At the younger age groups I have always found it a difficult job filling the position of goalkeeper. I’ve done various things, put my own son in goal, had two goalkeepers so one half they play outfield the other in goal but were never subbed – it helped but didn’t totally solve the problem.
Motivation, confidence and parental opposition are all part of the problem for goalkeepers. Team mates and parents can be very quick to criticise a goalkeeping error, whereas a missed scoring opportunity at the other end might go unmentioned.
This is one of the reasons why goalkeeper is a position that can be hard to fill; so when it comes to coaching your goalkeeper, you should do all you can to encourage him or her by making training fun, easy to understand and full of variety.
I always start with some simple sessions to give the goalkeeper some confidence. I swear by my EasiCoach goalkeeping sessions, such as Stop the striker 1v1 (U11-U12 game), which gets the goalkeeper coming off the goal line to smother the ball. For saving skills, try Stopping the ball (U7-U8 activity) and for skills with the feet, which are very important for goalkeepers who come out to support the defence, try Footwork matters most (U11-U14 activity).
You can move on to coaching the goalkeeper in game situations. My favourite sessions are those that keep the goalie involved in the game. A really good fun example is Airball, which has every player using goalkeeping skills so the keeper doesn’t feel like the odd one out. (It can also help you identify any players who could stand in if the keeper is injured or on holiday.)
For older goalkeepers use the session Cover plus – it gets them thinking about positions on the pitch and covering behind the defence when the defenders go missing. I find it one of the best for getting keepers to anticipate when they need to clear the ball.
Finally, for very experienced goalkeepers, use the session Goalkeeper positions. It was designed by Keith Boanas, former head coach of the Estonia women’s team, for a club in Finland that was having trouble with the goalkeeper staying glued to her line.
We had a meeting this week at my club, where we were discussing the changes we face in a few months time. My U10s team goes from 7v7 into 9v9 and that means we are facing offside decisions. So how does a coach go about preparing for that? MORE
As coaches we are all obsessed with keeping possession of the ball... of course we are the best teams all do it and if you've got the ball the opposition can't score. And there is just that other coach called Pep Guardiola who swears by it... MORE
Fast is a word I like to use when my teams are attacking. Do it with speed and watch the opposition shrink away from it. It makes life difficult for your opponents and helps your team to dominate when in possession of the ball. MORE
The season has suddenly taken off again after 4 months of Coronavirus lockdown. I've been coaching for 14 hours for the last two weeks in an attempt to get the players back into some kind of shape for playing matches. It has its benefits but also it has a downside. Two of my players picked up injuries, one an ankle injury and the other had what he called "tired legs". Find out how we got on... MORE
in Defending, Email newsletters
Defending against overloads can happen whether your team is in an organised or disorganised state. You can plan defending when organised much easier than when you are defending disorganised. MORE
in Ball Control and Footwork, Email newsletters
I was talking to a coach this week about how to control balls in the air, especially when heading the ball in training is off the menu for most clubs. I imagine that there will be much more of a contest to win the ball with a volley once it has dropped from head height. So how do you coach controlling balls in the air? MORE
