The position of goalkeeper is one of the most psychologically
demanding on the soccer field. Mistakes are final. The glory is usually
reserved for the players at the other end of the field. It's not a
position for everybody. You can't be stupid and play goal, but perhaps
you must be a little crazy.
A coach must, of necessity, be a part-time psychologist, and nowhere
is this more important than for the goalkeeper, where confidence is
key. With this in mind, I offer the following eight tips to help
coaches manage their goalkeepers effectively...
Only play players in goal who want to play in goal.
In youth soccer, everyone is encouraged to try all positions. However,
I would not include goalkeeper in that category, at least in game
situations. It does no good to put someone in the box who simply does
not want to be there. It can be shattering for a youngster to be scored
upon. If you must, try everyone in practices, but limit game play to
those who want to be (or at least, don't mind being) in the net.
Stay positive when goals are scored. It can be tough
to be positive, especially when a simple lapse has just let in the
game-losing goal with seconds to play. However, goalkeepers need to be
able to put mistakes behind them quickly and recover, so try to put a
positive spin on things--credit the shooter. Sometimes the opposing
team has just made a great play; give them credit. It's not always a
mistake by the keeper that lets a goal in. Don't dwell on it. Help the
goalkeeper shake it off quickly, make a fast coaching point if
necessary, and move on once the kickoff has been taken. You can cover
problems in more depth at the next practice. Focus on the skill that
needs work, not the fact that the goal was allowed. Very often it's
just basic footwork or catching that needs brushing up.
Give credit for more than saves. A keeper can keep
the soccer ball out of the net in more ways than making a direct save.
For example, forcing a missed shot gets the job done, too!
Aggressiveness goes a long way here--by making the shooter decide too
early, a keeper can force a miss or a pass on an otherwise open shot. A
goalkeeper who can get into the heads of opposing forwards early has a
huge advantage.
Don't panic after a save. This point applies to both
coach and goalkeeper. Give the keeper time to internalize the save,
build some confidence, and calm down. At the same time, give field
players time to recover, and then look upfield to restart the attack.
Six seconds is plenty of time to do all this. If you stay calm, you're
showing that you have confidence in the keeper's ability to control the
ball and the game.
Help the keeper develop good habits. Teach good
technique to your keepers, then hammer it in with repetition. Don't
allow any lazy or sloppy technique, even when they're not officially
doing drills or playing. Good habits will show themselves in games, and
so will bad habits.
Require full effort, every time, on every shot. Every
shot deserves an attempt at a save, even if it seems futile.
Eventually, the shots that seemed impossible to stop before will start
coming into range. If the effort is there, the results will start to
come.
If things aren't going well, pull the goalkeeper with care.
Many coaches will pull a keeper if he or she is getting shelled, but
you should be aware of the repercussions of doing this. Some players
will take this as a sign you lack confidence in them, and only go
downhill. Make sure you stay positive, and point out you're not pulling
them because they are a poor player or person, just that it's not their
day.
Encourage additional training. There isn't always
time to properly train a keeper in normal practice sessions, especially
when that player needs to develop foot and field skills as well.
Encourage your keeper to attend club or private training sessions, go
to goalkeeper camps, rent or buy books or videos, or visit this and
other web sites. A player who is serious about goalkeeping needs all
the extra training and practice he or she can get!
