#saferathome #bettertogether #training #goalies #hockey

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With the world in a continued Coronavirus semi-shutdown, it may seem hopeless that your hockey goals stay on track. You were striving to compete and make higher levels. You have goals and dreams.

Of course, COVID isn't going to wait for you. The world continues moving, even though you might not be able to practice fully with your team. While we're hopefully past the most draconian limitations, who knows how long it'll be before we return to a true normal.

However, you can keep working. Just because this season looks a little different from others, doesn't mean your work stops, right!? Here are some tips to help you train from home, regardless of the status of your hockey season.

Tip 1: The entire world is your teacher

When you take this perspective, that the world is your master, sensei, or teacher, your mind opens to possibilities. Learn from nature. Learn from your schooling. How do principles of the universe apply to goaltending and your situation? "You'll never step in the same river twice" is a philosophy concept that applies to goaltending: you'll never play the same game, be the same person, or see the same situations...the game flows on.

Tip 2: It's not as complex as you think

Avoid intimidating yourself! There are no "should's" when it comes to training from home. Don't worry about what other people are doing, just focus on what you can do to improve each day. Stretch. Shoot pucks. Play pass with tennis balls. There are plenty of goalie-specific workouts you can do! Watch hockey. Watch strategies and how teams move and play against each other. Watch to learn, not just for entertainment.

And the goalies who enjoy this process are typically the ones who improve long-term. It's not that you have to enjoy it to become good...just that they wouldn't rather be doing anything else, so they end up just doing hockey-related activities for fun!

Tip 3: Start Small & Stay Consistent

It doesn't matter how big the actions are, rather whether you start or not! Starting with just 5 minutes of shooting pucks or stretching or working out can be beneficial when you don't necessarily feel like it.

Instead of thinking that you have to spend a full hour doing goalie work, start small with something easy and fun, to get the juices flowing. Oftentimes, it helps to have a plan ready in advance so you don't have to think about what you want to do. That's where UnLock can be a huge help! We provide the plan so all you have to do is show up and execute it.

These tips should be simple enough to execute on, because there really are no "should's" here. Whatever you do to get you closer to your goals is what you "should" do.

Just get to work at whatever it is!

Stay frosty,

Josh