Inline goalie clinic hits the spot

TWELVE inline hockey goalkeepers got down to the serious business of honing their goal-tending skills last weekend, when the Namibia men’s national team goalie, Erik Rodenwoldt put them through their paces at the SFC club in Swakopmund.

Rodenwoldt held a three-day development clinic for goalies of all ages, to give these ‘lone stars’ a chance to focus on their key role in the game and swap experiences. According to Rodenwoldt, it is essential to take time to look in more depth at individual aspects of inline as the sport continues its rapid development in Namibia.Participants in the goalie course came from every inline hockey club in the country, and because most had a certain amount of goal tending experience, Rodenwoldt was able to cover a wide range of skills and techniques.These included basic goal-tending movements and exercises, net coverage and ‘goalie psychology’.Rodenwoldt said he was grateful for the experience he had gathered at World Championship tournaments over the past three years, and enjoyed the chance to pass on tips and observations gleaned from the world-class goaltenders he had met and watched.Under the attentive eye of Namibia’s head inline hockey coach, Nate Blair, and members of the national team, the clinic took the young goalies to new levels of development.They were exposed to high calibre shots and manoeuvres in order to practise their moves and correct their mistakes.In addition, they endured physically taxing drills that tested overall performance, strength, fitness and concentration – essential elements for one of the most important jobs in the inline game.According to Rodenwoldt, it is essential to take time to look in more depth at individual aspects of inline as the sport continues its rapid development in Namibia.Participants in the goalie course came from every inline hockey club in the country, and because most had a certain amount of goal tending experience, Rodenwoldt was able to cover a wide range of skills and techniques.These included basic goal-tending movements and exercises, net coverage and ‘goalie psychology’.Rodenwoldt said he was grateful for the experience he had gathered at World Championship tournaments over the past three years, and enjoyed the chance to pass on tips and observations gleaned from the world-class goaltenders he had met and watched.Under the attentive eye of Namibia’s head inline hockey coach, Nate Blair, and members of the national team, the clinic took the young goalies to new levels of development.They were exposed to high calibre shots and manoeuvres in order to practise their moves and correct their mistakes.In addition, they endured physically taxing drills that tested overall performance, strength, fitness and concentration – essential elements for one of the most important jobs in the inline game.