How to Be a Roller Hockey Goalie

You play roller-hockey? I bet you do. Besides the players who shoot the puck into the goal, you also need goalies. This article is going to explain how to be the best-ever goalie you can be in the game we all call roller-hockey.

Steps

1. 1
   Obtain all the right equipment- all the pads, the helmet, and everything else. Don't try to play without it!
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2. 2
   Stretch out thoroughly. You should have some type of routine or comfort zone to get into the right mindset. You'll probably find you need to stretch out much more than any of the other players. Join in the player stretch-out then move onto doing some personal stretches. Make sure you stretch your legs very well because you'll use them the most. Don't forget the arms, they're important too!
3. 3
   Try skating around the goal. Shuffle backwards and forwards using small steps to get in the right frame of mind.
4. 4
   Get in the net and start to get into your ready position. There are a few different positions but the most important thing is to be comfortable in how you're standing. You should probably do some research to find out what all the styles involve before practice.
5. 5
   Stand in your ready stance, and ask the coach or another player to warm you up with shots getting progressively better and faster, while the rest of the team is doing something else.
6. 6
   Get ready for drills/games once you're warmed up. Drills will usually involve you being shot at by players moving in, they are really to better the players rather than you but practice anticipating the play and keeping your eye on the ball. Games will be a bit more relaxed as you tend to have a team on your side as well. Always be aware of what's going on and keep yourself warm, skate on the spot, move side to side or something, as long as it keeps your muscles warm.
7. 7
   Positioning and timing are crucial; you should position yourself so that most of the goal is covered, and that which isn't covered should be easy to cover quickly. Timing is another key asset of a goalie, you should never make the first move, unless of course, that's your style. Allow the player to move in on you and wait for them to make the first move and react to it.
8. 8
   Don't get discouraged when you let a shot in and everyone starts to celebrate, goalies are one of the toughest positions to play and don't usually get comments like, "nice save" unless you do something spectacular or have very nice teammates. Remember just to enjoy yourself and keep focused.
9. 9
   Arm positioning: Keep your arms up covering as close to the top corners as you feel comfortable with, have your catcher-mitt with the palm facing the puck/ball so that all you have to do is move it in front of the puck/ball to catch it. Your blocker-mitt should just rest naturally when you place your stick on the floor slightly in front of you covering your 5-hole (in-between the legs).
10. 10
    Think about how you can improve after training, what you might change next training, or even do some research on alternate stances or useful goalie stretches or off-ice conditioning.