My Take on Floorball Goaltending

Forgive me for my bias, but I strongly believe that goaltending is the most important position in team sports. In games like ours, be it ice hockey, field hockey or soccer, attention always centre around the goal crease. The goalie is the stopper. The last line of defence. But of course the glory, or focus is always on the scorers. Top players are usually in the limelight, and quite rightly so, because without them the game wouldn’t be half as fun. However, we goalies are the obstacles who stand between those top scorers and the goal.
No doubt, Floorball is a team sport that require team cohesiveness, tactics, individual skills and character. Most often, team play takes pre-eminence and individual skills are incorporated within the team strategy. But the success of a floorball team ultimately hinges on consistent goalkeeping.
All the 5 players on the court, be it a forward, centre or defender, get away with making mistakes that are not obvious or suffer concentration lapse that had no bearing on the game’s outcome. Unfortunately, a goaltender enjoy no such privileges. A single mistake or a lapse of focus will, most often than not, result in a goal. And when that happens, this mistake is further amplified by the celebratory noise of the opponents.
For this reason, goaltenders are a different breed apart from their teammates. A player’s pressure to perform well is nothing compared to that of a goalie. Players can try to run harder, tackle and hustle harder to overcome certain weakness in their play. Goalkeepers can’t afford to rest during play or shift changes. We have to deal with quick play action exchanges, read the game, anticipate, make nano quick decisions to position our bodies, play angles, stay square, communicate with our defenders, all this while reminding ourselves to put our hands up, make ourselves look big…
Man, we’re really busy.
A goaltender’s job is demanding, difficult and it requires 100% focus.
Thus credit should go to the goaltender who made those crucial saves to help his/her team the best possible chance to win a game.