Beyond the Mask: The Ian Young Goaltending Method

C.E. (Kit) Lefroy is an associate professor in the School of Human
Movement, Laurentian University, and co-author of Volleyball Skills and
Game Concepts: Beginner to Advanced.

This manual is a follow-up to the authors’ first book, Behind the
Mask, which described goaltending fundamentals and how to integrate
those skills into the regular practice routine. Beyond the Mask
emphasizes how to develop goaltending skills and is aimed at established
goalies. It offers a complete goalie coaching system, including how to
evaluate goalie performance and a series of drills that permit coaches
to remedy areas of weakness. Progressive drills are provided for the
basics of skating, stance, and angles. Approximately 40 pages are
devoted to brief descriptions of, and drills for, rebounds, planning,
deflections, screen shots, hand reactions, the five-hole, breakaways,
and two-on-one situations. The book concludes with a few thoughts on how
goalies fit into team play.

This is a well-organized drills manual. The drills are functional, easy
to understand, and progressive. One particularly good feature is the
authors’ use of the “overload” concept, in which the speed of
drill execution is gradually increased to the point of failure; not only
does this provide cardiovascular benefit, but it forces goalies to reach
to the edge of their skill and mental limits.

Each drill is accompanied by a “Coach’s Job” section, which helps
the coach to focus on the most important elements in that drill. This
reinforces the notion that good goaltending is not the result of the
serendipitous combination of talent and opportunity. Rather, it is the
result of an organized, rational, progressive process in which goalie
and coach work as partners.

Beyond the Mask is suitable for goalies at the all-star or
representative team level. Beginners would derive much more benefit from
its predecessor, Behind the Mask. This second volume should be included
in the library of every progressive hockey coach.