Is There a Place on the Sideline for Goalie Coaches?

Each season lacrosse becomes more and more specialized.  It started decades ago when teams decided to implement defensive midfield lines. Teams decided to utilize their athletic scrappy midfielders who perhaps lacked the stick skills and finesse that the first and second lines possess giving the offensive midfielders the chance to refresh on the sideline.  More recently, in the late 1990's and early 2000's, we started to see the emergence of the FOGO position. These players do not need to dodge, shoot, or play defense.  Their only job is to face off and get off the field.  It doesn't get more specialized than that.  As lacrosse evolves into a specialized game we find teams are hiring coaches to work with the specialized positions.  It is common to find a coach on the sideline of most college teams who specifically works with face off personnel.  But what about the oldest specialized position on the field?

Many teams do not feel the need to hire a goalie coach.  Sure every team has a coach who "works" with the goalies.  This coach will handle goalie warmups before every practice and game and give pointers like "stay in the crease" or "step to the ball" but does this person really know how to coach the position?  The goalie coach needs to have the ability to recognize when a goalies technique is improper and have the know how to correct it.  He must work with the goalies during practice to develop and maintain proper stance and positioning as well as administer drills that quicken feet, speed up reflexes, and improve hand-eye coordination.  This coach must also teach communication and leadership.  Goalies are too prone to bad habits for their technique and skills to go unchecked especially in todays game when shots are faster and more accurate than ever.  

Last years NCAA Champions, Loyola Greyhounds, started Jack Runkel between the pipes.  Runkel had one of the highest save percentages in Division I.  Loyola's head coach Charley Toomey, a former national champion goalie himself, is extremely qualified for goalie training.  Even with all of Runkel's success Coach Toomey could see that the coaching staff needed to dedicate more time to the goalie position than the head coach could commit. As a result Loyola added to their staff one of the most famous goalie coaches in the business, David Metzbower.  Before coming to Loyola Coach Metzbower trained 3 Ensign C. Markland Kelly Award winners (the award given to the top goalie in college lacrosse) and won 6 NCAA Championships while coaching at Princeton.  Another team that has had great success and values goalie coaching is Notre Dame.  For years the Irish have utilized the expertise of Brian Fisher who coached team USA member Scott Rodgers and Ensign C. Markland Kelly Award winners Joey Kemp and now senior John Kemp.  Last year John Kemp had the highest save percentage of all goalies in Division I.  Do you see a pattern?

Lacrosse is not as complicated as it may seem.  The team that scores the most goals (or gives up the least amount of goals) will win.  Having a goalie that is fundamentally sound and properly trained will result in fewer goals against which theoretically will equal more wins.  Not having a coach who has an expertise in goalie play would be the same as a football team not having a special teams coach.  If a program wishes to be excellent at every position then they must provide the resources for every position  player to develop and maintain a top level of performance.  So to answer the question posed in the title, yes there is a place for a goalie coach on the sideline.