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Aside from being a little bit crazy, one of top things that goaltenders must also be in order to succeed at their position is flexible. Yes, flexibility plays a big role in making routine and difficult saves – and it also plays a big role in preventing injuries. Stretching should be done often by goaltenders, but it’s most important prior to taking to the ice for games or practice. And while the groin and hamstrings may be the most important muscles to focus on during your stretching routine, they shouldn’t be the only ones that you stretch out prior to taking your position between the pipes.
On that note, here’s a look at some stretches that every goaltender should know:
Groin push: This is an easy one that can be done either on or off ice. To do it, just get down on your knees, spread the knees and use your pelvis to push toward the surface. You’ll be able to feel the groin muscle stretching out. To take things a step further and stretch out your back, you can bend backwards from the kneel down position.
Hamstring stretch: You can stretch your hamstrings easily by just sitting on the ground with your legs in a “V” shape. Reach your right hand out to your right toe and bend your body forward until you feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Then, switch legs and hands to perform stretching on the other hamstring.
Splits: As part of your on-ice warm up, you should know how to perform a certain splits stretch. In order to prevent injury, this stretch should be performed using the goalie net. Simply lay your arms across the top of the crossbar and, using the net as leverage, slide out your legs into the split position as far as you’re comfortable. Once you’re done with the stretch, just pull yourself out of the splits position with your arms.
As we noted in the opening, stretching is important for all hockey players, but arguably most of all for goaltenders. For more information on stretches that goalies can do – both on and off ice – to increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury, and for information on our goalie camp, contact us today.
