Beginner Roller Hockey Goalie Questions

HawkyPuck · Squirt Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 2

I've always wanted to play hockey (goalie specifically), and as a 24 year-old female I finally started last year playing goal for the local roller (ball) hockey pick-up games. It's been very low key, with co-ed games of all ages and skill levels. All the skaters were on inline skates, but I played on shoes. I picked up some cheap Franklin gear off eBay and it was a great way to casually start playing and see if I really enjoyed it, which I did.

Now I'm looking to step up and get a little more involved. I'd like some nicer gear, but still affordable. I've been looking at Tour and Reebok equipment sets that are about $200 on sites like discounthockey.com. Is that sufficient for the sort of games I'm playing? I've browsed the forums and I know a lot of people recommend a lot of higher quality, more expensive gear, but I really just need something good enough for rec league play.

I'd also like to learn to play in skates. In addition to playing goal, I've been rollerblading at open skates to at least be able to skate, but I know wearing skates while playing goal is a whole different ball game. None of the skaters I play with have any idea about how to play goal in skates. To show you what level I'm at, it's a mystery to me on how a goalie moves side-to-side from post to post in inline skates! Help - how do I start playing on skates?

Any tips any of you all have will be much appreciated!

zannalee02 · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 4:34 am Post subject:

Hey Hawkypuck. 25-year-old female goalie here, I play both roller and ice hockey, although lately I haven't had much time for inline . . . I've been playing for a little less than 2 years, so I hear where you're coming from!

Anyway, here's what I can offer. Tour gear is fine for roller hockey, so is lower level Reebok gear. Some people may want to tell you otherwise, but I use Tour GTL leg pads for inline hockey and Bauer Vapors for ice hockey and the only problem I have with the Tours is that they look pretty beat up and the straps are wearing out. The materials are lower quality and break down more quickly than higher quality pads. My thought is I would rather not pay a lot of money for pads that will get torn up no matter how well I care for them, and that's just what happens to pads used for roller hockey. Tour gear is not really protective enough for ice hockey, so if you ever go that route I'd reccomend something more durable. You might check your local area for a Play It Again Sports store-they are a great resource for used hockey gear. One thing I would reccomend for inline hockey is hard or soft knee guards rather than thigh boards or thigh wraps-dropping down on concrete (I assume that is what you are playing on) hurts, and the knee guards will make a world of difference.

For skates, I would get at least hockey skates rather than your typical fitness or recreational rollerblades. There is a big difference between goalie and regular skates in ice hockey, but it is a lot less noticeable with inline skates in my opinion. Many inline hockey goalies just use player skates, but there are inline goalie skates available and the "goalie" features would be very helpful to you. Tour makes a nice model. As a goalie you don't want wheels with a large diameter, and goalie skates have an extra wheel to give you stability.

As far as movement, I feel inline goalies are at a disadvantage compared to ice goalies. You really cannot slide post-to-post on concrete or sportcourt like you can on ice. When standing, I use a skating technique called a T-push to get quickly across my crease. Another move you will want to learn is the C-cut. It is difficult to move around on your knees if you choose to drop down, more so than it is on ice, so you will want to learn some ways of handling that. I am out of time, but I'll check back later and try to give you some ideas on how to move.

Good to have you here!
_________________

"It's never good when you're tending goal and your number is facing out." - Daryl Reaugh

number55 · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:54 pm Post subject:

I've played roller hockey my whole life. I started playing ball hockey in youth leagues with a baseball glove and a catcher's chest pad. Played some college roller (puck) last year, graduated. Now it's back to the rec leagues.

If you are using a ball, your franklins and any of the tours or reebok sets will do just fine. You can pretty much use whatever you feel comfortable with really. The ball itself won't do anything other than bruise or sting. You'd be worrying more about someone's stick when you go to cover the ball and your knees when you drop down on them.

I prefer to wear an extra set of knee pads under my leg pads because I had my pads very loose one day and I ended up hitting my knee on the floor which prevented me from playing for a week or so.

You won't need to upgrade your gear unless you start playing with a puck. If you do, the first thing you want is a decent chest pad.

One thing to note when looking for gear is that a lot of them are labeled Int, SR, and Pro. Intermediate being the least expensive yet least protective and Pro is vice versa. Personally, when it comes to chest/arm protection I like to go with a steup above what I think I will need because shots in these areas tend to hurt more.

Also, if using a puck, you want a decent helmet that is HECC approved (sticker on the back of helmet).

As far as the side to side movement goes, look up the "T-Push" as noted by the previous post. Here is a site with a little explanation.
http://www.albertahockey.com/story/36/Goalies/506/Eli_Wilson__In_The_Crease___The_T_Push_motion.aspx

Let's say you are on your left post and you need to move across your net to cover the left post. Both your feet are currently facing forward as they should be. So now you turn your right foot so that it forms a T shape (your left foot is the top of the T). Then you push off sideways with your left foot so that you move to your right.

A good way to practice this is in your net so you can practice going from one post to the other.

HawkyPuck · Squirt Joined: 24 Oct 2009 Posts: 2

Thanks so much to both of you - this is just the type of information I was looking for but hadn't been able to find anywhere else.

I really appreciate your thoughts on the different types of gear and how well its held up for you. I am playing in a ball league, and the only thing I really had to upgrade from the Franklin gear was the chest/arm protector after getting some nice bruises. I didn't want to spend a few hundred bucks and end up with the wrong thing.

My one question would be for a little clarification on knee guards versus thigh wraps. You're right that I've been playing on concrete, and when I move in a few weeks I may end up playing on sport court, but its definitely been a bit rough on the knees. I'll probably end up ordering my pads online, so how do you know if they have knee guards or thigh wraps? I'm assuming the knee guards cradle the knee a lot more?

I had sort of figured out the Int/Sr/Pro gear ratings but your explanation but your comments help me confirm I'm on the right track.

Now i know too that the T-Push is what I need to start practicing before playing on skates! I'll look up the C-Cut too.

Thanks again - I can tell this forum will be an invaluable resource!

itechwarrior · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:27 pm Post subject:

number55 · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:34 pm Post subject:

number55 · Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject:

Just about all pads these days will come with a "knee stack." This is the added padding that your knees land on when the pads rotate as you drop.

Thigh boards will protect your thighs from getting hit by a puck but won't cusion your knees. Personally, I remove my thigh boards because they get caught under my pants. Some people like them because they help to cover the 5-hole but others consider this a form of cheating. In fact, the NHL has recently made thigh boards illegal.

Most goalies will use a knee/thigh pad combo that goes on under the gear. This has a double advantage by providing more cushion for the knee when dropping down and also protecting the exposed thigh area between pant and knee just as a thigh board would without all the extra bulk flapping around.

All pads will be different in the way they fit and cover these areas. Part of it will also come down to personal preference. I would say, get the pads that you want and then you can always get the additional knee pads or thigh boards depending on what you need to suit your pad.