Soccer Goalkeeper Training

Skills and technical training are of vital importance when it comes to this position; we're going to talk about physical and mental fitness, skills development and equipment.

Since it is the only position on the field that allows the ball to be touched by the hands and arms, the individual goalkeepers have an advantage over all the other players on the field. This makes training goalkeepers for soccer not only unique but challenging.

Soccer Goalkeepers are the last line of defence, and often the first line of the offense, depending on the style of play.

Also known as "goalies" or "keepers", these individuals are a breed apart. They will put their bodies in harms way to stop or block a shot on goal. They will dive in any direction to get the ball.

Training Goalkeepers is also very physically demanding. Build the skills and technical training step by step.

The most important thing to remember is the goalies' mental state. The only other player on the team who can be compared to the goalkeeper is a goal hungry striker. In fact some of the best goalies were also strikers.

There are often great one-on-one battles at all levels between forwards and goalies.

Goalkeepers are also the leaders of the teams and usually have dominant personalities. These individuals must be helped to fulfill this role by being placed in a vocal and demonstrative capacity. They are definitely leaders in the 18 yard box, and should be allowed to gain respect from their team.

The ball can only be handled by the goalie in the 18 yard box, anyone else who is unfortunate to let the ball touch an arm, a free kick is given against. In the case of the goalkeeper's team mate, it is a penalty shot from "the spot".

Help build the goalkeepers' character and skills with youth goalkeeper training.

Physical Fitness

Most successful goalkeepers are tall and thus have long arms and big hands.
If a goalkeeper is short, they will usually make up for the lack of height with good vertical and lateral mobility.

Remember that goalies have a great sense of self worth but still need to be motivated on a regular basis. Visit the Mental Training, and Youth Soccer pages on this site for additional information.

Soccer Goalkeepers need to do their general warm ups with the team, but then branch out and get worked on with the specific drills that will prepare them for the practice or game.

Staying balanced and knowing the center of gravity of the body is vital to the goalkeeper. This will improve the activity of the goalie and the state of readiness of the individual to make impressive gains in a game setting.

Mental Fitness

Soccer Goalkeepers are unique, and need to be respected for their uniqueness. They also require a well balanced approach to the game.

The mental training regime for goalies not only requires affirmations but also focusing techniques. This will aid in their abilities to stay calm under pressure, while still remaining a leader with the force to guide their teams through tense situations. Often what a goalkeeper does and says can affect their team's performance, positively and negatively.

As a result goalkeepers also need to be encouraged to relay their messages in a positive manner to their team mates. Therefore language and attitude become important.

Although the largest and most well respected sport in the world, soccer still remains a sport of fun rather than just business. This should be kept in mind when advancing the team to higher levels of competition. Soccer is a reflection of life, with all that life has to offer, including building great and lasting relationships.

Skills Development

In order for the correct skills to be developed the right type of equipment needs to be available. Check out this highly recommended site, Goalkeepers in motion.

Diving and rolling are key to the success of a goalkeeper. This means that the correct techniques need to be acquired so the the goalie doesn't hurt themselves. If you need to get some pointers from gymnastics then do so, as this will increase the confidence level of the goalie and thus make it easier to go to the next level.

Acrobatics is a major component of goalkeeping and needs to be used to ensure the goalie has the right skills to carry out the variety of tasks at hand.

Soccer Equipment

Make sure your goalkeeper has the right equipment and that it is correctly fitted. For help with this go here.
For more information go to Soccer GoalKeeper Training Links.

Also go to; Simon Smith Soccer Goal Keeping