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From Humble Beginnings

While watching the 1992 Olympic hockey final held in Barcelona, Simon Barnett listened to his hockey-playing friends criticize the quality of the goal keeping equipment being used. From this, and the wish to defend his existing hockey importing business from competitors with access to foam kickers, he decided that there was an opportunity to enter the goal keeping market on a global scale, utilising modern product design and manufacturing approaches, and using unique and high quality New Zealand made closed cell foam.

With a background in sports importing and distribution and a lecturer in marketing at Massey University, Barnett consulted with several experts, such as Hilton Munroe, the NZ Men’s goalkeeper on what it was that keepers were really after in their equipment. At that stage, the market was serviced only by firms such as Monarch, Grays and Coopers…. foreign businesses that focused primarily on ice hockey or cricket gear, who then transferred the technology to hockey equipment. The result was unsatisfactory and expensive gear, not at all suited to the game’s requirements.

Barnett started Tomorrow Today NZ Ltd (which trades under the name of OBO Goal Keeping), sourcing raw material from Christchurch, which is then moulded to shape by a specialised contract manufacturer in Palmerston North. The protective gear including leg guards, kickers, chest pads, padded shorts, arm guards, gloves and helmets are made of a light but incredibly strong foam, allowing it to be moulded to fit the players’ requirements of durability and freedom of movement. Exports to Australia and Europe began in 1993, and within 12 months, OBO was exporting to the United States, Argentina, Japan and South Africa.

By 1996 just four years after the company was founded the goalkeepers in the men’s and women’s gold medal winning teams at the Atlanta Olympics were wearing OBO pads. In 1998, the company won a TradeNZ award for reaching $1 million in export sales a figure that has undoubtedly grown due to the massive gain in market share made in the last two years. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, over half of the goal keepers were using OBO equipment.

Today, OBO exports 95% of its output to over 30 countries. Almost 60% of its sales are in Europe, and the company has over 55% market share, making it the world’s largest supplier of hockey goal keeping equipment. OBO has gained itself such a good reputation that an English company recently flattered it with its imitation ‘MOBO’ pads. And although the technology OBO uses is not patented (Barnett sees little point in paying for international patents without the deep pockets to defend them in court), the company is confident that its innovative and revolutionary designs give it as much of a competitive advantage over its rivals as the unique materials they use.

Taking on the World

OBO has always focused on foreign markets only 5% of its output is sold locally. Traditionally, the company’s main emphasis has been on a push marketing strategy, pushing the product through international wholesale and retail channels, and relying on well-informed and knowledge equipped sales people to persuade the customer. Since 1997 however, OBO has realized the benefits of employing pull-strategies. More focus has been placed on the image of the brand, so that customers want to pull the product through the channels.

Barnett’s marketing background has been most useful in this endeavour. The main aspect of this has been sponsorship of prominent and promising players, which OBO used as a tool to help penetrate difficult markets. In the United Kingdom, for example, OBO was faring worse against its competitors than it was in other European markets. Keepers at national, provincial and school representative levels were sponsored in order to raise the profile of the brand. The extent of sponsorship arrangements, however, ‘got out of control.’ Barnett always regarded it as a method of marketing and defending market share and now considers its sponsored players as too big a focus of the firm.

Although OBO has reached the forefront of the industry, experiencing an average annual growth rate of 30% over the last seven years, the company is more concerned with defending its market share than making it larger. Barnett says that lifestyle is a big consideration he is not ‘into being the richest guy on earth, just making sure that [he does] what [he does] well.’ The purpose built OBO factory employs less than 30 people, but manufactures 24 hours a day.

The Internet however, is allowing OBO to reach new geographical markets. The company set up a web site in 1997, promising free world wide delivery of on-line orders. It also functions as an advice centre, with 30 sponsored players from around the world responding to visitor’s queries about the gear, and about playing tips. The Internet has enabled OBO to access a range of new markets, including Kenya, Hong Kong, Mexico, Gibraltar, Cyprus and Iceland. Sales taken through the web site in the first year of operation alone amounted to $80,000.

Europe; the home of hockey

With over 60% of the world’s hockey players living in Europe, it was always an important market for OBO to succeed in.

Barnett cites two main reasons for the importance of Europe. Firstly, in order to have credibility and brand awareness in the wider international marketplace, OBO needed to have a strong presence and success in Europe, the traditional home of hockey. In particular, the Dutch, Germans and English have dominated the game for most of its history, sharing the limelight occasionally with teams from India and Pakistan (and even New Zealand, who won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympics). Secondly, the company faces high fixed costs in its manufacturing processes. In order to achieve economies of scale, the company needed access to a large market. Europe now accounts for almost 60% of the company’s sales.

In 1993, Barnett considered a range of entry strategies for the European market. Overseas manufacturing was ruled out immediately. The savings of producing the gear in Europe and then distributing it around the continent, rather than exporting it from New Zealand, would only be 4%. Furthermore, the processes used are very specialized, requiring constant and close monitoring.

In early 1993, OBO made initial agreements to enter a partnership with a German sporting company to supply the product, which would then be sold in Europe under the German company’s brand name. Within a few weeks of beginning formal arrangements however, Barnett received a facsimile from the German partner directing him to reduce his prices, provide longer credit periods, have large amounts of back-up stock available in Europe, and give away almost half of its sales in the first year to its partner, and in free products. Barnett, wishing to retain control over the marketing and production processes, quickly cancelled the agreement.

Instead, he employed a New Zealander to manage a warehouse and office in the Netherlands. The finished products were transferred there, from where they were distributed throughout the continent. Barnett regarded this method as the ideal way of entering a market such as Europe. OBO’s representative was able to gain access to the numerous and complex distribution and retail networks, because of a ‘dedicated energy’ to the brand. The exclusive nature of this representation of OBO and the numerous contacts made enabled the representative to educate and motivate retailers to sell the brand the major aspect of OBO’s push strategy.

OBO continues to innovate and update its products on a regular basis… indeed annual spending on Research and Development is approximately 5% of turnover.

Thank you for your interest in OBO

Cheers,

Simon Barnett

Team Captain

Carbohydrate and fluid intake by Rachel Durdin

Fluids
As a goalkeeper we are wearing so much protective equipment that our body cannot effectively cool itself. I am sure you all know the feeling of coming off the playing field after a hard training or game covered in sweat. It is very important to replace the fluid we lose so that our body is adequately hydrated and can perform optimally during the next session.

Fluids

As a goalkeeper we are wearing so much protective equipment that our body cannot effectively cool itself. I am sure you all know the feeling of coming off the playing field after a hard training or game covered in sweat. It is very important to replace the fluid we lose so that our body is adequately hydrated and can perform optimally during the next session.

When I train I make sure to have at least one bottle of water before training and I always have a bottle behind the goal so I can drink during the session.

People do not realize how important it is to be well hydrated. Our muscles can work more efficiently when we are hydrated, as our body is able to take the waste products away more efficiently. If I am dehydrated I notice my legs feeling very heavy and tired. I am sure you have heard that you should drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Well that is for everyday people who may not be exercising. Goalkeepers should be drinking much more than this. If you find it hard to drink water you can try a small amount of cordial or energy drink powders to give it a bit more flavour!
Carbohydrates

As well as being well hydrated getting enough nutrients before a game or training is also very important. My routine before I play is to eat three hours before a match. This is so I do not feel hungry during the game and I am not feeling “full”. I wouId generally try to eat a sandwich or baked beans so that I have plenty of energy. However after you play or train it is important to try and eat something within 30 minutes so you can replace the energy you have burned up exercising. I would normally try to have some sports drinks or sandwiches to get some carbohydrates into my system. A quick and tasty alternative to this is some jelly babies or similar soft jubes, which are glucose rich. They also taste great!

Threading Your Robo/Cloud/Yahoo/OGO Legguards

The first thing you should do is nothing! Don’t even remove the old straps, because you can use them as a threader instead of having to make one yourself.

If you’ve already removed the old straps then you’ll need to follow the steps outlined below.

The first thing you should do is nothing! Don’t even remove the old straps, because you can use them as a threader instead of having to make one yourself.

If you’ve already removed the old straps then you’ll need to follow the steps outlined below.

Otherwise, remove the male component of the clip from one end of the strap and cut the buckle off the other, without removing the straps from the legguards. Then all you need to do is staple your new straps onto the old ones and pull them through. Have a look at steps 6-8 below. It doesn’t get much easier than that!

legguard01

Here’s what you need: a legguard of course, your new set of straps and a device to help you get those straps through those channels. Note that both male and female components of the clip are at one end of the strap.

legguard02

This is what we use at the OBO factory…. a threader! It’s a piece of flexible plastic, flexible enough to easily pass through the curved shape of the channel, but not so flexible that it snaps on you when you are half way through the process. We’ve sewn a piece of black nylon webbing onto the plastic. We’ve then sewn a piece of terracotta fabric to the black webbing. The legguard strap is then placed between the two ends of the terracotta fabric as shown by the red arrow. This helps the strap travel relatively easily through the channel.

The reason we use a plastic threader is because we need to thread hundreds of legguards. To thread a single legguard Jon O’Haire reckons a piece of 1″ cardboard with a pointy end will do the trick.

legguard03

Thread the plastic into the channel on the ‘wing’ side of the legguard. (This is a left legguard. The top of the legguard is to the left of the picture)

legguard04

Thread the plastic all the way through the channel until the tip of the threader appears at the channel exit as shown by the red arrow. You may need to assist the threader through the exit with a finger.

legguard05

Pull the threader almost all the way through the channel. Leave enough of the black webbing and terracotta fabric showing outside the channel so that you can attach the legguard strap to the threader.

legguard06

Staple the legguard strap between the two ends of the terracotta fabric of the threader (check out image 2 above to refresh your memory of what we mean if you need to). Use two staples if you’re not convinced it will hold but you should only need one. The insert in the image above shows how the legguard strap is folded over on itself and sewn at one end. We staple the legguard strap into the threader with the folded end down so that the OBO logo on the clip faces outwards. (Okay…. a fairly
minor point I know, but it’s a little detail we always remember.)

legguard07

Pull the rest of the threader, with legguard strap attached, gently through the channel. If you go too fast the strap will probably come off the threader part way through the channel. You can just see the end of the strap exiting the channel in the image above.

legguard08

All that remains is to attach the male component of the clip to the other end of the strap. That’s it, real easy, especially after you’ve done several hundred like we have at the OBO factory!

Equipment: Part 1

One of the most important parts of any keeper’s game is his (or her)
equipment. Good equipment, effectively used, is one of the cornerstones of
goalkeeping. When a keeper chooses his equipment, he’s choosing a style of play.
That’s an important choice. Unfortunately, that’s not a choice that all keepers
get to make for themselves. Many keepers are provided with kit through their
clubs or schools. Other keepers are responsible for providing their own
equipment. Whether you or your team is responsible for your equipment, money can
be an issue. You can’t spend what you don’t have. Having said that, there are
ways to get the most out of the kit you do have and a number of things to
consider when selecting new equipment.

One of the most important parts of any keeper’s game is his (or her) equipment. Good equipment, effectively used, is one of the cornerstones of goalkeeping. When a keeper chooses his equipment, he’s choosing a style of play. That’s an important choice. Unfortunately, that’s not a choice that all keepers get to make for themselves. Many keepers are provided with kit through their clubs or schools. Other keepers are responsible for providing their own equipment. Whether you or your team is responsible for your equipment, money can be an issue. You can’t spend what you don’t have. Having said that, there are ways to get the most out of the kit you do have and a number of things to consider when selecting new equipment.

In the next two tips, we’ll cover equipment. We’ll give you an idea of what to look for, how it should fit and how to take care of it. In part one, we’ll cover general things to think about when selecting and caring for equipment, and specifically, equipment bags, kicker and leg guards. Part two will cover pants, upper body protection, hand protectors, sticks, helmets, shoes and everything else.

Before we start, there are a number of things to consider when selecting equipment. First and foremost is the level you play at. Above all else, goalkeeping equipment must be protective. If you’re getting hurt with what you’re using, new equipment is more than a good idea. Identifying the level you play at isn’t just a matter of age. Playing level is impacted by the skill and size of your teammates and opposition, as well as the surface you play. Twelve year old club girls on grass don’t need the same gear as 25 year old International men on turf. That much is obvious. The point where a 16-17 year old moves on to senior elite pads isn’t always so easy to identify. If you are consistently being exposed to dangerous shots, especially lifted shots that don’t allow you time to react, adequate protection is essential. Adequate equipment should not leave a keeper consistently bruised and battered.

Equipment can be an expensive investment. You want to make sure you get the most out of your investment. If you’re still growing physically, it’s a good idea to wait before spending a lot of money on pads that might only fit you for a season. By the same token, hold off on making a substantial investment in kit if you’re not sure that you’ll be playing in two seasons. We talked about the importance of having kit that’s appropriate to the level you play at. It’s also important to consider the level you ultimately want to play at. Junior level pads have different playing qualities than more elite type pads, especially leg guards and kickers. If your aspiration is to play at the highest level, playing with and getting used to that gear is important. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to spend time on a tricycle if you want to ride a bike.

When selecting equipment, do your homework. The internet is a great resource for information on equipment. Many manufacturers have websites that illustrate their products. Make sure what those websites illustrate. Nice photos and catchy slogans are great, but technical information is important. What materials are pads constructed of? How are they made? What is a company’s history? Who is using their gear? How are their products serviced (i.e. where are their local agents, what are their return policies, what kind of customer support do they offer?)? These are all important things to consider when investing in equipment.

Taking proper care of equipment is as important as selecting the right gear. Care and maintenance of your equipment is a fairly broad subject and it can cover everything from “de-funking” (odor reduction) to unforeseen pre-game buckle replacement. It’s a matter of taking care of the things you can take care of well before a match or training session and having the resources to take care of the unexpected mishaps that hockey brings.

First off, let’s start with some of the things required to keep your kit in good shape. One of the most important things is the ability to read. OBO products (and some other makes) come with product information sheets. They’re there for a reason. Not only do they give you cool schematic pictures of your pads, they also give you some technical information about the equipment and often, instructions on how to properly use and take care of it. Make sure you have it and read it if at all possible. If you’re using a club or school’s kit, that’s not always possible, but companies like OBO do have that information online. In addition, check the Product Tips and Q&A section of the OBO website for OBO products, there is a ton of useful information there.

As I mentioned, it’s important that you have the resources to handle equipment emergencies. I keep a small tool bag with my kit. You don’t need to lug a whole tool box with you, but a few items are all you need for most repairs. I have screw drivers (Phillips and regular head), regular and needle nose pliers, scissors and an adjustable wrench (in a pinch it doubles as a hammer) that I keep in portable tool kit. I also keep what’s called a leatherman (a multi purpose tool that has files, an awl/leather punch, knife blades, screw drivers, and pliers all on one tool) in addition to several heavy needles and threads. I’ll keep an assortment of extra helmet hardware (screws and bolts), as well as spare kicker straps and buckles and duct and athletic tape in the tool kit. I have a small plastic box (like Tupperware) that I keep the tools and materials in and keep it in my equipment bag.

I also have a bigger repair kit that I keep at home. Other items to keep on hand are Shoe Goo or some other kind of plastic/rubber/foam adhesive. Plastic scrub brushes and mild household cleansers are also strongly recommended. Get in the habit of checking your equipment regularly after you’ve played or trained. It’s a lot easier to mend/replace something that’s breaking after training as opposed to trying to repair it when it’s broken during warm up or worse, during a match. As we deal with specific items of equipment, we’ll cover the tools and techniques used for their respective care and maintenance.

Equipment Bag

Wheelie bag

Body bag

This is where all kit starts and ends up. While not a huge thing (figuratively speaking), a good equipment bag is quite useful. When you think about storing and transporting your kit, you start to realize all the deficiencies in your equipment bag if it isn’t up to the task. Gear can be heavy, especially when it’s wet. In addition, there is a lot of gear. The last thing you want is a bag that is too small, or isn’t sturdy enough to carry all of your kit.

When investing in a bag, there are things to check for. Is the bag waterproof? That’s important not only because hockey is a game that’s played in the rain or on watered turfs, but because often after a match, your kit is wet with moisture and/or sweat. Sometimes keeping moisture in (on a very temporary basis) is as important as keeping moisture out. Plastic bags are also good for keeping wet stuff from dry stuff.

Side and end pockets are useful. Not only do they help keep things separate, like especially wet, disgusting items from the only semi-damp disgusting items, but they allow you keeper to organize your kit. The more organized my bag is, the easier it is to find things and the less likely I am to forget things when I pack. If I’m going away for a weekend tournament, I’ll throw a couple of shirt hangers and newspaper in my bag. Newspaper is excellent for drying out wet shoes. Hangers are good for airing and drying pants and upper body pads.

On the sturdy front, check the stitching on the bag. There should be double-stitching or rivets where straps are attached. Make sure the material the bag is made of is strong enough to carry the load and stress of carrying your equipment. It’s also a good idea to see where the stress of the bag is when you carry it fully loaded. If you’ve got to walk a fair distance with your bag, the last thing you want is to lose the circulation to your arm as you’re carrying the bag. Equipment bags with wheels are a welcome development. It’s not a bad idea to test drive an equipment bag. Wheels aren’t too handy if the handle of the bag is positioned so that your bag is crashing into the back of your legs as you pull it.

Kickers

Robo kickers

Cloud 9 kickers

Yahoo kickers

There are still a variety of different kickers available on the market and in various stages of circulation. If there’s one piece of equipment that should be replaced immediately, if not sooner, whether it is inherited or recently purchased, it’s bad kickers. Bad kickers can be, but are not limited to, bamboo and leather square toe kickers (yes, they’re still out there), worn foam kickers, kickers that are too big, or kickers that are too small.

First off, kickers determine the techniques available to you to clear the ball. Modern hockey requires a keeper to be able to first time clear a shot. In square toe kickers, that is a technique that is among other things, extremely painful, if not virtually impossible. It’s like trying to drill a hole with a wrench, square toe kickers are simply not the right tool.

If you’ve inherited kickers, whatever the type or brand, make sure they fit. If kickers are too big, you won’t be able to fasten the straps tight enough to secure them on your feet. If they’re close, you might be able to punch extra holes in the straps to make them fit. That might keep them on your feet for a while, but the biggest problem with kickers that are too big is that they’re difficult to move in. The foot doesn’t make actual contact with the field, the kickers does. As a result, you end up slipping or tripping.

When kickers are too small, the problem is usually equally obvious. Toes hang out, or the kicker doesn’t sit back far enough to cover the heel. There don’t seem to be enough holes in the straps on the large end at the back of the kicker or you can’t pull the buckle tight enough to get the kicker to sit right. Once again, you might be able to work around it by punching extra holes, but after time and practice, you’ll find that you end up getting hit in all the places that are exposed with kickers that are too small.

The problems with worn kickers are equally painful. When high-density foam kickers break down, they lose their rebound and protective qualities. The same applies to worn square toe kickers. Both are about as useful as over-sized slippers and should be put out to pasture. Just because kickers are old and ugly, doesn’t mean they have to be replaced. A well struck shot will sometimes sting no matter how new, or good your kickers are. There’s a difference between sting and collapsing in a heap in pain when the ball contacts your instep. The rebound qualities of the kicker are far more important. As long as rebound off the kicker is fairly proportional to the speed of the shot coming in, there’s life in the kicker.

If after you’ve assessed what you have in your kit bag and finding it lacking, or you just want new kickers there’s a lot out there, good and bad. OBO kickers, whether they are Robos, Cloud 9s or Yahoos, are all similarly shaped. For a young keeper that’s important because he’ll be playing in a kicker that’s shaped the same way as he grows as a person and a keeper. The kicker is designed with a tongue that locks the leg guard in place and keeps it from twisting. In the Robo line, the straps that keep the kicker down on the foot are built into the kicker. This keeps them from sliding back on the foot, sometimes a problem with kickers that have external straps.

When selecting a kicker, durability can be a consideration. How long a kicker will last depends on how often you play, the surface you play on, and the velocity of shots you face. OBO kickers are designed to wear well. The foam has a coating that stands up to abrasive surfaces like sand-filled pitches far better than the average foam kicker. The kickers also have bonded rubbing strips for the bottom of the kicker where most contact comes. This adds life to the kicker without sacrificing rebound. If there’s a complaint about OBOs, it’s that they last too long.

High rebound kickers use foam that is less dense than normal kickers. They offer great rebound, but over time and use, the foam compacts, losing elasticity and rebound. If you play a lot and don’t have the resources to replace your kickers, high rebound kickers probably aren’t your best choice. On the other hand, if you want a kicker that puts a shot back as quick as it comes in, they’re the way to go.

No matter what kickers you select, they become a useless accessory if your foot won’t stay in them. This is a common problem with kickers that use external, web nylon straps. Toe straps frequently slip and the front of your foot is exposed. There are a number of ways to deal with this. You can tape the toe strap (front) to the strap that goes around the ball of the foot (rear). Don’t use so much tape that you lose contact surface with the bottom of your shoe. You can also merge the strap that goes around the ball of the foot with the toe strap so that they cross under the foot. Finally, the way some kickers fit, you might not need the toe strap at all.

Care of kickers is fairly straightforward. Kickers can get dirty and do need to be cleaned even on artificial surfaces and especially on natural surfaces. A plastic scrub brush and a mild household detergent are usually all you need to put a sparkle back into the foam bits of your kit. Avoid cleansers that are abrasive or caustic. On the maintenance front, two tools are very handy, an awl and needle-nose pliers. An awl is great for punching holes in straps when your feet seem to fit just between the pre-punched holes. Needle-nose pliers are good for crimping the roller part of buckles that always seem to come off when you tighten your straps. They’re also quite useful when you first slot the internal straps through kickers.

There is a breaking in period for high-density foam kickers. Like any new piece of new equipment, you should use them in training before you break them out in a game. When breaking in kickers, I’ll usually wear two pair of socks for the first three or four training sessions. Foam can be stiff and will rub all the sensitive areas around your ankles. An extra pair of socks will eliminate most of that chafing.

Most kickers are shipped flat from the manufacturer. To help shape the kicker, tighten the straps as far as they’ll go. Beating the kicker with a stick or wrapping them snugly in an elastic bandage are also good ways to speed the break in process. Know that bottom line, all kickers usually need to break in are three good training sessions with lots of shots.

There’s a wide range of price to kickers and leg guards. If you are buying kickers, it is best to buy the matching leg guards. You should plan on spending about half your goalkeeping budget on leg guards and kickers. If there’s a place to go cheap on equipment, this isn’t the place to do it. Nothing will limit the development of a keeper more than bad pads and kickers.

Leg guards

Robo SP legguards

Robo legguards

Leg guards and kickers are the most important pieces of equipment for a keeper. Watch the game for any length of time and you realize that easily more than half the plays on a ball made by the keeper are with those two pieces of equipment. Leg guards and kickers aren’t important solely for the frequency that they’re used. Equally important is how they’re used and that’s determined by the type of leg guards and kickers a keeper uses.

Leg guards came in two types before 1985, cricket pads and skeleton (or continental) leg guards. Cricket pads were taken directly from that sport. They’re made of canvas and stuffed with cloth scraps. They’ re designed more as incidental protection, rather than primary protection (you don’t try to get hit with the ball in cricket). Skeleton leg guards are made of canvas or leather and have bamboo cane ribs along the front and canvas with cloth scraps behind the canes for protection. They are designed for a person intending to be hit by a ball, but they have their own deficiencies. A well-struck shot will break bamboo.

Cricket pads, skeleton leg guards, cloth and bamboo square toe kickers are all still available and used, especially at the junior and lower club level. They can provide adequate protection with severe technique limitations. I would not honestly encourage anyone to buy them, but they are usable, especially skeleton leg guards. Why? Because when a keeper, club or school is faced with having to buy a full set of goalkeeping equipment, costs can be a major consideration. Some items might need to wait. If you have to make a decision between replacing kickers or skeleton leg guards, there isn’t a decision in my mind. You replace the kickers.

If you’ve inherited a set of cricket pads or skeleton leg guards, realize full well that if someone hits a ball on your leg pads really hard, you’re going to feel it. If you play at a level where that doesn’t happen, then you’re all right. If injury or discomfort is something you’re looking to avoid, foam shin guards and/or kneepads worn under your leg guards are a good idea. With the advent of instep kicking, many keepers find the inside of their leg is a vulnerable area. You can similarly turn foam shin guards to cover the calf area if you’re getting hit with shots there. Make sure you really need the additional padding. Many keepers who have worn shin guards with other pads will use them when they get newer leg guards out of habit. Most leg guards that have wrap around protection will not sit properly on the leg with shin guards stuffed under them.

None of these problems exist with good high-density foam leg guards. High-density foam leg guards come in a variety of styles, sizes and densities from a number of manufacturers. Make sure the foam thickness of the pad corresponds to the level you play at. The harder the shot, the thicker the foam needs to be. When buying leg guards, it’s usually best to buy kickers at the same time. If you are using kickers and leg guards from two different manufacturers, make sure they are compatible. OBO kickers can be used with other leg guards, but one of their best features is the tongue that locks them in to place with OBO leg guards. Other kickers have different designs around the ankles that require modification if they’re to be used with other brands of leg guards.

When you buy leg guards, the surface you play on does have an impact. Whether it is grass, sand-filled turf, dry turf or water-based turf, the surface you play and train on will affect the life of your leg guards. Playing style will also affect pad life. If you’re a keeper that slides a lot on sand-filled pitches, the life span of your pads is likely to be much shorter than the upright keeper who plays on a watered turf.

There are a number of things to take in to consideration when it comes to leg guards. First, make sure they fit. Leg guards should protect from above the kicker to above the knee. Leg guards that are too short leave the keeper’s knees exposed, especially as the keeper moves. Pads that are too big are cumbersome and often painful to wear. They dig into the top of the kicker and the straps often rub directly behind the knee, chafing and digging into your leg. Leg guards should protect the inside of the calf. Just as the instep is a primary clearing surface, the inside of the leg is a frequent saving surface.

Depending on the type of leg guards you wear, maintenance will take different forms. Leather skeleton pads need to be left out to dry after use. Leather straps will crack or rot quickly if you don’t properly air dry your pads. In addition, metal buckles will rust. You should replace broken canes in skeleton pads. Obviously foam leg guards don’t have these problems. You should check straps periodically. Most foam leg guards now have nylon straps with plastic buckles. Occasionally the stitching around the buckles will wear and they should be re-stitched before you have them go in the game. Most manufacturers sell replacement straps and buckles for their pads, but if you’re in a bind many sporting goods or camping stores sell backpacking supplies (plastic buckles and nylon strap) that can be used.

It’s a good idea to clean your pads periodically. Skeleton pads can be scrubbed down with a wet hand brush. Foam pads can be cleaned using a mild household cleanser and a scrub brush. Even if you play on watered turf and your pads seem clean, washing and rinsing them on a regular basis is a good idea. Foam can absorb sweat and you can easily get a nice coat of bacterial slime going if you don’t clean your pads. In addition to smelling, that bacteria can cause a nasty rash. When drying foam equipment, always air dry it and avoid keeping it in direct sunlight or extreme heat for extended periods of time. The inside of a car can reach 100 degrees centigrade in the summer, hot enough to damage foam.

Next: Everything else

Good luck,

Jon

email Jon

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above must not be used in any form without express permission from Jon O’Haire.

Penalty Strokes

I am often asked questions like the following: Can you please send me information on strokes. I am a goal keeper and had a stroke against me on Wednesday and I missed it. I think it was probably because I didn’t dive but rather reached out for it with my leg. How do I know when to dive or how, and how do I read them so that I can at least dive in the right direction. Can you also tell me how to build up my confidence on diving so that I can dive correctly.

Penalty strokes, mention the words and depending on your experiences, you either love them or hate them. You either won the game or lost it, all on the whim of an umpire and the push of the ball. It’s never that simple, and neither are strokes. Penalty strokes are a part of the game and a keeper has to deal with them. The problem is how. For most questions there are absolute answers. Penalty strokes are one of the least absolute parts of the game, especially when it comes to how to deal with them. For every absolute, I can think of a dozen exceptions.

First off, there is no one way to deal with strokes and the more information you can assemble, the more tools you have for dealing with them. Rachel has a tip on penalty strokes and it has a lot of relevant information. In our tips, we share experiences as players and coaches. You have your own experiences and the opportunity to learn from the keepers you play against and the strokers you’ve faced. Take advantage of them all to develop the best plan for you.

These are some of the tools I’ve used to try to be successful with penalty strokes. Note the word “try.” A penalty stroke is a severe penalty awarded for an intentional foul inside the circle or a foul that prevents a certain goal. The penalty is not designed to give the fouled team a good chance to score. It’s designed to give them an excellent chance to score. A well taken penalty stroke should go in. Having said that, not every penalty stroke is well taken and even the well taken stroke can be saved.

Knowledge is a tool and dealing with penalty strokes starts with knowing the rules and procedures for the taking of a stroke. The penalty stroke is a flick or push taken from seven yards away from the goal. The stroker is allowed one step to take the stroke. The stroker must start with both feet behind the stroke mark when setting up to take the stroke. The player may not hit, slap or drag-flick the ball. The drag flick modification is a recent change in response to players slinging the ball in closer than seven yards when they release the ball off their stick. The stroker may only touch the ball once while taking their stroke.

Proper procedure calls for the umpire to “confirm” that stroker and keeper are ready. The check can be verbal or simple visual contact. If for some reason, you’re not “ready” when the stroke is about to be taken, make sure the umpire knows it by saying “no,” or raising your hand. Umpires are not sympathetic to time-wasting, but there are legitimate reasons to step off the line. Once it’s established both keeper and stroker are ready, the umpire will blow the whistle for the stroke to be taken. The stroker does not have to take the stroke as soon as the whistle is blown, but there can not be an excessive delay between the whistle and the stroke.

Rules that pertain to the keeper are that the keeper must stand on the goal line until the stroke is taken. Standing on the goal line is interpreted as the keeper having a portion of his or her foot on or above the plane of the goal line. That means a keeper doesn’t need to stand with their toes on the goal line, he can stand with his weight on the balls of his feet slightly in front of the goal line as long as his heels are along the plane of the goal line. That’s an important distinction because it allows the keeper to cut down some angle as he extends to the sides to make a save. The keeper may not move his feet, but he doesn’t have to be motionless when the stroke is taken. The keeper can rock, shift his weight or move his hands while waiting for the stroke to be taken, as long as he doesn’t move his feet.

If the stroker violates any part of the procedure for a stroke, a 16-yard hit is awarded. Typical violations for the stroker are taking two steps on the stroke, making two touches while taking the stroke or taking the stroke before the whistle is blown. If a keeper commits a violation, a goal is awarded. The biggest violation for keepers is moving before the stroke is taken. If you have any questions about the procedures for how a stroke is to be taken, make sure you ask the umpire before getting in the goal before the stroke is taken.

While you don’t want to get in the routine of giving up strokes, having a routine for strokes is a good idea. Once a stroke is called, as a keeper it’s important to detach yourself from what’s just happened and get ready for what’s coming next. Mentally, that may be something as simple as stepping out of the goal for a second while the stroke is being set up and focusing your thoughts. Time is stopped for a penalty stroke so there’s no need to race into the goal.

In years past some keepers used the time stoppage for the stroke to put pressure on the stroker. They took their helmet off, removed their hand protectors and loosened and tightened a strap that was already fine, all in the name of “icing” a stroker. The rules don’t allow this anymore and the penalty can be a goal or a card. A keeper doesn’t want to take a stroke if he’s got a loose strap, and if you’ve got sweat in your eyes, by all means wipe your brow, but these shouldn’t be a part of your routine. My routine took maybe ten seconds and it was done while the stroke was being set up. I stepped out of the goal, took a couple of seconds to stretch and to mentally focus on the job at hand and got back in the goal ready to save the stroke.

There is a mental component to saving strokes and a lot of it comes from having confidence in your ability to save a push or flick from seven yards from goal. If you don’t believe you will save a stroke, you won’t. That’s not to say that you’ll save every stroke, but you need to believe in your ability to save the shot. A stroker knows when a keeper believes in himself. He sees it in your stance, he sees it in your eyes and he sees it in how you step up for the stroke. A keeper’s routine and approach to the stroke have to be natural. You have to believe in what you’re doing. A stroker can tell the difference between a keeper standing in goal and a keeper set to save a stroke.

We’ve talked a little about where to stand on the goal line when setting up for the stroke (heels above the goal line), but once you get past that there are different philosophies on stances for saving a stroke. The best stance for you will depend on the level you play at, your size and your reaction time. There is a big difference between the strokes taken in an Olympic final stroke off and what you might see at an under-12 game. How you stand is influenced by what you’re expecting.

As a keeper, while I believed that I could save any stroke, my primary goal was to save the savable. As I mentioned before, well taken strokes should go in. The stroke I don’t want to allow is the poorly taken one. Saving the savable should keep a keeper in a stance fairly close to his normal ready position. Typically, that’s with your feet shoulder width apart so you can explode to either side, with your weight on the balls of your feet, knees and waist slightly bent. You want to be in a position that allows you the best opportunity to react to any shot at goal.

A stance for strokes, weight and hands forward, the keeper is ready to explode
to the ball.

Stance will effect how a keeper can save a ball and going back to philosophies, it’s a matter of what you’re trying to save. Many keepers ask whether it is better to dive or go with their legs to make saves on low shots to the corners. How you set up in your stance will dictate the save you can make. I found I was most effective saving strokes by playing in a compact, explosive stance. The stance allowed me to dive down and out to get to shots to the low corners. I had the size and reactions to be able to get to the high corners.

I play with my hands very forward in my ready position. I find that having my hands forward and somewhat close together helps me with diving because my weight is forward. I’m looking to go to the ball with my hands, even shots to the low corners. My goal is to attack the ball and get out to the stroke. By trying to make the save as early as possible, I take away angle as I extend to the side. That means I don’t have to get as wide and lessens the chance of the stroke hitting me and deflecting in (particularly with my stick).

The distance between your feet in your stance will also dictate how you can react to the ball. Keepers with their feet close together often fall to the ball as they don’t have a base to push off to the ball. Keepers with their feet very wide usually end up flopping to the ball. Either way, these keepers usually end up diving to balls in the corners. If they’re successful saving, there’s nothing wrong with the stance.

Another school of thought has that the keeper should look to make himself big. He’ll carry his arms out in a fairly upright stance trying to fill as much of the goal as he can. At higher levels of play, particularly with strokers who can stroke hard and high, this can be an effective tactic. In this stance, the keeper is looking to reduce the distance he has to react to the shot because he’s made himself big. The keeper is basically looking to drop to get to shots to the low corners and stepping to reach shots to the high corners.

The keeper making themself big, hands are outside the body.

A big part of saving strokes is knowing how you can save a shot when it’s taken to a particular spot on goal. That comes from repetition. Strokes low to a keeper’s right can be saved with a foot or a stick, low to the left can be saved with a hand or a foot, high right with a stick or a hand, etc. For younger keepers, it’s often useful to train by having them save strokes where they know where the ball is going. They need to learn the mechanics of saving, whether that’s by reaching with their legs or diving. Until a keeper makes a save on a stroke, they don’t know which way is best for them. By training with strokes taken to a known spot, the keeper is provided with that opportunity and is allowed to train the reaction.

A diving save to the keeper’s left

A stick save, low to the keeper’s right

A stick save, high to the keeper’s right

As I mentioned, what stance is best for you will depend on the strokers you face, your size and speed. A smaller keeper physically can’t get to low shots to the corners with his legs, he’s going to dive which is going to require an explosive stance. A slower keeper won’t have the reactions to be as explosive and will have to make himself big. There is room for variation within the stance. It isn’t one or the other. A keeper develops the stance that works for them based on experience and experience means trying different things.

Prepare for frustration when you’re trying new things with stance on strokes. For many keepers, strokes are uncomfortable to start off with. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen a keeper go back to their old ways after trying a new stance for a whopping three strokes in practice. Be prepared to try something for a month, for a hundred strokes, for as long as it takes to get comfortable with it and then make an evaluation based on fact, not feel.

As a coach, there are a number of things to consider when training for strokes. Is the training for the keeper, or the stroker? When training a keeper for strokes, part of the training is building confidence. Confidence comes with saves and success, something most strokers don’t want to give a keeper. Fatigue and frustration can also affect a keeper’s confidence. Have a plan for what you want and how you’re going to get it. Also be prepared to have a back up plan if practice becomes negative.

Finally, a note on “guessing” on strokes; a keeper should avoid guessing on strokes. I might anticipate where a stroker is going, but I need to base that anticipation on prior knowledge. At higher levels of play, scouting is an important part of game preparation. It entails having knowledge of who an opponent’s strokers are, how they set up and where they shoot. I may set up differently if I know where a stroker goes. I may anticipate where they shoot, but I still need to react to the ball. Just as you might have information on a stroker, he’s just as likely to have information on your tendencies.

I hear keeper’s say that if a stroker looks one way, or sets their feet up a certain way, he’ll shoot to this spot. For every one of these certain cues, I’ve seen a stroker go a completely different place. Nothing is more disheartening to a team than to have a stroker push the ball in the middle of the goal as you’re diving to the corner. My experience has been that when I focused on the ball and not the stroker, I had the most success saving the stroke.

Like any goal shot, great strokes will go in, average strokes shouldn’t. As keepers we don’t like to concede anything, but if we take the approach that we’re going to save the savable we go a long way to making strokes more manageable. Penalty strokes are nothing more than a push from seven yards. Practice them, get comfortable with them and deal with them.

Good luck,

Jon

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Penalty flicks to the right

I have been goalkeeping for 3 years now and I am 16. I now play for the Cambridge (England) fourth team. I have noticed that penalty flicks are ever increasingly going to my right. When standing in the middle of the goal it is too far to make a save with our foot and too close to dive down with my stick. Can you suggest how I might be able to save these? I am also thinking of buying some Cloud 9 kickers and legguards. Would you say it is really worth spending the extra money for Robo legguards at the men’s level I am playing at?

qna Question:

Answer:

As far as penalty strokes go, I would suggest you think about your positioning. Unless you’re very big and flexible, it’s hard to get to the low corners with your feet. Typically, I’m most successful getting to those shots by diving. Work on keeping your feet about shoulder width apart with the weight on the balls of your feet. Look to explode, pushing off from both of your feet and try to get those shots with your hands or stick, especially for the low ones to your right. Penalty flicks are equal parts skill, reaction, intuition and sometimes luck.

The thing that I would offer to you when you buy pads is to think of the level you want to play at. If you plan on playing seriously for a while, I would recommend the Robo.

Saying constructive things

I’m a well respected keeper in Ireland, and need help. When you are talking at the back, what should one say, because my captain keeps saying I’m not saying constructive things, but my coach says that I’m fine.

Also, this is going to sound strange, but at the moment, I can’t concentrate on the game, and aren’t making the outstanding saves I used to make. I am confident, and am still willing to do anything to keep the ball out of the net, but I have tried to tell my coach about it, but all she says is that I’ve got too many coaches coaching me that I’ve got too much information. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.

qna Question:

Answer:

I don’t know if I’m going to be construed as one of the too many coaches, coaching you, but…

I think the bottom line with communication is “what is the result of it?” If players do what you ask, it’s effective communication. If not, you need to find out what it takes to get people to do what you want. Some people respond to simple, direct instructions, others need to be clued in at urgent times and you’re going to convey that with your voice. Obviously your rapport with team-mates can influence things. Constructive comments are always appreciated. You’re the best judge of whether people are doing what you want. If they are, you’re fine, if not, you’ve got to tinker.

As far as confidence and making the outstanding save, outstanding saves happen, I don’t worry about making that save all the time, I found I had my most confidence when I made the routine save, automatic. There was no doubt I could do the skill and I did it. Confidence comes from reading situations and successfully defending them.

Finally, I don’t know that you can have too many coaches. Coaches are information and I don’t know that you can have too much information. Now there’s nothing to say you have to use all that information, but thinking about things reinforces and clarifies issues.

What shoes?

There is one answer I need to know. What kind of shoes should I wear?

Question:

There is one answer I need to know. What kind of shoes should I wear?

Answer:

What kind of shoes you should wear depends on the surface you play on and the conditions you play in. If you play on grass, a cleat is usually the best shoe, but not one that is too grabby. Those are the kind that have 8-10 big, long cleats on the bottom. Those are only really good when you play on long, wet grass. If you play on astroturf, the shoe will depend on the kind of turf and whether the pitch is dry or wet. If the pitch is dry, or sand-filled, you can wear flats, either like a basketball shoe, tennis shoe or cross-trainer. If you play on wet turf, look for hockey shoes designed for wet turfs. They’re multi-cleated shoes with small cleat and lots of them. The big thing you don’t want to have is a shoe that you’re going to slip in when you move or stick when you extend to make a save.

Here’s a suggestion from Chris Howes in the UK: “Just a point about “what shoes to wear” – on sand filled astro, I suggest that the multi-studded (cleated?) shoes are best as the kicker straps will either fit between the studs, or the studs can be removed (with a sharp knife) to allow this. This then protects OBO’s wonderful, but rather expensive, straps from abrasion.”

Should I change my technique?

I have played hockey for nine years and have played international hockey up to under 21 level. At a short corner I position myself at the usual 3 paces out from the goal line and kneel down on my right knee. This technique works brilliantly for all levels of short corner hitting I have played against. At senior club level most flicked short corners are of a mediocre standard and my current technique suffices. However, at a higher level I am concerned that my position will not allow me the time to react to a good, high and powerful flick. Should I change my technique or work on my current one until it is successful for me.

qna Question:

Answer:

I’m not a big proponent of the technique where you go down on one knee as a set up to logging. As you’ve noticed, the technique is good on hit shots, but drag flicks present a big problem. Your weight is committed to the knee and you’re basically rooted. You can stay with this technique and try making an adjustment to keeping your weight more on your left foot as opposed to your right knee, but with a good drag flick to the upper corners, even that will find you lacking. At the level you’re playing at, I’d suggest more of a stance where you’re in a lean, to get down.

The following is a summary of the technique. You’re starting in a position on the corner where you are square to the stick stopper and shooter as opposed to being square to the pusher outer. On the push out you’re looking to get out three to four yards. On the stop, you are set with your feet about a yard apart, your right foot is inside your right shoulder and your left foot is about eighteen inches to two feet outside your left shoulder with your knees slightly bent. These distances will vary depending on your height. The big thing is, you’re leaning to your right as you face out from the goal. To get down on a hit shot, you collapse your right. This allows you to drop down on to your side to log. To make yourself as big as possible, you straighten out your right leg and drop down on your hip. On balls that are struck to your far right, you can push off with your left foot to fully extend. When you’re down, you’re trying to do the same things as when you log out from being on a knee. You want your legs straight out, you want your hips and shoulders perpendicular to the ground or slightly forward so when the ball strikes you, it doesn’t deflect back and up in to the goal. You want to watch the ball all the way on to your body.

The strength of this stance is the flexibility it allows you on drag flicks or variations. On drag flicks, you can easily get yourself in to a balanced position by just getting your right foot outside your shoulder so that you can cover the upper corners of the goal. With that one adjustment, you’re basically back in to a set position for the shot. The same principle allows you to easily change your positioning with the changes of angle that come with variations on corners.

Like any change, it will take a while to get comfortable. You’ll need to work on footwork and getting down from a slightly higher position, but as you get more comfortable, I think you’ll find that you can cover struck shots just as well and will have more success with good drag flicks.

Communicate with your coach

I was playing for a team and then I changed to a new one cause it lost all of it’s life (because of the money) and in the new team, the coach is an international player who happened to be a goalie, I was very happy at first cause I thought I’d learn a lot but it’s a year from that and he refuses to teach me anything by making himself as a fool so I’ve begged him to teach me and I don’t know what to do and I’d think I can improve my skills if he does, so have you got any ideas?

qna Question:

Answer:

If you haven’t already, ask to sit down and talk to him away from practice and your team-mates. I think one of the biggest obstacles to getting good coaching is communication. If you can express to him your frustration and that you look at him and his knowledge as an asset, he may be more willing to share his experience.