Author Archives: Leon

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Goalkeepers dealing with injuries Pt 1

I write this post as two goalkeepers that I am close with are dealing with the heartbreak of long term injuries. For one player, it was just before a big college showcase which he missed out, and for another, it was the start of the club season after a successful High School season and being full of confidence. 

Dealing with injuries is as much a psychological issue as it is a physical one. Luckily, good friend, GKHQ partner and sports psychologist, Marty Walker is on hand with a list of thoughts and feelings that injured players may be going through. In this part 1, we help parents & friends who are close to the injured GK. It may also help the injured GK make sense of their thoughts. 

In part 2 we will look at some ways of coping with these feelings. 

Some thoughts of an injured goalkeeper.

  1. Isolation – Although the goalkeeper can be quite a lonely position anyway, an injury can lead to feelings of isolation as you are no longer involved in team activities. 
  2. Envy – There may be an unwanted feeling of envy towards the player that has taken your place once injured. Envy is an uncomfortable emotion and is often accompanied by shame or guilt.  Injured athletes should know that envy may be part of their experience, especially when an injury is serious and long-term.
  3. Anxiety – Goalkeepers can feel anxiety with both their sense of identity ( now that they are not playing ) and also in their ability to fully recover. Some studies even indicate symptoms of post-traumatic stress after an injury (O’Connor Sr., 2011; Brewer and Petitpas, 2005; Podlog and Eklund, 2007; Peterson, 2009; 1; O’Neill, 2008; Appaneal, Perna, & Larkin, 2007). The anxiety of not wanting to re-injure may also lead to overdoing any rehabilitation exercises thus actually hindering the recovery process.
  4. Fear of lack of ability – Linked to anxiety above, goalkeepers may fear that they may not return to the same ability or stronger than they were prior to the injury. When this happens, the goalkeeper may wonder if it is worth the hard work and battle needed to fight for the number one spot again.
  5. Fear of re-injury – Injured goalkeepers often feel vulnerable after getting injured. This may affect decision making and technique once finally getting the gloves back on
  6. Depression – When an individual’s source of enjoyment is taken away via injury, it is not surprising that mood will be affected.
  7. Low Self-Esteem – Self esteem is often related to the identity you have on the field. A good goalkeeper is a leader, assured and an important part of the team. This identity can be challenged upon injury. 
  8. Sense of relief – In some cases, when a goalkeeper has been under a great deal of pressure and strain to perform, being forced to take a break because of an injury can bring an unexpected sense of relief and even joy, even if this is not conscious.  The relief may be a source of conflict for the goalkeeper though, and he/she may not be able to simply enjoy it.  Rather, he/she may feel guilty for having such feelings and may try to hide them from others, especially coaches and teammates.  As one author puts it, an injury “may function as an ‘honorable discharge’ for [athletes] looking for an excuse to leave their sport” (Peterson, 2009, p. 230).

Go straight to part to of the article – How to deal with these feelings… Here.

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Importance of rest title

The importance of rest during downtime in soccer

Albeit at different times of the year, every goalkeeper will face a period of downtime. These typically are at the end of June and to a lesser extent during a winter break, whenever that may be.
 
Here are six advantages of rest taken from the fitbit blog site;

1. REST PREVENTS INJURY

It’s common sense that resting is beneficial for injury reduction, but why? Well for starters, rest days prevent overuse. That extends from running to lifting and even walking. If you’re a regular runner, you know how much your legs and feet can take until you just need a day off. If you push it too hard without a break, your muscles and joints suffer from overuse and that’s where injuries can happen.

2. YOUR MUSCLES NEED REST

This is likely the first thing you learned about strength training. When you lift weights, you’re essentially tearing muscle fibers. But without a proper period of rest for your immune system to repair and grow the muscle, you’re not going to get the benefit of your training. That’s why you need to vary the muscle groups you engage on staggered days.

3. YOUR PERFORMANCE WON’T DIP

In general, it takes your body almost two weeks of non-activity before you start losing a noticeable amount of your progress or performance level. So don’t think that taking a day or two off from training will set you back all that hard work you’ve put in.

4. OVER-TRAINING AFFECTS SLEEP

Is your sleep data all over the place? Over-training could be the culprit. Too much exercise can put your body in a constant state of restlessness or on high alert making a good night’s sleep tough to achieve. A telltale sign is an increase in your resting heart rate. Taking those rest day can help bring down your alertness and heart rate, which can help get you a night of sound sleep.

5. YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM CAN OVERHEAT

During periods of heavy activity, our immune systems are constantly activating to repair muscles and joints. Without proper rest, your immune system can’t catch up to all the repairs your body needs. And then? You guessed it: injuries.

6. MENTAL EDGE

From a psychological standpoint, taking a rest period can rekindle your hunger for exercise and help prevent burnout. Mental fatigue can be every bit as detrimental as physical fatigue and taking a rest day helps to recharge the psyche.

So what can you do to get your mind set on rest? For starters, you’re going to have to make the mental adjustment to understanding and believing that you can take days off. It’s good for you, for all the reasons listed above.

Just like setting your daily steps goals, set your rest goals. Plot out a schedule and pick your weekly rest days; one or two days where you limit your activity to allow your body/muscles to recover. Use your tracker to limit your active minutes. If you’re a huge step-count achiever, give yourself a day where you limit even your walking to a weekly minimum. And don’t forget that active recovery is also hugely beneficial, and a standard routine of stretching or light yoga to improve flexibility and circulation can be especially valuable.

 

All the above provide benefits of physical rest. This does not mean that you have to stop all development in your goalkeeping. Here is a list of things you can be doing to aid your performance without exerting yourself physically.

  • Watch games on TV to pick up trends on what professionals are doing
  • Embark on a good stretching routine
  • Plan your pre-season
  • Read a goalkeeping book such as a biography
  • Take a GKHQ Online course to brush up on your goalkeeping knowledge
  • Check your equipment and review what is needed before the start of the next season
  • Embark on some self-evaluation, by reviewing your match analysis or by using the GKHQ Video analysis service.
  • Join the GKHQ membership group to get all the latest videos & education in 12+ different themes, from Technical education to Parent “How To” guides.
  • Check off and revise your short term and long term goals
  • Research and apply for appropriate camps that will help you achieve your goals.

 


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Goalkeeping coaching philosophy for the season.

Originally posted August 2016

With the recent adventure of joining Quinnipiac University’s Men’s Soccer program I have reviewed my coaching philosophy for the year.

With my coaching of youth teams, high school & college there will obviously be some differences in expectations but here are the things I expect from all the goalkeepers I am coaching this season.

From myself the coach:

  • All my sessions are planned in advance with space for reactive sessions if needed.
  • Make use of a variety of GK equipment
  • Sessions intense for 30 – 50 minutes with little down time between exercises
  • More focus on distribution
  • Allow GK’s to finish on success – additional serves are played until goalkeeper ends with a save.
  • To incorporate a cool down to each session

Expectation from players:

  • Professionalism – arriving on time with correct equipment
  • Own preparation prior to training
  • Train as if you are playing. (Go for everything & complete the save if ball is loose.)
  • To provide quality service to others
  • Ask questions if not sure what is expected
  • A winning / competitive mentality
  • Encourage others with positive feedback after good saves

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Two of our Goalkeeper HQ Mentees take trip to Ireland

Coach Marty and myself recently took a team to play in Ireland. The team entered the Foyle Cup held in Derry, Northern Ireland and we took two goalkeepers who are part of the Goalkeeper HQ Mentor program.

Here is the daily e-mail sent to the team parents back home.

UPDATE 1

Parents,

We are all settled in hotel, either resting or freshening up before Dinner at 6:15pm
Been traveling all day but stopping off along the way.
We spoke to boys about potential data roaming charges. Hotel has wifi.
Hopefully you received my text earlier on today to say we were at the American Irish emigration museum.
We will be having a training session tonight at 9pm – 10pm as it does not get dark here until 10:30pm
Boys are tired from overnight flight. A run out will do them good before sleeping well. Giant’s CAusway tomorrow before first friendly game.
Here are some photos from day 1.
UPDATE 2

Parents,

We have not long got back from our first friendly game in which the boys won a thriller, 4-3 with the last kick of the game! I think that result tops the fact that they held the “Miss Northern Ireland” competition in our hotel yesterday.
It has been an extremely busy day!
Giants Causeway, then on to some stunning scenery at Carrick-a-Rede Rope bridge. We also stopped off at Dunluce Castle on the way back, before Dinner and a then the friendly game with a local team.
Goals from Nico, Sean, CAm Farrar ( yes, one of our goalies ) and Austin.
We have a 9am breakfast tomorrow before heading off to the Opening ceremony Parade.
First league game is tomorrow at 5pm. That will be tough.
UPDATE 3

Parents,

We have just come back from having a footballing lesson by Hearts. A team of 16 year olds with aspirations of getting a professional contract in the next year or two.
The speed of play, quality of touch and communication was just far superior to ours. The boys are understandably disappointed at the 5-0 loss, but if lessons are learned and the experience of playing against players of that level are had, then it ok.
Earlier in the day we did a walking tour of Derry. The Irish weather has returned and there has been rain on and off throughout the day. Mrs Kroll and some of the other parents also organized laundry for the boys which we are all grateful for.
The local profesional team, Derry City have invited us to watch them train tomorrow. We will also have a tour of the Derry Murals from one of the artists, Marty’s brother-in-law. One of the players will be joining Marty at the recording studio of the Derry radio station in the morning to talk about the experience.
Sorry, no photos from me today, but the press were there in force for the game today so I’m sure there will be some on the web site soon. Also Colin’s dad, Jeff has been getting in amongst it to get what will surely be some great snaps, which will be posted later.
UPDATE 4
Parents,
Just got back from our final group game which we won 2-0.  Austin and Sean got us the goals in the second half.
There seems to be a real bond amongst the boys who are keen to practice their Irish accents. The bond was needed today as they experienced some of the most one sided refereeing I have ever encountered. They got through it though unscathed.
This leaves us progressing through the group stages with a 1-1-1 record. We are currently awaiting details of our opposition tomorrow.
The group had a great walking tour of the peace murals in the Bogside of Derry today. Some great insight into the history of this city and life lessons for all.
Here are some photos of the Murals.
UPDATE 5 
Parents,
We had a lovely trip to Donegal today to see the Irish countryside. Some stunning scenery, especially at Grianan Ring fort, the venue where Marty proposed to his wife a few years back.
It was great to see Steve Rullo turn up at our hotel to surprise Nick last night. The press coverage continued as BBC Radio Foyle had Marty and Cam Sweedler in their studios to talk about the experience.
The boys yesterday joined some locals in the city square to play some football also. ( video of their extravagant entrance below )
I’ve put off talking about the game as it was, performance wise, our worst one tonight. The boys were tired, did not get to the second ball and unfortunately lacked quality in distribution. We are thinking the five games in five days plus excursions may be taking it’s toll. We lost.
There was a collective disappointment but there is still banter amongst the group.
We play our final game tomorrow against Foyle Harps, who, ironically is who we had our first game against. We could have played a number of teams, but one of the tournament’s assets is the seeding of teams so that you play your last game against the most evenly matched. We tied 2-2 in the first game so I guess the seeding works.
Update 6

Parents,

Wow, What a great response from the boys. After a poor game yesterday, we played in the 3rd/4th place play off against Foyle Harps, who we tied 2-2 with in our first tournament game. The Harps strongly felt that they were hard done by last time and were ready to come at us with everything they had.
The boys, were disciplined in both position and tactics and worked their socks off to deny the opposition the room to play. We were rewarded with a goal half way through the second half after a defensive mix up caused by the constant hurrying by the forwards. We held off and won 1-0. Austin Jacobs getting the goal. We could tell that the boys were really playing as a team which was so good to see, and communication was great throughout.
Russell Stirling, formally of Everton America and the instigator of Everton first going to the Foyle Cup whilst he worked here came to watch and came to wish the boys he knew the best of luck.
Marty and I are so pleased with the way all the boys have matured as soccer players. The hope is that they put everything they have learned from this trip and put it into their games. Some key things that I think they have;
*Physicality of the game
*Communication – The players communicate with loudness and urgency here. They are more descriptive of what they want.
*Tempo of the game
*Not to antagonize the opposition
*Calling for / screaming for every call.
*Second balls
*Substitutions that don’t allow re-admittants
*Intensity to go for every ball, because if you don’t, there will be a player who knicks in to take it.
*Speed of play
*Dealing with clever runs into the box from set plays
*Experiencing a blatantly biased ref
I’m sure each player will have their own learning experience.
It was nice that the boys wanted to watch the final which Hearts from Scotland ( The team we lost to ) were playing in. The walked to the stadium to watch them play and eventually win the tournament after a penalty shoot out. It is quite nice to say that we lost to the eventual champions.
We head off to Dublin in the morning. We have suggested that the boys pack tonight.

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ID Clinics

Words of Advice for the Future Student Athlete from College Coaches about ID Clinics

There comes a time in most young athletes lives when they concern themselves with the next progression in their sporting career. Here in the USA the biggest step is in the direction of college so it is important on many levels to be as prepared as possible.

We at GKHQ want to offer the best advice to our keepers pursuing a collegiate career and with our links to many different colleges and college coaches we have simplified the info necessary to make the best decisions regarding College Identification clinics.

There are basically two different types of ID clinics one can attend.

1) School Specific clinics. 2) ID Clinics like Future500 or EXACT

SCHOOL SPECIFIC CLINICS

School specific clinics like this summer’s Yale / Wesleyan ID clinic in July provide great opportunities to prospective student athletes to show their skills over several occasions to the coaches at a college or colleges where they wish to attend.

As a college coach I highly recommend these clinics if you do know exactly where you want to go based on location, education etc…

It is always recommended that you narrow your school search to a maximum of 10 as you progress through your high school years especially if you have a goal to go play soccer somewhere that is achievable.

The benefits of attending school specific ID clinics is simply exposure to the coaches of your choice.

It is also likely that school specific ID clinics will invite coaches from surrounding areas to attend also.

NON SPECIFIC ID CLINICS

These clinics can be useful and the biggest benefit lies in the fact that you can get exposure to a multitude of coaches at one time.

Sometimes these can be a catalyst for players to meet a coach and connect with them, possibly leading to a more specific ID clinic in the future.

Having coached a few of these clinics I know that the numbers can at times be huge and that the quality of player varies significantly when there are coaches from all types of schools in attendance.

Players sometimes do get to see a coach from the school of their choice as coaches in attendance vary in their coaching background so if you are doing your homework and see that your dream college is sending their coach to a clinic like this then you may want to go meet him or her.

PROS and CONS

There are pros and cons to both.

The mass ID clinics tend to be more affordable and in one location with many coaches which means less travel.

If you have a few schools you want to go to and you want to go to their clinics every time they host one then travel and costs can be significant.

Going to specific clinics lets the coach know your intent on going to that school and can allow you to build a stronger rapport especially if it is a multi day clinic.

From experience in the college world I know that players have been selected from specific clinics much more often than in generic clinics.

Marty Walker – Yale Women’s GK Coach

If you have any specific questions regarding ID Camps, please contact Marty@GoalkeeperHQ.com

Please also see the following articles, which although not directly related, may help with ID Clinics.

1 – Advice for Residential Camp

2 – Tips for GK’s at tryouts

 


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Congratulations Cam!!

Congratulations to one of our students, Cameron who recently got invited to the U.S. Youth National Team Futures Camp in Florida. Cam was one of three goalkeepers and only thirty players selected to attend, having impressed at a regional US National ID clinic.

Cam, who is one of our GKHQ Mentor Program members, joined players from Colorado, California, Virgina, New York, South Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Illinois, Massachusetts & Ohio.

It certainly has been a whirlwind couple of years for this talented young man. Cam was playing on the Everton America “B” team as a part time GK. It was there that Cam, much like Tim Howard, who also played out on field until 13, put in the hours with his foot skills and distribution.

The quality in Cam’s distribution helped him establish himself as #1 GK on Everton America’s Regional NPL team.

As part of the “Player Pathway” at Everton, Cam was introduced to the Academy system with training sessions at sister club Everton FC Westchester who has Academy status. During that same U13 season, Cam also went to the NYCSL PDP trials and also joined Next Gen’s select team to play in Europe against some top European professional team Youth Academies.

Cam now plays for the U14 Everton FC Westchester team and recently played at Gillette stadium as part of the League schedule which has MLS youth teams in.

Here he is making a double save in the above game:

The good news continued for Cam recently as he was notified that he had been selected to play on Everton FC Westchester’s U16 Academy team next year. ( Despite being U15)

Cam’s story is a great example of what hard work, becoming a student of the position and having great supportive parents can achieve. Well done Cam!

The Goalkeeper HQ Mentor program helps goalkeepers with services, products and knowledge to become a true student in the art of goalkeeping. Find out more about the Goalkeeper HQ Mentor program and how you can apply here.

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Good Communication

The Power of Good Goalkeeper Communication

Goalkeeper communication

Wesley Jackman. One of Leon’s first students and England representative.

An old coach of mine once told me, “Good goalkeepers make the first save, great goalkeepers, make the second save, but the best keepers don’t have to make a save at all.” His emphasis was on the point that goalies need to talk and need to know how to command the team. If your team is unorganized, then it’s more likely that the opponent will find a gap in the defense and have chances on goal; but if the team is organized, then it will be much harder for the opponent to break your team’s defense. You could be the best goalkeeper in the world, but if you don’t talk, then it’s more likely your team will let the ball through. On the contrary, a keeper without much skill could win his or her team the game via good communication skills. If you can tell players where to be, then you may never even have to touch the ball.

But why me?   Yes, the coach does have responsibility for the team and is the lead tactician, but it is his job to plan, and the team’s job to carry out his plan. Some coaches are not as vocal as others, and more importantly, nobody sees the field like the goalkeeper does. Yes, the other field players are supposed to communicate, but they can only see what’s in front of them, and many times they don’t talk to one another because they’re tired or have a lack of concentration. The goalie can also see the pattern of the game or play. The right winger may not notice the runner in open space behind him, or the forward may not think to press the left back who is about to play a big ball to that open man. Simple communication can stop instances like this.

So, what can I do?  Here are a few tips to help you communicate better on the field.

  1. Voice inflection: Be louder when the ball is closer to your net and tone it down when it pushes into the opposing team’s attacking third. Being loud is key. You might be giving great instructions, but if the team cannot hear you, it won’t matter.
  2. Be short and concise: The play of the game happens quickly, so the faster you tell your players what to do, the quicker they’ll be prepared. For example, instead of saying: “Hey, John, watch out for the right winger making that run!” say:”John, right winger!”
  3. Advice: Advice is key. If your center defender doesn’t step when you want him or her to, tell them. If the defender does not know he is doing something wrong, then he won’t fix it. Also, be sure to point out both the good and bad things your teammates do. Nobody likes being told that he is doing something wrong constantly, especially by a peer. If you point out the good things, it not only lets them know what they did right, but it also makes them feel better, which is very important. If you don’t think you’re playing well, then you won’t play well, and if you think you are, then you more likely will. Pointing out good things also keeps the team on good terms; I have had plenty of games when the coach or other players have constantly pointed out what is wrong, and everyone on the team gets mad at each other, which does not help at all. Having good team chemistry on the pitch is very important for winning games.
  4. Talking with the referee: As you all know, talking to the referee can end very badly if tempers are high. However, talking to the officials can be fruitful. It is frustrating to play with a referee who misses calls and gives absurd fouls, but shouting at him will not help. Whenever talking to an official, always do it in a friendly manner; the nicer you are to him, the nicer he will be to you and the team. If an opponent is pulling your shirt on corners, don’t scream at the referee; instead, ask him to watch for that certain player next time. More often than not, he will. And if you don’t say anything to the official, chances are he won’t do anything about it.
  5. Key words and phrases: Here are some of the main things I say to my teammates during a game:
  • Step up – Even if only your back line hears this, when they push up, it will force the rest of the team to do so.
  • Drop – Dropping the line is important and should be done whenever you see an opponent looking to play a big ball over the top.
  • Contain – This one is important. On counter attacks, sometimes defenders get jumpy and try to win the ball immediately. If they get beat, however, and there is no one to cover, then it is a one-on-one to the goal. Telling your player to contain lets them know to hold the attacker at bay until the rest of the team can drop back, get shape, and help.
  • Away or clear: Most of you may use this one regularly, but none-the-less it helps. If the ball is in a bad spot and there’s no way out, telling your players to clear the ball can relieve pressure and give the team time to regroup.
  • Right shoulder/ left shoulder: These terms are a quick way to let any individual player know there is an attacker to the right or left of them.

Article by Jamie Stratton, Eastern University and GKHQ coach in PA.

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Related articles:

Good communication stops the opposition at the source

Goalkeeping communication flowchart

 


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Goalkeeper Camp Dates July 2016

Goalkeeper HQ Summer Camp Dates

Please see our promotional video for the camps taking place in Milford, CT this Summer.

Dates are:

July 6th – 9th ( Wed – Sat ) 9am – 12 noon

July 27th – 30th  ( Wed – Sat ) 9am – 12 noon

Register HERE

 

 

A collaboration of quality goalkeeper coaches are coming together to provide the very best Summer Goalkeeping experience.

Each day provides technical work on the following:

  • Shot Stopping
  • High Balls & Crosses
  • Distribution
  • 1 on 1’s & breakaways

Competitions such as Goalie Wars will be included. Goalkeeping testing will let you know how you compare.

Camp takes place at Milford Academy, Gulf Street, Milford, CT Price for the four days is $240

Register HERE

 

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The goalkeeper as the aggressor

Following on from the last post named “Goalkeepers should Kill or be Killed” I thought I would share some footage of goalkeepers as the aggressor. Examples I feel that takes the kill or be killed too far.

 

This first video shows a goalkeeper coming out feet first to a player after his mistake left the ball loose on the edge of the box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpmuKAkB3R8

 

Pine Forest goalkeeper Cassie Sturtz has been banned for two matches after committing a brutal foul in the closing stages of her side’s 4-1 defeat to Pinecrest in a women’s high school game in North Carolina.

The incident happened towards the end of the match, which brought an end to Pine Forest’s previously unbeaten record.

Pinecrest already led by three when Riley Barrett was played in on goal in search of a fifth. The linesman’s flag was raised to signal offside, but that didn’t stop Sturtz from rushing out of her goal and launching into a dangerous head-high tackle.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arpSdP5GUy0

 

In this clip, the Algerian Goalkeeper gets mad at a little kick from the forward and lets his frustrations get the better of him.

 

This is my absolute favorite. Goalkeeper Glenn Verbauwhede uses the front smother to great effect to be the aggressor. I love the confidence as he encourages the forward to come towards him before going head first. I love how he some how tricks the referee into giving the opposition player a yellow card. I’m literally laughing out loud as I watch this again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtzS0MagrFM

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GKHQ Title - The GK as the aggressor

Goalkeepers should kill or be killed!

Yes – This is a dramatic headline, but with four goalkeepers from this goalkeeping community getting injured this past weekend, I feel compelled to provide information that will help reduce risks.

No way am I endorsing your players / children or yourself to go out and deliberately hurt the opposition – The phrase is about your mental attitude to getting the ball as I have found from experience that players without the correct technique, attitude or confidence to get to the ball first, results in injuries to the goalkeeper.

I am passionate about goalkeepers being safe as the first goalkeeper that I ever managed to get trials with a professional club ended up getting stretchered off the field with a broken jaw. His hesitation in going for the ball, in what I can only assume was lack of confidence led to the injury. 

There are three elements to ensuring that goalkeepers come out on top when collecting balls:

  • Correct technique.
  • Positive attitude – A belief that you will get to the ball first.
  • Confidence that if you do get a knock, that you will be fine.

Correct technique.

The correct technique in goalkeeping, not only ensures that you look great and provides the best chance possible of keeping the ball out the net, it ensures safety too.

Here are some technique tips in different scenarios;

Bouncing ball – lead with your shoulder. Keep facing forward and don’t be tempted to turn your body or spin to avoid getting hit. It is essential that you follow through with your momentum. See the first save in the video below.

High balls – Ensure knee is up ( And correct knee at that ) . The knee up serves three purposes. 1) Extra lift 2) Protection from oncoming players 3) Provide space for you to catch the ball cleanly.

You should always try to be coming forward to collect a high balls.

There has been a trend of late to have the goalkeeper land with both feet – I feel this reduces the amount of time the goalkeeper can keep their knee up in a protective manner.

See photo ( below )  of good technique when collecting a high ball.

Screen Shot 2015-08-07 at 6.33.05 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low balls – Dive at feet, but ensure you are low with head behind arms….. with arms / hands making first contact with ball.

To get low you have to ensure you are not too close to the ball and that you can bend your nearest leg to get a good low stance.

For more ways to collect through balls please see the article on the [The five ways to collect through balls into the box]

 

Examples of poor technique:

Goalkeepers head first

 

 

Head first!!

 

 

Feet first

 

Feet first! ( leaves body open for impact )

 

 

 

 

 

Goalkeeper on Elbow

 

Not having head behind arms.

Landing on elbow leaves body higher and more exposed.

Not having top knee come up to chest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Positive attitude

You have to believe that you will get to every ball that you call for. Notice that I mention the communication aspect as your call of “Keeper” is an affirmation to yourself. The positive, loud shout also puts doubt in the opposition’s mind. 

Communication may come in the form of self talk during the game as part of your psycological edge of opponents. Self talk can provide the platform for success by providing focus on what you want to achieve

You need to let go of previous mistakes ( having learned from them ) to reduce self doubt. 

 

Confidence in not getting hurt.

If truth be known, when the opposition come into our penalty area and they hear a call of “Keeper”, they are more than likely more apprehensive than we are as goalkeepers coming to get the ball. They know the penalty are is our home and that we will be coming to protect it.

Confidence to get the ball and not getting hurt will increase by;

  • Knowing that you have trained sufficiently to adopt the correct technique
  • Adopting a physical fitness regime that makes you fast and stronger than the opposition
  • By knowing you are better equipped for impact by wearing protective clothing ( Gloves, padded shorts, bigger shin guards, protective under layers, helmet are all options ) 
  • Knowing that a good perception of you as a goalkeeper has already made players fear you. – See the article on [The perception of the goalkeeper]

 


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