As the Goaltending Consultant for Hockey Canada, I am often asked at what age I believe children should become full-time goaltenders. This question can be somewhat debatable as, to me, there is no definite line in the sand. A strong majority of minor hockey organizations go by a protocol of eight to nine years of age, and there are some strong arguments both for and against this.
The best and the strongest argument for not allowing a goaltender to become full-time until the age of eight or nine is that in order to be a good goaltender one must be a strong skater. The years between the ages of five and eight are extremely important developmental years that help to improve a player’s skating ability. The fundamentals of skating are taught in these years, and it is difficult to develop these if your child is stuck in the net.
When discussing skating ability, I am not talking about speed alone, I am talking about balance and agility, the necessary components to being a good goaltender. When your child can perform these skills with comfort and ease, I say they are ready to try goaltending full-time. This does not mean they should not try their hand at goaltending before age eight; they should be able to have fun and try every position. It will also give the child a good feel if they like goaltending or not, and therefore, you can make a better decision when they reach the level where they can make the decision.
One argument against the eight and nine years rule is that idea that, ‘if a child knows from an early age that they want to be a goaltender, then they should be able to do so.’ While I respect this opinion, we have to remember there is only one net and only one kid at a time that can play goal. We’ve been taught to share from an early age, so what’s fair is fair, and this must also be true for goaltending.
It is important to know your child will not be behind in goaltending development if they do not start full-time until later. While I started playing goal full-time at the age of six, I also know a lot of goaltenders in the NHL that didn’t become goalies until they were 12 or 13 years of age. So, quite frankly, it is not true that you have to be a goaltender before or after a particular age.
In my opinion, most minor hockey organizations are doing the right thing by not having full-time goaltenders until the age of eight. The guideline ensures that it is fair for everyone, that all players have the opportunity to try all positions, and that a focus remains on developing the necessary basic skills required of any position.
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