Coaches should start training keepers to catch the ball (with both hands) by initially rolling the ball toward them - slowly at first. This practice can be done from a kneeling position initially. Varying the position of the ball from straight at the keeper to either side of him will train his reflexes and his hand eye coordination.
Bringing the Ball Toward the Chest
Speed can be built up as the keeper becomes more confident. When catching the ball, the keeper must bring the ball into his chest whenever possible, moving slightly forward as he does so (he must not step back over the goal line holding the ball at any time, so practicing moving forward will get him into the right habit).
As the keeper becomes proficient from the kneeling position, the coach can move on to throwing the ball either side of him in the air. Throwing the ball (initially) will give the keeper (particularly young ones) confidence. When he is comfortable catching the ball at a relatively slow pace, the coach can then move on to kicking the ball.
Penalties
The hardest save a keeper will be asked to make is from a penalty kick. However, many games are won or lost with penalties so the keeper must prepare for them. The odds are stacked against a keeper during this play, but he can do a number of things to improve his chances.
The keeper must stand in such a way as to make himself look as big as possible, spread eagle is ideal for this. He must ensure he is positioned exactly in the center of his goal and he must make sure his gloves are clean. Although it is technically against the rules, he can move slightly as the penalty taker is moving toward the ball with the hope of distracting him; for example, leaning slightly left before diving right can influence the penalty takers shot.
Dive the Right Way
Most professional players kick the ball so hard there is little chance of the keeper reacting fast enough to dive the correct way. Therefore, a good keeper will dive at the last possible moment with the hope that he is going the right way (building up knowledge of the other teams penalty takers is important as most kick the same way every time).
The coach must work with the keeper to increase his positional awareness. This is particularly important during a corner.
Covering Attackers
The keeper will often position a defender on the goal line against the far post during a corner. The keeper will also instruct his defenders to mark or cover certain players on the attacking team, and will try to catch or clear the ball as decisively as possible (often shouting ‘mine’ as he jumps above his defenders to catch a ball). The coach must train the keeper to remain on the goal line until he is sure he can catch the ball.
Practice Throwing the Ball
After a successful save, the keeper will look for an advantage in getting the ball into the attackers half (or further) as fast as possible. During an attack, the opposing team will have pushed forward and this can create openings at the back if the keeper can return the ball quickly after a thwarted attack. Coaches must work on long kicks (either as a goal kick from the ground or after a short run while holding the ball), and also throwing the ball. Throwing the ball should be more precise than kicking; therefore if a keeper can locate a forward accurately by throwing the ball, his team can gain a possession advantage.
A good youth soccer coach will be working to improve not just the keeper’s ball and area control skills, but also his confidence. A team’s keeper is critical to the success of the entire team. He will not only stop the opposition from scoring, but he will also create chances for his forwards to score from. The coach must not overlook this critical player.
John Glimmerveen - John Glimmerveen is a freelance writer and author specializing in automotive, motorcycle, and motorsports subjects. In addition, John is ...
