). Now he's beat out goalies with HS experience & takes a ton of pride in it. He knows the huge role he plays on our team. If you're ever at a game, he's the first person I congratulate on the win, even with OT wins. He's the most imporant player on your team, & your team can truly feed off his energy. Good Luck!

[Matt Saracen]

I am getting close to this situation as well. I currently have two goalies and we split them between the varsity and JV, but one is graduating this year. I want to find someone and get them some experience in the few remaining JV games.

[BullintheCrease]

to be a good goalie they have to want to be there. Everyone wants to score goals and almost anyone can with practice, but only "The Man" can be a Goalie.

Really the only thing you can do is explain the importance of the position and get excited about finding someone to take on the job.

But with 11 and 12 year olds, you are probably stuck rotating kids until someone sticks.

[MTIsaac]

With my 7/8 and 9/10 teams, this (almost!) always works:

"Girls dig bruises."

[gfkeeper28]

Make everyone on the team try it. At least one kid is going to have fun with it.

[coaches gal]

I asked another coach about the fact that he's NEVER short of goalies...

during stretches before each practice he carries a goalie stick... one lucky winner each day has to be in the cage the entire practice.

He said it accomplishes a couple things...
1. some kids who would have never considered it before find out they like it
2. teaches the defensemen just how hard the job is and thus they tend to work a little harder to protect their goalie
3. attackmen and middies learn how goalie's react to shots and what they look like in the cage, which helps them place their shots better.

By the time a season is done each kid will have practiced in the cage 3 or 4 times [depending on # of kids and # of practices].

He said he's been doing that for years and has never had to convince anyone to become a goalie.

Sounded good to me! :)

[twisteR]

Wow, VERY good idea.

[TigerLax29]

I did pretty much the same thing that people have already mentioned. I really highlighted the importance of the position and the leadership role it entails. The first practice I kind of gave a job description basically-

"The goalie is without a doubt the craziest person on the field. There really has to be a little something wrong with you to play goalie. You've got to be nuts enough to step in front of shots but also be the quarterback of the defense. They are definitely one of the most critical parts of building a lacrosse team."

We had plenty of volunteers and I stress the fact to them that when they get scored on it's not their fault, everybody shares responsibility, even the attackmen. The starting goalie is also always a captain.