John Galloway remains one of the best goalies in the game today, despite the demands as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level.

Galloway, a two-time NCAA champion and first-team All-American at Syracuse, enters his second season at Jacksonville following a four-year stint Providence.  He played for Team USA as an alternate in 2014 and has been a decorated goalie for the Dallas (formerly Rochester) Rattlers since graduating from Syracuse in 2011, winning the MLL Goalie of the Year award in 2014 and 2016.

Galloway demonstrates three drills youth and high school goalies can do to improve footwork, balance and hand-eye coordination.

The Six-Inch Explosion

1. Toss your stick aside. Place your gloves about a yard in front of each foot and roughly a foot apart.

2. Stand in an athletic posture with feet shoulder-width apart.

3. Drive your right foot forward to land about six inches outside the right glove, and quickly reset. Repeat with frequency for each foot.

4. Focus on an efficient drive-step toward the ball. Don’t raise your toe. Keep your foot level as you drive, like you’re skimming water.

5. Progression: Add the through step. Once you get to the ball, you then want to get through the ball. Bring your trail foot along, then step again with your the lead foot. Land like you started.

The Footie

1. Grab a teammate. Have him stand at the top of the crease with a stick and supply of balls.

2. Stand at your position without a stick or gloves and with hands behind your back.

3. Your friend rolls the ball toward either corner, aiming for inside pipe.

4. Step on an angle to block and control it.

5. Block the ball with your lead foot. Don’t kick it. Focus on keeping the ball inside the crease by controlling your weight. Maintain balance and don’t let the ball ricochet out.

The Windmill

1. Gear up and take your position in the cage. The focus is on hand efficiency. No steps, stick only.

2. Keep your feet planted. Position your hands on your stick with the right amount of space in between to allow you to rotate the stick in front of you like a windmill, going from kneecap to kneecap as quickly as possible.

3. Keep the stick away from your body. When young goalies get tired, you see them with the stick right in front of their chest and face. You really want the wrists to work to go from knee to knee.

4. Have a teammate shot above hips without warning. It’s a hand-efficiency drill — how far can you go and how fast can you go?