Training the Goalkeeper | Pilgrim Goalkeeper Coaching |

Training the Goalkeeper - The Way Forward?

I have always wanted to be a goalkeeper coach ever since an early age. There was something in my mentality that provoked these thoughts and I am really proud to have followed this dream through. I first donned the goalkeeper gloves, bright yellow cotton with black pimpled rubber stuck on the fingers and circled in the palm, when I was just 8 years old, and knew that I'd made the right positional decision. It's possibly because of a natural draw as my brother played as striker and our daily kickabouts in the garden inevitably lead to me playing between the sticks whilst my brother and his mates would hammer shots at me. This was my very steep first learning curve, and a curve that got even steeper when our village formed a junior football team... at the Under 12's age group!

I quickly had to adapt from playing between the metal posts that our Dad had welded together in our garden, to playing on a full size pitch, with the inevitable full size goals using the now legendary Mitre Multiplex football - size 5 as standard and probably weighing in at more than I did at the time! Don't forget to top all this off I was giving away over 4 years to some of my opponents, and this is also 4 years at a pubescent age for many of the older players, many of whom appeared like full grown men to my naive 8 year old eyes! I honestly wouldn't have changed a single thing about this experience, it made me adapt my personality and mentality and I stand by the fact I believe it made me a better goalkeeper and more determined individual. You could see the mockery from the opposition when little old me took my rightful place between the posts, but I'm hopeful that I managed to win the majority round with my performances, even when I broke my ankle during a one on one situation I "heroically" carried on playing thinking it was just a "knock" until my defenders kept passing the ball back to me and I realised that I couldn't weight bear, let alone kick the ball! 6 weeks in plaster and it certainly wouldn't be the first or lst time in my early career.

I still have my notebook that I started when I was an early teenager, full of ideas for drills that I would like to do at training although I never did as there was no-one to train with, and also I made notes on my performance about every single game I played. I became quite analytical about my game to the point where, embarrassingly now, I would envisage the possibilities for forthcoming games, play them over and over in my head and act them out in my bedroom by diving over the bed or collapsing on the floor for an imaginary low shot. Just from my little notebook, I felt that I was absolutely prepared for the action the next day and, on reflection, this was my first experience with the vitally important positive mental imagery which plays such a huge part in today's professional game. I am sure that I wasn't the only child that plays football to be so in-depth about his game, but now with the virtue of hindsight, I can see where my passion for goalkeeper development formed... diving over the bed in my room on a Saturday afternoon!

When I first began goalkeeper coaching, I'll admit to more or less following the ways that I had been taught on the courses that I'd attended. These courses were held with the FA, The Scottish FA and also the fabulous Welsh FA and as a virgin coach, remember that even as an adult I had never received any goalkeeper specific training, I followed their advice basically to the letter. For the majority of people this would be good enough, and many coaches are happy to stay loyal to these techniques as after all they are all respected footballing bodies in their own rights, but me being me, I cannot settle for this and once I'd found my legs for coaching I naturally developed my own style. I always strive to be better than I am currently, and with the passion that I feel for developing goalkeeping talent, this drive was a natural progression for me and so I began to look at ways to improve what I offer and what is currently offered nationally.

I am by no means saying anyone's wrong, this is purely MY take on MY way forward and perhaps will be unique to me, however I am hopeful that comments made will be thought provoking and perhaps provocative enough to challenge the current conception surrounding working the Number One. The first point I challenge is the notion that every child must experience all positions on the pitch, regardless of their favoured role. This idea is great for all outfield players or the uncertain ones BUT if a child express a desire to play in goal or is adamant that they are a goalkeeper then I feel that we must encourage this. I know that the majority of goalkeepers will tell you they feel a compulsion to wear the gloves, it is their position, and I know from my personal experience I hated every second that I wasn't in goal - it just didn't feel natural, which is why I state that this should be nurtured. I always reassure the parents that as long as their child is happy, then why force them to do something they don't want to? I can see the premise that the player will learn all aspects of football and this will then round them as an individual within the team, but the goalkeeper only looks in one direction for the duration of the match... forwards. they can instantly see the developments, and learn to adapt to suit their specific position accordingly so that is my first bone of contention.

Next I'll move onto the amount of time devoted to distribution as certainly on the coach education courses I've attended perhaps 1/3 of the qualification is devoted to this topic, and I also know that this is a highly rehearsed area for professional goalkeepers however... I feel that locally (UK) we have over concentrated on this aspect since the introduction of the back pass law in 1992. We have slowed down the production line of rounded goalkeepers of the old fashioned sense, and they have been replaced with good goalkeepers with great distributional skills and this is a concern particularly as good goalkeeper distribution in the UK is wrongly classed as how far can the goalkeeper kick the ball? Not who to, or hitting the danger areas but HOW FAR!. My sessions still contain an element of distribution but I try to re-educate the goalkeeper into thinking about possession as I would sooner the goalkeeper lay it short even if he has to receive again as the attack can be built slowly. There is a time and a place to clear your lines and I feel that this is wrongly the focus given to new goalkeeper coaches, we absolutely must work with the team in our coaching capacity.

The training sessions that I develop for my senior goalkeepers all focus on match related aspects, i.e what can happen during 90 minutes, so it is rare that I use obstacles or equipment to improve fast feet etc. These sessions are also interpreted for the junior goalkeepers too, as I have discovered that children learn better by actually knowing when to use the skills rather than how. My findings have shown that it is just as good to demonstrate how to do the technique but in an environment where they will use it, however this was not the case when I first began coaching as I was following the guidebooks received on the courses but the demonstrations and advised drills were all very static. Children learn by doing and applying to a natural situation speeds this learning curve up dramatically, the same applies to predictable drills where the goalkeeper knows exactly where the ball is going before it's even kicked as the server has already told them. This serves no purpose and falsely improves the technique of the save in my opinion, but this is de rigour at many goalkeeper coaching schools nationwide (and even on the professional training pitches). My aim is to improve the biggest asset to any goalkeeper, regardless of their age, their decision making and by developing fluid drills puts every goalkeeper immediately into a situation that they will potentially face come match day.

Like every goalkeeper coach we all feel that we are good at what we do, and some can work with more flexibility than others but my desire is to create a generation of goalkeeper coaches who aren't afraid to leave the handbooks on the shelf to step away from the common drills, work with your goalkeepers and not your coaching manual. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn from every experience that you go through with your players, above all develop your own style, personality and beliefs that will help to set your goalkeepers up for a great career in football.