Does anyone know regarding the playing position assignment for hockey for kids (9-12 years old) is decided usually? Is it based on the skating skills and ability? If that is the case, is the goaltender usually the one with less skating skills?
Kids / Youth Hockey
- Thread starter cyclone13
- Start date
A lot of variables here. Skills, abilities, and size primarily. 9-12 you're getting into peewee and bantam leagues. The goalie isn't going to be the slowest or fattest kid or whatever. By that age the goaltender has probably played a few years at that position already. Offense will be a mix of kids with the best hands, fastest skaters, and worst skaters. You don't want to put your worst skater on defense because that's more of a liability cause they probably suck at skating backwards and will get beat constantly. Defense will be bigger stronger kids with solid skating skills or those who have stronger shots than everyone else.
Are you you trying to start a kid at this age?
Goalie is like catcher in baseball. Everyone wants to wear the equipment but get tired of playing it.
Not sure why my first reply doesn't get posted here so this is a repost - my son doesn't play hockey but we like to discuss different sports and what position he would play if he is playing in the sports. Kind of different from what he has been doing as he has been into martial arts for 6 years.
Thanks for the insights - they are new perspectives to me too as I don't play hockey.
so if the goaltender is the best skater, why don't the team use him/her as in offense or in defense?
Thanks for the insights - they are new perspectives to me too as I don't play hockey.
so if the goaltender is the best skater, why don't the team use him/her as in offense or in defense?
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As young kids 5-10 yes. But if a kid that age starts to excel at that position then they want to keep playing it. Enormous value to the team if you're solid in net. A good goalie in hockey, especially at the youth level and into HS, is like having Tom Brady at QB vs the average joe.
No I played hockey until college. Being a goalie is really hard. The kids that were good goalies were the most athletic and coordinated kids on the team.
Coordinated? Maybe. Most Athletic? No way. Extremely flexible? Absolutely, but they work on that daily. The be a goalie, and a good one at that, those players are normally not the most sound at mind. Most hockey goalies are at least one or a combo of the following, weird, crazy, stupid, F^{ked in the head kids. It takes a certain type of person to want to stop 60-85 MPH 3" round solid rubber pucks. However, as others have said, a team is only as good as their goalie. You can have the best forwards and defensemen in world but if your goalie cannot stop a shot, your team isn't going to win many games.
Don't you know your son could get hurt playing hockey? He'd be better off staying inside learning to play the clarinet.
Not saying being a goalie isn't hard. It definitely takes skills both mental and physical that other guys on the team might not have . But the goalie likely is not the best skater or athlete in a way thats comparable to the other skaters out there.
Husband played youth hockey. Even though he was 6 feet tall at age 11, they didn't put him in the goal. Was not a great skater. I think by that age they at least want someone who is above average at skating in the goal.
