If you’re a parent of a young goalie, hockey vision training could help boost their skills and get them conditioned for the next season! Especially if they will be honing their skills in a summer camp or offseason training.
Did you know that much of an athlete’s perceived sensory information is visual? Approximately 80%! Sports vision training has quickly become a way for athletes (young and advanced) to improve and surpass plateaus.
We’re actually shocked that more people don’t know about it or use it as a tool to get ahead of the competition! But that’s why we’re here. To let you know why it’s so great and encourage you to explore it.
As the only clinic north of Edmonton to offer this service, we think we’re well-equipped for this task!
Just think of the visual skills needed for a hockey goalie. You have to keep your eyes on the puck—whether it’s on the other side of the ice or right in front of you. You need to have quick reflexes to keep the other team from scoring, and be able to move with so much precision to stop the puck.
Goalies need to maintain excellent peripheral awareness of all the players’ positions while staying focused on the puck as the shot gets lined up. Their focusing system has to be fast and flexible to see clearly as they quickly look near and across the ice. Their eye teaming has to be very accurate to have excellent depth perception, which is the foundation of great eye-hand coordination. Their visual processing has to be lightning fast to have excellent reaction time.
In this blog, we’re covering:
- The demands of a hockey goalie
- The definition of sports vision training (SVT)
- Why SVT matters for hockey goalies
- The SVT process at Aurora Eye Care
- Signs your child may benefit from hockey vision training
The goal of this blog? By the end, we want you to think, “A goalie’s best save doesn’t start with their glove — it starts with their eyes.”
Let’s get into it!
The Unique Demands of a Hockey Goalie
Every sport and position is unique—hockey is no different!
Sure, the rest of the team is skating up and down the ice and taking control of the puck for most of the game, but we’d argue that there’s more pressure on the goalie. Of course, teammates will help interfere with the puck going in the net, but at the end of the day, the goalie is fully responsible for blocking it.
When it comes to hockey goalies, their position requires these critical skills:
- Fast-paced reactions
- Peripheral vision
- Fast and flexible focusing system
- Anticipation and decision-making
- Eye-hand coordination
- Tracking a fast-moving puck through visual chaos
What Is Sports Vision Training?
If you haven’t had a chance to dive into our other sports vision training (SVT) blogs or our webpage dedicated to it, no worries! We’ll give you a quick overview here.
Sports vision training is a specialized program designed to enhance the visual skills of athletes across all sports, from amateur to pro.
It is not part of your general eye care routine and testing. It is a separate doctor-supervised program and an individualized approach to enhancing visual skills for athletic performance.
A sports vision training program consists of weekly in-office sessions lasting 45 minutes and home exercises to be completed 3-4 days a week, spanning a period of 4-6 months.
Why Hockey Vision Training for Goalies Matters
We’ve already mentioned how key a fast and precise reaction time is for hockey goalies, but there’s much more to their position!
Sports vision training can help goalies improve their skills, on and off the ice. A hockey vision training program can help:
- Prevent late reactions and missed saves
- Improve game-time confidence and consistency
- With off-ice performance (like school and other sports)
- Reduce the risk of concussion by improving peripheral awareness
How Sports Vision Training Works at Aurora Eye Care
Yes, SVT has key components and a sequence, but there are lots of plug-and-play options that allow us to customize a program to fit an athlete’s unique needs and goals.
Generally, we like to follow this process at Aurora when doing an SVT intake:
- General Eye Exam: For yourself, your teen, or your child. This will allow our optometrists to have an updated view on whether sports vision training can benefit them, and if so, how.
- Visual Performance Evaluation: An in-depth assessment of visual skills and function.
- SVT Consult: Once we have the results of these exams, we can determine which visual skills we can improve. These will be discussed with our behavioural optometrist, Dr. Charlotte Forgie, who will share her recommendations for the next steps.
- Customized SVT Program: If it is determined that sports vision training is right for you, your child, or your teen, Dr. Forgie will create a customized program tailored to your or their specific skills, sport, and goals.
Sports Vision Training Tools Used for Hockey Goalies
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. All SVT programs are personalized to an athlete’s needs and goals.
But there are specific vision training tools we continue to use and see success from for hockey goalies.
SVT Tools for Hockey Goalies:
Senaptec Strobe Goggles
Used to train reaction time.
These goggles flash opaque and transparent. When the player is wearing them, they must learn to react and make a decision with much less visual information. When players remove the goggles, it feels like the world has slowed down, and they have way more time.
Neurotracker
Develops peripheral awareness with multiple object tracking.
This helps goalies maintain the ability to track the puck while still maintaining full awareness of all the players in their peripheral vision, who are moving about. This tool also trains the mental focus and cognitive stamina needed to play at their best for the entire game.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from Hockey Vision Training
From amateur to pro, sports vision training helps athletes further dial and develop their skills and improve in their respective sports.
For hockey goalies specifically, keep your eyes out or talk to your child’s coach about if your young athlete is having difficulty with:
- Tracking the puck
- Consistency
- Delayed reaction times
- Eye strain or fatigue after games
Start Your Hockey Vision Training Journey at Aurora
We hope you’ve gained more knowledge about hockey vision training and how impactful it can be for goalies, young and professional!
Our Grande Prairie team is ready to provide personalized care and an SVT program that takes your child’s skills to the next level.
Ready to start their hockey vision training journey? Book a general eye exam now.
Further reading on sports vision training:
Your Guide to Sports Vision Training in Grande Prairie
How Vision Training for Sports Benefits Young Athletes