There have been many hockey games lost by one goal, usually scored in the later part of the third period because the goaltender got caught in hesitation! Hesitation is the destroyer supreme, the weapon of mass destruction in more than sport. Fortunes have been lost, treasures snatched from the finger tips of their seekers, and great battles in war lost because of hesitation.
For the goaltender, hesitation is like a sub folder in the directory, “mental toughness.” Lack of confidence is the mother of hesitation. Where the goalie gets in trouble, is when there is a lack of confidence in a specific ability. Inability to make decisions represents a lack of confidence too. Hesitation and indecision go hand in hand. We’ve all been here, asking ourselves, “is this the right thing to do…” or, worked for some one who can’t decide without overt approval from a higher source. The problem is, we usually experience this when the time for thinking or waiting for some one else to decide is well past, and the time for decision or immediate action is required. The world of goaltending doesn’t allow for the pleasure of time. There is no time for reflection of thought, for weighing options, or playing, “what if!” So how then, do we combat goaltender hesitation?
The first rule in the war on hesitation is simple. Practice! Older than the game, is the phrase, “Practice makes perfect!” Practice is repetition, which breeds development and eventually mastering that task which is practiced. Regardless of what it is that is practiced, after the skill is nurtured, developed and mastered, there is a confidence in the performance of that skill or task.
The second rule in combating hesitation is learning that unpracticed task or skill execution in game competition is not always acceptable. I’ll speak about exceptions later… Teaching young goalies to execute only those skills that have been practiced and or mastered will lead to the defeat of hesitation. As the goaltenders skill sets develop and the mind matures, confidence in ability increases. The goaltender is empowered with the knowledge of proper timing and execution, thus hesitation is squeezed out a little bit more.
As I mentioned earlier, hesitation and decision making go hand in hand. I may skew away from my primary point for a moment, but when it comes to decision making I make an exception to my rules. I prefer to see a decision made, be it right or wrong, rather than no decision made at all. Taking no action is just another form of hesitation but worse. A decision made right is a confidence builder. A decision made wrong is the point at which teaching begins and lessons are learned. Worse than hesitation is inaction! For a goalie, this equates to giving the shooter time and space that need not be given at all.
The bottom line here is that while we’ll witness hesitation and inaction in the goaltending world, we’d rather see it during the younger years rather than the later. The gradual removal of hesitation from the goaltenders game is a refection of the development of their skill sets and self confidence. When there is a continuing presence of hesitation, then it’s time to look at the practices and the amount of coaching the goaltender is receiving.
