Philosophy & Method
Our coaching approach transcends mere reaction to isolated errors in a game; we focus on identifying long-term trends and ingrained habits to fully understand a goaltender's performance.
Errors in dynamic sports like hockey are inevitable but don't always signify systemic issues. For instance, letting in a single goal in a 2-on-1 situation out of seven attempts doesn't necessarily warrant a complete overhaul in practice focus. The key is to discern between isolated incidents and consistent negative trends that could subtly influence game outcomes over a longer period, such as a 7-game series.
Rather than zeroing in on surface-level mistakes, we delve deeper to understand the root causes. For example, a goalie beaten through traffic might actually be struggling with tracking the puck behind the net, which could have a cascading effect on their ability to manage net-front situations.
The cornerstone of our philosophy is habit formation. A goaltender's habits—whether they relate to breakaways, rebounds, or net-front traffic—significantly shape their game consistency and future performance expectations. These ingrained behaviors can be both an asset and a liability; they can make a goalie predictable for better or worse.
By meticulously analyzing these habits and trends, we can tailor our coaching strategies to address the nuanced vulnerabilities in a goaltender's gameplay, thereby elevating both their current performance and future potential.
Service Overview
Goalies are required to provide Evolution Goaltending Corp (EGC) with a carefully edited video of their gameplay. This video should exclude instances when the puck is in the opposing team's offensive zone, focusing instead on moments when the puck is within the goaltender's defensive zone.
The reason for this specific focus is to offer our coaches a comprehensive view of the goaltender's in-zone performance. While goals and shots against are important metrics, observing the goaltender's actions in various in-zone situations provides critical insights into their habits and overall gameplay, even if no shots on net have been taken.
The edited gameplay video usually ranges from 20 to 30 minutes in length. Once edited, the video can be uploaded to a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox and shared with us. Alternatively, you may upload the video to YouTube and send us the link for review.
After thoroughly analyzing the video, our coaches will compile notes and observations, which will be discussed in a video-call consultation with the goaltender. This consultation can last between 45 to 60 minutes, offering an in-depth review and targeted feedback aimed at enhancing the goaltender's performance.
Game Review $147.00 (includes GST)
Philosophy & Method
Our one-on-one on-ice lessons offer tailored on-ice training sessions focused on enhancing your goaltending skills, both technical and tactical. We start by thoroughly evaluating your unique strengths and weaknesses and then collaboratively develop an action plan tailored to your needs.
At the core of EGC's coaching philosophy are two critical principles: Effectiveness and Consistency.
Effectiveness measures how well a goaltender achieves the intended result, which in this context is making saves. Integral to effectiveness is the notion of efficiency—defined as "making saves with minimal wasted effort or energy." For instance, controlling the first shot to prevent rebounds is generally more efficient—and thus more effective—than methods that don't offer this control.
Consistency, on the other hand, gauges the ability to maintain this effectiveness over time. A goalie's effectiveness can vary, often due to shifts in technique. By analyzing the repeatability of a goaltender's methods across different games, we can determine their likelihood of making consistent saves throughout the season.
The overarching question we seek to answer while working with goaltenders is: "Is the goaltender using methods that minimize wasted effort and energy, and can they maintain these methods consistently across multiple performances?"
By harmonizing these principles of Effectiveness and Consistency, we provide unbiased, individualized coaching that caters to each goalie's unique skills, personality, and goals.
Service Overview
Each session lasts for one hour, providing ample opportunity for our coaches to engage in detailed work with the goaltender.
A typical private lesson kicks off with Position-Specific Movements (PSM) that align directly with the day's instructional theme. This is followed by a warm-up involving targeted shots designed to reinforce key elements of the athlete’s Save Process. Once the foundational aspects have been addressed through the warm-up, we then focus on the specific areas of need to optimize the goaltender’s skills.
1 on 1 On-Ice Lesson $157.50 (includes GST)
Philosophy & Method
Our one-on-one off-ice lessons offer tailored advice, meticulously focused on amplifying your individual understanding of the goaltending position, whether from a technical or tactical perspective, or providing consultation on your experiences and situation. We embark on this journey by thoroughly evaluating your unique situation, subsequently developing a collaborative action plan, meticulously tailored to meet your distinct needs.
Central to EGC's coaching philosophy lie two pivotal principles: Effectiveness and Consistency.
Effectiveness measures how well a goaltender achieves the intended result. Integral to effectiveness is the notion of efficiency—defined as "achieving our goal with minimal wasted effort or energy."
Consistency, on the other hand, gauges the ability to maintain this effectiveness over time. By analyzing the repeatability of a goaltender's methods across time, we can determine their likelihood of consistency.
The overarching question we seek to answer while working with goaltenders is: "Is the goaltender using methods that minimize wasted effort and energy, and can they maintain these methods consistently across time?"
By interweaving these principles of Effectiveness and Consistency, we furnish individualized coaching that is inherently adaptable to each goalie’s unique personality, situation, and experience.
Service Overview
Each session spans one hour, affording our EGC coaches a generous window to delve into detailed discussions with the goaltender.
A standard private lesson initiates with the student articulating the particular situation for which they seek advice. This may pertain to specific technical and/or tactical situations needing clarification or might encompass life-related circumstances, such as strategizing scenarios related to their career and/or other specialized situations.
Drawing upon their decades of expertise, our EGC coach will attentively listen to the student's experiences, collaborating with them to formulate a forward-moving plan.
1 on 1 Off-Ice Lesson $105.00 (includes GST)
Philosophy & Method
The overall goal of any athlete is REPEATABLE OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE; optimal being defined as “most desirable or satisfactory;” and repeatable being the ability to maintain this performance over time. Derived from this goal are EGC’s two main principles of Effectiveness and Consistency (see 1-on-1 session philosophy for description).
Fluctuations in effectiveness are inevitable, and can be attributed to many factors, including physical ability, techniques, tactical decisions, and psychological skills. Take, for example, a goaltender playing two consecutive games. In the first game, they handle every situation involving ‘behind-net-tracking’ perfectly, yet in the second game multiple goals are scored originating from behind the net. There are three potential reasons why these inconsistencies could occur: 1) The goaltender’s physical state is compromised, potentially due to fatigue or injury; 2) The goaltender is unaware of which techniques and tactics are effective, unknowingly using different methods in both games (i.e., the goalie does not have a system); or 3) The goalie is aware of which techniques and tactics are effective yet does not implement them appropriately (i.e., the goalie’s psychological state has changed).
As a goaltender’s physical ability, technical skill, and tactical decision making improve through off-ice conditioning and on-ice training, performance inconsistencies become less attributable to technical & tactical factors, and more attributable to mental factors of the game. As the US Olympic Committee states “A strong mind cannot win a championship, but a weak mind can lose one.” Therefore, a training system of psychological skills should be paired with one’s on-ice and off-ice training protocol to both optimize the level and consistency of one’s performance.
Every sports professional will agree that mental qualities have a dramatic impact on an athlete’s performance, yet most athletes do not have a systematic approach to acquire and implement psychological skills, the same why they do physical skills. If psychological factors are supposedly so important to performance, the real question is “why not?”
Service Overview
There are two mental performance training (MPT) options available, a 5-session MPT program, and individual 1-on-1 sessions. Both services are conducted virtually.
5-Session MPT program: $525 (including GST)
The athlete will be guided through a 5-step mental skills training protocol. Each session includes instruction, practice, and exercises in the mental skills of goal setting, emotional control, self-talk, attention control, and visualization. Sessions will be spaced 2-3 weeks apart to allow adequate repetition and practice of each skill before progressing to the next stage.
This is recommended for athletes with limited experience with MPT.
*A free 30-minute video/phone consultation is available to identify if this program is right for you.
*All future individual sessions with clients who have completed the program will be given preferred pricing.
Individual MPT Session: $115.50 (including GST)
This provides an athlete the opportunity to discuss current situations that an athlete is finding challenging and identify immediate coping skills and strategies.
This is ideal for short-term, “slump busting” situations. An individual session may be useful in the short-term, but a systematic skill building approach may foster deeper skill-building and retention and have longer lasting results.
“Mental Performance Training is Neither Magical Elixir nor Useless. It is a necessary component alongside physical training for an athlete to maximize their potential.”