With the advent of the 6 second rule when in possession, the goal kick provides the only opportunity we have to speed up or slow down the game.
Your desire to do each will depend on the situation.
Current score,
Number of players on your team,
Conditions at the time,
How long is left.
I just wanted to show this clip from a recent US Development Academy game, whereby leading by one goal and under a bit of pressure with 5 minutes to go before the end of the game, the goalkeeper slows the game and elects to go long with the goal kick, despite the fact that the teams philosophy is to play short.
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So much of the game is mental. Providing reminders of great saves, and performances fills the goalkeeper’s confidence bucket and encourages repeat performances. Things such as ” remember that great save you made against this team last time you played them”
2. Understand the equipment needs of goalkeepers.
You get what you pay for with gloves. Understand a goalkeepers needs for good gloves. Other extra equipment that goalkeepers use, Slider pants, tape for socks, squeezy water bottle should be purchased.
3. Be part of your son or daughter’s passion by watching the game at the highest level with them.
Much the same as talented singers would go to see a concert, actors go to the theater, it is important to support goalkeepers wanting to watch their trade be applied at the highest level. By watching live games, goalkeepers can see what the pro’s do from warm up to after the game. Even taking an interest in watching a game on TV will help goalkeepers share observations with someone.
4. Encourage and support goalkeepers to play out on field.
Pick up games, street soccer or futsal where the goalkeeper can play out on field with no pressure and enjoy other positions whilst appreciating what the outfield players needs are and improving foot skills.
5. Encourage other activities.
It is important for younger goalkeepers to have other activities to diversify. This may be another sport or another pastime such as playing an instrument. Other sports can help the position of goalkeeper. Teaching of other pastimes can be applied and most of all it will avoid burn out at an older age when concentrating on goalkeeping may be full time.
6. Consider a one-on-one goalkeeping session.
A good coach will provide an assessment, and give perseived strengths and weaknesses with an action plan on how to improve. Goalkeepers love the attention and feeling of someone dedicated to their improvement.
7. Video taping / Fill out analysis of games.
As a parent, you are the most likely and closest person to do this. Recording games and watching back provides invaluable visual learning of the good bad and ugly. If recording is not viable, the analysis sheets should provide a good record of performance and see if their are any pattern or trends ( i.e. all goals conceded tend to be to the left )
8. Make goalkeepers responsible for their own equipment.
Throughout their goalkeeping careers, goalkeepers will rely on having their uniform / equipment. From an early age they should be encouraged to care for, bring and return their equipment. Examples are washing of soccer clothes & gloves, remembering water bottles & balls on fields, carrying their own bags on to and from the field.
9. Be a good spectator.
Be quiet in public and at games. No kid wants to be embarrassed by their parents yelling stuff from the side. Let other parents do the cheering – it means so much more. Sit in the crowd, rather than be that eagle-eyed parent that has to stand or sit level with the goalkeeper ready to critique every move. Don’t react to moans and negative comments. It is a fact that goalkeepers mistakes will happen and are most noticeable. The same people will more than likely be the same ones cheering when the goalkeeper makes a great save. No need to cause friction or fall out with people and especially if the goalkeeper knows about fuss you are causing on the sideline. You may well and up being one of those parents that drag your son or daughter from club to club as you fall out with different sets of parents every time something negative is said. This may well be the toughest way to support your goalkeeper, as no parents likes to hear criticism. Criticism is something the goalkeeper has to deal with on their own. Hopefully one day they will have a whole stadium of 30,000 people criticising them….. as that will mean they have made it to the professional game.
10. Criticism and comments are not for the ride home.
In a survey conducted some 5 years ago, it asked players what the best and worst part of soccer was. The worst part for many is the ride home! – The grilling from the parents. Players and especially goalkeepers know when they have had a bad game. They don’t need reminding in the car and for the remainder of the 1 hour journey home. The ride home should be quiet reflection for the goalkeeper and performance should only be discussed if brought up by the goalkeeper. When given the go ahead, to discuss, questions such a “What did you learn?” & “What will you do next time?” are much better than “Next time you should do this and that”
Gain advantages over your competitors when they are sat at home watching T.V.
When a session or game is canceled it can be frustrating. You may even have a snow day, in which you have the whole day to improve yourself as a goalkeeper.
Here are some ways you can gain an advantage over your competitors when they are sat at home watching TV.
1 – Build up your upper body strength.
Goalkeepers need to have strong upper body strength. Use the time that a cancellation gives to improve your strength with a push-up routine.
Normal, Wide, Heart to heart, Military, claps, and dippers are all different push-ups styles to do.
Do 10 of each three times – Don’t forget to stretch after.
If you want to start a push-up challenge, the article “30 day goalkeeper fitness challenge” has a number of different challenges you can do over 30 days. One of which is push-ups. If nothing else….. get started with day one of the push-up challenge now!
2 – Stretch.
Often a neglected part of our game and a lack of flexibility can reduce our performance in goal. Use the downtime to stretch hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, groins, glutes, and back.
30 seconds on each stretch – Do three repetitions.
See below for hamstring stretches
Hamstring stretches. 30 secs hands level with knee, 30 secs hands level with ankle, 30 secs hold on to the foot.
At Goalkeeper HQ, we believe there are three pillars of coaching. Evaluation, Knowledge and understanding and repetitions. By having a practice canceled, you are only really missing out on the repetitions. You can evaluate yourself or other goalkeepers by watching a game or highlights if time is short. You can gain knowledge by reading up on goalkeeping. Try typing a topic in the search bar to the right of this page and see what goalkeeping article comes up. You can even take one of the Goalkeeping HQ Education courses here.
When watching a game, look out for positioning, different distribution techniques and range of goalkeepers coming for crosses.
Goalkeeper HQ offers a service where we evaluate part of your game. See the service here.
4 – Get your equipment in order.
Wash your gloves, clean your boots, rinse your water bottle, check the quality of your gloves, size of undergarments, etc. Ensure your equipment is not an excuse for poor performance. You can purchase the latest L1 Goalkeeper Gloves here.
5 –Get a cardiovascular workout.
People think goalkeepers are lazy, but we can debunk that myth by being one of the fittest members of the team. Use this off time to get the heart pumping. If you can’t get to the gym, give yourself a routine that can include stair runs, Jumping Jacks, Burpees, High Knees, Push-ups, and sit-ups.
I use the Nike Training Club App for free exercises and workouts but this 11-minute High-Intensity Interval Training by ex-pupil, Tim Pittman does the job perfectly.
6 – Get your homework done.
The extra time off might be the perfect opportunity to get your homework done. By getting it done, you can fully focus on your game or next practice without stressing about project deadlines for school.
7 – Catch up on some sleep.
You are up early for school, you put your heart and soul into practices and games three to four times a week, some of you even play other sports. If you are tired, use the additional time off to catch up on some sleep and be back to your best when games and practice resume. See the article “ The importance of rest during downtime”
8 – Practice ball skills.
Goalkeepers need to be comfortable with the ball at your feet. Use the time to be comfortable with the ball at your feet. You can practice in a 5×5 area. Top taps, foundations, inside & outside of the foot, figure 8 using inside & outside of feet, turns, etc.
One of the things that goalkeepers neglect is the importance of a good first touch This linked article has some useful exercises you can do with a partner.
For an indoor goalkeeping challenge, try this from one of our goalkeeping challenges.
https://youtu.be/KbyCT0jEucA
9 – Research your opposition.
Check out your league website to see who you are playing next. Where are they in the League? How many goals have they scored? Who is their best goal scorer?
10 – Fill out your self-evaluation.
How did you play in the last game? Where can you improve? What was your distribution success rate? How many goals that went in were your fault? Are there any trends in the goals that go in? – i.e. balls to left, crosses, 1 on 1’s? Evaluation forms can be found in the resources course on the Goalkeeper HQ membership site.
W’s & Cups, Contour & Basket. Both the English and US descriptions for different hand shapes that the goalkeeper should use to save balls aimed at head or below. I was looking for a more visual description to explain the different methods to my younger students and was inspired by the stock market!
“How does a bear kill you?” – I asked my students. They all put their arms up and clawed down. – With palms facing forward, this is the method used to collect balls aimed at chest and head.
“How does a bull kill you?” – Using hands and arms as horns, the GK’s showed me the motion used to collect a ball when shot a little bit lower.
This is great for me to quickly describe to a goalkeeper that their hand shapes are wrong and the two most common times are.
1 – when the ball comes along the floor. I often see GK’s fall to their knees and try to do a “bear” save
2 – when the ball is to the side, goalkeepers try to do a “bull” save, but this leads to errors as the bull save brings the ball up while the goalkeeper’s dive takes their body down.
Having worked at the enjoyable, yet very hot Goalkeeper HQ camp at Yale University last week and having worked with individuals through the one on one sessions this week in very humid conditions, the one thing I found was the lack of a sports bottle from each of the goalkeepers. There were sports drinks in their original twisty caps, there was water in rock climbing bottles…..again needing twists and from my observation not much control over how much water comes out at once, and lastly there was a flask which needed the lid taken off before a twist action was needed to access water. None of these items were kept in the goal, which is where the goalkeeper is standing.
These observations inspired me to write the 5 reasons to carry a squeezy bottle with water for games and training.
1 – Water is what you need if you are thirsty. You need water by your goal. You will need it to hydrate. Lots of small doses at a time. Keep the bottle in a place you can access it. ( i.e. in the goal )
2 – Gloves get dry. Wetting them provided better grip. A small squeeze provides the right amount of wetness in a quick action. No turning of caps with gloves on and balancing the bottle enough so that you don’t soak your gloves, and then trying to find the cap which went on the floor and then trying to pick said cap up off the floor with gloves on. [See the article on wetting gloves]
3 – If you are doing your job correctly in goal, you will be providing good communication. In doing so you are likely to get a dry mouth. A quick squeeze of water into the mouth allows you to continue to do your job communicating.
4 – Speed is key. As a goalkeeper, you need to live every moment of the game. A quick squeeze when the ball is out of play on the other side of the field does not detract from your focus on the game.
5 – A squeeze allows for no mouth contact… These squeezy bottles were designed for helmet sports where the bottle can’t reach the mouth. This is good for hygiene purposes if your defenders need to hydrate during the game. Dealing with a corner or during a goal kick is often a good time when an otherwise flagging defender can get much-needed hydration. You never know… your help could mean the difference between a defender not being able to get to a ball and getting to a ball.
Here are some of the features of the squeezy bottle I have been using. It has a gage of how much liquid is in the bottle, it has grips on and is shaped for easy pick up off the ground and has a one-way valve with no lid so you can squeeze away with no need to lift anything, bite anything and has no leakage.
I have found that one of the hardest things about dealing with mistakes for young goalkeepers is for them to have the knowledge to realize they made a mistake in the first place, or at least know that they could have done something different to eliminate the goal they just conceded. Self-evaluation is an important part of the Goalkeeper HQ learning cycle and the realization that they could have done better is important. Goalkeeper HQ does offer goalkeeper match analysis to help in the education [LEARN MORE ABOUT GKHQ MATCH ANALYSIS]
I find that it is hard for young goalkeepers to understand and appreciate when they could have done better, especially when the goal was not a glaring mistake or if the goal was scored in the second phase.
The key to dealing with mistakes is to be educated enough in the game to acknowledge when we could have done better. Watch the game, listen to feedback and become a student of the position.
Once a mistake is made, consider the following.
1 – Vent it. By venting your anger in the form of a verbal outburst, you can let the frustration out and put the mistake behind you.
It is important to resist physically lashing out as a kick or punch to the post or floor or any other item may result in an injury and let your team down further.
2 – File it. Learn from the mistake and file it in the memory bank for the duration of the game so that the same mistake won’t be made again. You do not need to analyze it in depth but be aware of what happened. It might have been that the ball got held up in the wind, and you need to adjust your jump on the next ball. It might have been that you tried to catch in wet conditions, when a parry would have been a better option or the knowledge that #10 kicks the ball very hard, so be ready for the next shot!
3 – Own it. Be strong enough to let your teammates and coach know that you acknowledge the mistake. A simple hand up will let all know that you accept the mistake, you are educated enough to know it was your fault, and that your normal level of play is higher than the play that was the mistake. This can provide confidence to the team and coaching staff.
4 – Focus. The remainder of the game needs you focused on the next save. Do not dwell on the mistake….. “You are only as good as your next save” – My coach used to tell me.
5 – Evaluate it. After the game and when you have filled out your match analysis is the time to establish if the mistake was technical or tactical ( tactical is when a decision has to be made ). What should you have done? How will you deal with the same scenario next time? What do you need to do to fix the problem? It might mean that you need to practice that particular topic to get the confidence back again.
6 – Fix it. Extra training, a new pair of gloves or even rest – This part is down to each individual and each scenario.
Everyone makes mistakes….. The best goalkeepers are the ones that make the least and when they do make a mistake are able to get over them quickly.
There are many components to fitness. All are important to soccer. As with all aspects of mastery, you have to first measure something if you want to improve. You can test your speed to improve it.
Speed is extremely important for goalkeeping. The ability to command your penalty box and to get to balls before your opponent is vital.
In a recent session, I incorporated different elements of the Goalkeeper HQ topics that required speed. These included
Speed of distribution
Speed to get to the ball first
Speed moving across the goal and up/down the line to make saves.
Test how ready you are to start the season with these five speed tests and the target time as set by UNH Women’s Soccer team.
It’s amazing how many goalkeepers are not able to give their best performance at tournaments because they are not prepared. Here is a list of things to be ready for when traveling to a tournament, and in some cases be seen by college coaches.
1 – Clean your gloves prior to the tournament.
Get all dirt particles out of your gloves by putting them in a pillowcase and throwing in the washing machine. After the cycle, leave palm up out of sunlight. If you are not comfortable putting them in the washer, you can use glove wash or better still, bring out those new L1 Goalkeeper gloves for that new glove feeling.
2 – Read up on when / who you are playing in the tournament.
Check, and double check your times. This will help you in deciding when to eat, how much rest you are likely to have and what type of field you are likely to be playing on (Turf/grass). Be aware that most tournaments don’t have their final schedule out until 3 days before the start – Be aware of any changes.
3 – Pack extra goalkeeping equipment and have in a separate smaller bag.
Hat to avoid eye strain when looking into sun, squeezy bottle to wet gloves during and in between games, tape to ensure shinguards don’t get in the way of kicking. Have pants on hand if the goalmouth looks hard or rocky. Read up on all the equipment you might need but maybe don’t have. You can purchase goalkeeping equipment here.
4 – Read the article on exercises to do to warm up before a game.
How many minutes each way? Sudden death penalties? Throw in’s or kick-ins? Tiebreaker based on goals scored v Head to head? – This will help you to dictate the pace of the game.
6 – Look the part.
Ensure you look professional by having your shirt tucked in, socks over your shin guards and have your laces tied. The phycology of looking like a quality dedicated goalkeeper will help you in a game as you feel good and the opposition will be less confident in scoring a goal.
7 – Communicate.
With coaches – To see what style of play they are looking for ( Play out from the back / go long )
With defenders – When the ball is in the air / behind the defense. More info here
8 – Fill out the match analysis form provided in previous e-mails.
Contact info@goalkeeperhq.com if you don’t have one.
This helps you to think about what was good, bad or ugly about your previous performance and gives a mental reminder of what you need to do better in the next game. If a parent or coach can provide the stats on the bottom of the page, even better.
9 – Know your penalty strategy.
Your strategy of saving a “one-off” penalty should be different to a penalty shoot-out.
1) What is the academic reputation of the school?2) Does the school offer the major of your choice?
3) Do you want to go to a big school or a small school?
4) How far from home do you want to be?
5) Would you prefer City, Suburb or Country setting?
6) Do you know much about the current soccer team and the personalities of the team? – They could be your future team mates
7) Have an idea of the playing opportunities open to you
8) Have an idea of how many goalkeepers you will be competing with
9) Ask yourself if you will still be happy at a potential college if you don’t play soccer there.
I thought I would post some hints & tips that I have given my Goalkeepers throughout the years.
1 – Have gloves that fit you correctly.
More than any lack of grip due to the foam latex being worn, it is the size of the gloves that often lead to poor handling. Too small and the hand is restricted …. unable to get a grip around the ball.
Too large and the excess material gets in the way of getting a good feel for the ball.
2 – Have water in a squeezey bottle or spray bottle.
This allows for quick access to keep gloves wet and also to keep mouth moist during training and games in which you will be shouting commands. See my post on benefits of the squeezy bottle.
3 – Ensure boots are the correct size, they are done up tightly and laces do not come undone during games or practice.
4 – Speak to your coach about preferred distribution techniques.
Some coaches prefer that the goalkeeper roll to feet, others would rather clear the lines. Much also depends on current result, time in the game and confidence of players on the field….. and of course the consistency in quality of your various distributions.
5 – Keep up to date with an archive of coaching notes. Many coaching notes can be found on this blog at www.GoalkeeperHQ.com
6 – Have tape to keep shinguards in place.
This prevents the shin guards sliding down the leg and getting in the way when making kicks. The tape should also be used to keep socks up. Constantly pulling up socks and adjusting shin guards is not only a distraction, but causes the latex on the gloves to become worn. You can purchase electrical tape in the “Products” page. Another option is the protective sock by Storelli.com…. not only do they provide protection to the lower leg, they allow you to slip your shinguard in. See the product here and don’t forget you can get 20% off a product by typing “Leon” in the coupon code at checkout.
7 – See a chiropractor.
Goalkeepers are renowned for having poor posture. Constantly bending down and being in the “Set” positon leads to hunched shoulders. This, along with the constant bashing our bodies take by diving on the floor lead to sublaxation of the spine, which of course protects the nervous system. Chiropractors often offer a free assessment.
8 – Consider your diet.
Soda should be a “No No”. Be aware of sugars in other drinks. Candy & Chips to a minimum. See my post on what happen’s to your body after drinking a coke. Keep to foods with whole ingredients, rather than processed.
Diet is a difficult thing to control as a child and parents often make decisions based on cost, time available to prepare, and family taste. Every family will have different pressures and each individual has different things work to help them create muscle whist reducing fat.
1) What is the academic reputation of the school?2) Does the school offer the major of your choice?
