“The One Thing Every Goalie Gets Wrong at Tryouts" except the ones with a Playbook
Pasco Valana
FIND YOUR INVISIBLE ADVANTAGE! Built on Common Sense, Honesty & Values. Top selling Author of Building Elite Level Goaltenders” & Goalie IQ: Hockey Intelligence for Goaltenders RETIRED DEVELOPMENT GOALIE COACH!
You’ve put in the work. The long spring lifts, the summer ice sessions, the video breakdowns, the technical tune-ups. Physically, mentally, tactically—you’re ready. That’s the foundation. But now comes the real test: the tryout. The audition. The moment where months of preparation either translate—or don’t.
Too many players treat tryouts as a fresh start, as if they need to reinvent themselves in front of the evaluators. That’s a mistake. The reality? Tryout camp is not about becoming someone new—it’s about showcasing the best version of the athlete you’ve already built.
As a goaltender especially, this is about more than just making saves. It’s about reading the moments—the tough ones where you must stay calm, and the big ones where you must excel. Evaluators are watching for how you carry yourself as much as how you stop the puck.
So how do you prepare for this stage? Let’s break it down.
1. Schedule Prep: Controlling the Controllables
Success at camp often comes down to routine. Get this right, and you create stability in the middle of chaos.
Sleep: Lock in 8–9 hours per night in the week leading into camp. Go to bed and wake up at consistent times.
Meals: Stick to clean, simple foods you’ve eaten before. No experiments. Fuel for performance, not tastebud entertainment.
Hydration: Start hydrating days before camp, not the morning of. A dehydrated goalie is a slow goalie.
Gear: Check everything—pads, straps, steel, gloves. Tryouts are not the time for equipment surprises.
You’re eliminating distractions before they even have the chance to show up.
2. Rest and Recovery: Stay Fresh, Not Flat
The week of camp is not the time to “train harder.” The hay is in the barn. Now it’s about being sharp.
Active Recovery: Light bike rides, dynamic stretching, or an easy skate—keep your body awake, not worn out.
Sleep Banking: Studies show extra rest days prior to a stretch of hard exertion improves resilience. Think ahead.
Listen to Your Body: Small aches or tightness? Deal with them now with stretching, rolling, or treatment. Don’t let them creep into camp.
The difference between showing up fresh versus fatigued could be the difference between making the cut—or being just another name on the roster sheet.
3. Mindset: Tough Moments and Big Moments
Every goalie will face tough moments in camp. A bad rebound. A puck that sneaks through. A coach who tests your patience. What evaluators are looking for is not perfection—it’s how you respond.
Tough Moments: Calm body language. Quick reset. Don’t broadcast frustration.
Big Moments: Step into them. Flash composure on a breakaway save. Own your crease. Speak up when communication is needed.
Mindset at camp is not about “never making a mistake.” It’s about demonstrating resilience, presence, and leadership when the mistake happens.
4. Resetting Between Sessions
Tryouts are a series of auditions, not a single performance. One session, one drill, one scrimmage does not define you. Evaluators want consistency, not perfection.
After a Mistake: Short memory. Breathe, reset, and move on.
Between Sessions: Get away from the rink mentally. Rest, eat, recharge. Don’t over-analyze.
Before Returning: Visualize success. See yourself executing the saves, the movements, the decisions.
A goalie who resets well shows maturity. And maturity makes coaches trust you.
5. The Audition Lens
Think of camp as a job interview. Would you hire someone who panics under pressure? Or someone who sulks after one mistake? No. You’d hire the person who shows up sharp, steady, and professional—even when things get tough.
This is how evaluators see you. They’re not just watching the saves. They’re watching your body language, your focus, your communication, and your resilience.
Final Thought
Tryout camp isn’t about proving you’re perfect—it’s about proving you’re prepared. You did the work in the offseason. You built the foundation. Now it’s about showing up with confidence, controlling the controllables, and trusting the process.
Remember: the team isn’t just choosing talent. They’re choosing trust. Be the goaltender they can rely on when it matters most.
That’s The Invisible Advantage.
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President @ Rob Lopez Photography | Management Consulting, Marketing Management, 45 years in Sports Entertainment & Management
1mo1 of 2: Well, after 45 years of coaching ice hockey, being a Hockey Director, managing facility’s, and developing programs internationally, I have come to understand the following. 1.) Goalies have a disadvantage due to player to goalie ratio. Example: 15 player, verses one or two goalies! 2.) Because the majority of the coaches in the “world” have no idea how to train a goalie, and they don’t have time to worry about one player compared to 15 players! 3.). Because they don’t know how to train a goalie, when it comes time for tryouts and selecting goalies, they would rather stick with the current goalies they have because they know what they can and can’t do. 4.) Then you have a couple of factors that shouldn’t be placed into the selection process! A,) Politics! Parent boards make decisions that are best for their child, not for the greater good of the program. Thus all of the board members kids are always on the best teams. It does matter that you child is the best player on the ice, it has every thing to do with politics. B.) the parents that comes with demands. Example: He had two son’s and you don’t get one without the other.