What would you do?

[Norcon Imperial]

Mrs. Moe...
My thoughts are that this is not biggest problem that is facing the coach, the larger problem starts on the blue line. They have veteran players, players who have varsity experience sitting on the bench, while two freshman D are out making mistakes one after another, I am not picking on the freshmen but they don't have the experience, I think that if you have three steady D the goaltending won't be as much of an issue. Remember that both of those goalies played exceptional a state last year!And the whole team took 3rd in STATE. Granted I have not seen ever game but that is my take on the situation.

[winnings not 4 everyone]

You sound like you may be "dumb enough to be a goalie". Just because someone played on the varsity team last year, does that give them the right to play this year? Take a look at the stats, there are soo many 9th graders making an impact on teams because the junior and seniors aren't nearly as good. These are the players (the older ones on the bench) that need to take a look at the writing on the wall and become managers or water bottle fillers. Their days are over. I have tried to be political on this thread but here it is:
If you really suck, quit. Do everyone a favor. Your parents included. Just remember "winnings not 4 everyone".
Right DQ?

[Undercover Hockey Lover]

winningswhatever...looks like you may have poured yourself one too many at work last night before you hit the keyboard. It's attitudes like yours that destroy youth sports and yes...HS hockey boys or girls is a youth sport. It is also an extra-curricular activity provided by the HS for kids to participate in along with band and choir and speech and cross country. Sometimes it takes a participant until they are a Senior to figure it out. Hockey is not the end all be all your husband has brainwashed you into thinking it is.

[pondhockey]

You sound like you may be "dumb enough to be a goalie". Just because someone played on the varsity team last year, does that give them the right to play this year? Take a look at the stats, there are soo many 9th graders making an impact on teams because the junior and seniors aren't nearly as good. These are the players (the older ones on the bench) that need to take a look at the writing on the wall and become managers or water bottle fillers. Their days are over. I have tried to be political on this thread but here it is:
If you really suck, quit. Do everyone a favor. Your parents included. Just remember "winnings not 4 everyone".
Right DQ?

You scare the crap out of me with that kind of attitude. The extra curricular activities benefit students in many different ways - one of them being to give them something positive to do with their time. I hope you never have someone who had to quit a sport because they "suck" spend their idle time robbing your house. Do us a favor, quit posting and spend your idle time doing something positive.

[#2 Hockey Mom]

The fact of the matter is, you will always have those kids in every grade that are just not quite good enough to play on the team (varsity). It really is up to the policy of the school whether those kids are cut or if a senior is maybe offered JV time. There is no easy way to keep everyone happy, but as a coaching staff, you must decide what is best for the team and what direction you want to go. If you can keep kids around that don't play without them becoming a cancer on the team, then good for you. IMO, there is almost no way to keep them happy and keep them around if they do not play. I would also wager a bet that most of the time the kid would understand fully that they aren't at that level but the parents do not and they are most of the problem. Too bad parents can't stay out of it, huh????

[bigred]

Sometimes it is tough to accept.
My goalie played V last year as a Soph and never played this year as a JR, Fresh played. After 14 games of sitting, (had to suit up and ride the V bench every game) and playing some JV (not challenging, split games with other JV Goalie) and spending 5-6 hrs of her time wasted at away games (by the time the bus left, 2 games and ride back) she decided it wasn't worth it. She asked to PLAY JV as a skater, (we have 5 JV staters, the V kids come down and play 1 period each) and was told no, so she decided to give it up. Now she works at the rink, teaches skating lessons and gets paid. She is much happier.
Bottom line, if the coach doesn't want to play your kid for whatever reason, you are stuck with that decision. Varsity sports are brutal and the coaches can do whatever they want, period. It is hard to transition from YOUTH hockey where everyone plays equally to this. Also, you may have a top goalie (at your school) and some Phenom moves in and bumps your kid. I have seen that happen numerous times also. Being a goalie is by far the toughest position mentally. There can and usually is, only one starter. Skaters there is 15. If a top player comes in, chances are your skaters time is not compromised. If we were to do it over again, absolutely no way would we choose goalie as a position. Too tough and too selective to get to play. I feel bad for every kid this happens to, and it happens a lot.!
And FYI, I don't know of a single DUMB goalie, most are A students, so that comment was completely uncalled for. It takes a very quick brain to react to those pucks being thrown at you from every angle.

[hockeyrube7]

bigred, right on the money, and this does tend to happen to skaters too, and it does effect play time, but not completely not playing. I've seen many kids, seniors and juniors, 3rd or 4th liners, get little to no play time in most all varsity games, and the coach doesn't let them skate JV as he may need them. Kid asks to skate JV only, coach says no. Not the same a goalie situation, but it does happen to skaters too. Some quit, and some tough it out for the letter and the social aspects. Some are no opting out and playing U19's. Maybe this will become an option more and more for those kids that just love the sport and are stuck in a similar situation.

[goalzilla]

Bigred you're right on the money. My kid is a goalie and her HS school team is pretty blessed with goalie talent. She fully understands that she must perform to play as an underclassman and if she doesnt she knows she either isnt going to play or will have to wait her turn to be an upper classman. No guarantee their either some prodigy can show up and throw a wrench in that plan. When you chose to be a goalie you better understand how things work. If you cant handle the uncertenty of playtime you might want to choose another position. Playing varsity is the goal of alot of kids but if you are going to be the back up and ride the pine JV is a good alternative. It's not varsity, but at least you get to play.

[bigred]

Not always. Say a team has 4 goalies. 2 V 2 JV. The back-up V goalie doesn't play AT ALL the entire season. Think it doesn't happen? Well, I guarantee it does. The girl finally complains, they give her 1-2 JV games total, the 2 JV goalies throw a fit because they had do sit out also, and it is not a good situation at all. Not being the #1 goalie when your team has 4 or more is death to the backup. No playing time at all.

Personally, IMO a good coach puts in the backup in these situations. You know you won't win the game or you know you won't lose (even with an enpty net) We had a situation last year where the backup played 5 V games total (andnone after Christmas) then in the playoffs starter was sick. So they had to use a cold goalie.

I think you try your darndest to have 2 V goalies, but playing at least 1/4 of the games. ANYTHING can happen to the starter, sickness, injury, or death in the family and it can happen in the playoffs.

As for JV playing time. I agree it is better than nothing IF you are younger than the starting v GOALIE. If you are older, there isn't muct hope. That when kids give up.

I think anyone who toughs it out as a Goalie has the hardest position out there. Players may not agree, but everything rides on the strength of the goalie.

[finance_gal]

hardest position...I would go so far as to say that it's the toughest job in sports..as for being the backup goaltender thats even tougher because no matter how much she tries to stay sharp there is really no way to do it without seeing game conditions on a regular basis. I'm just happy our daughter isn't a goalie

[dmbenough2Bagoalie]

Hey Big Red, "Being a goalie is by far the toughest position mentally"

Thank you for your post i thought it was great. I can't agree more, and you coment about goaltenders general intelegence level, i would agree there also. It almost always seems that they are very intelectual but somewhat quiet individuals.

As for my screen name i am certainly not trying to offend any tenders, it is simply a line from a Brett Hull qoute. " I'm not dumb enough to be a goalie"

The qoute seems to high light the mindset behind goaltenders as to how they are truely a breed apart.

[Abe]

The problem is that most of the people posting on this are the parents. If you are being honest and it is a player is putting as much of a effort as any other player than they should get a chance but if they can not stop a puck in practice or catch a pass in practice and do not try, why should they play? Maybe a parent should watch a practice and see what is going on rather than blame the coach. It does not matter what happened last year there is always (hopefully) a person pushing a player ahead of them to get better. Some players work harder than others during the off season.
If you dont work at it you have no one to blame but your self and your mom should see that you are getting out of it what you put into it.
I am very happy that your daughter is happy "big red" and I hope she is learning some life lessons.

[hockeyrube7]

Abe, I don't think I hear anyone "blaming" a coach necessarily. This is more a how it is tough, and it is a tough lesson to learn. These are more facts of how it is, rather than blaming anyone. I could be wrong though.

[bigred]

No where was the coach blamed. (Other than suggesting they keep 2 goalies warm, which is common sence)
I just said sometimes it isn't worth it and you have to know when to hang it up. There is more to life than Hockey for 99% of these kids! The 1-10% who get full ride D1's and Olympic opps...are the truely gifted, and the hardest workers out there. It is a combo of both. If you don't have absolute killer drive (to work 24/7, 365, and spend countless $$ developing) and talent, you are not going anywhere.

And some of us parents have more than one type of kid. One like the above, killer drive and talent, and the other who just enjoys sports and has fun playing them. If you have a combo of the two types of kids, you KNOW the difference and accept it....some kids it is worth spending $$ on developing, and some it definately is not. Also, some come from families where the opps are better. Fathers that play, bottomless pocketbooks etc. But the majority of HS athletes compete for the fun of it, period.

Thats why Goalie is tough. If you back-up on V, you sit, and that is not fun for anyone. Until you actually HAVE a goalie or are a goalie, you really have no business posting about goalies. You truely have no clue how rough it is mentally. IF you are a goalie or goalie parent...fire away your comments.

[hockeyrube7]

Until you actually HAVE a goalie or are a goalie, you really have no business posting about goalies. You truely have no clue how rough it is mentally. IF you are a goalie or goalie parent...fire away your comments.

So bigred, are you saying I can't post about goalies any longer? I have no kid as a goalie, yet I have sat with, laughed with, and lived and died with many of these in just these situations. I am kind of pulling your leg here, so don't take this too seriously please. I actually agree with most all say here, it is a tough spot, and is that worth it, only that individual can decide that I guess.