Oh No! Not that keeper.

I have been watching a lot of keepers warming up lately and I have noticed something that keeper’s don’t seem to understand. While you, as a keeper, are in the goal taking your warm up half seriously, the other team is watching you and gaining confidence with every ball you allow to enter your goal.

As a keeper you must have a “presence” when you enter the pitch. Your teammates should feel confident that you are behind them and your opponent should be brought down a notch when they see who is playing goal.

This all comes with working harder and longer than anyone else on the pitch. Whether training or playing, the keeper should give 120% all the time. In training you should be warmed up and ready to play goal when there are finishing drills and you should make every “savable” save. Yes, they are going to score some on you but you have to stop the one’s that are stoppable. If a keeper does not take training seriously and lets balls in the goal during a drill or does not use proper technique when saving the ball they very quickly lose the confidence of the team. The confidence of your teammates is something that can be very hard to regain.

As part of your “presence” you should also look the part. If a keeper looks and dresses sloppy then they will train and play sloppy.

Just remember, if the opponent is confident that they can beat you they will attempt more shots from anywhere, thus creating better odds hat they will score, and if they are less self assured because of your “presence” they will then begin to look more for that one shot that will hopefully beat you. While they are looking for that one shot it will reduce the total amount of shots on goal and lower the odds of getting scored on. There is a keeper who plays locally here at the top level and when her team plays you can see the opponent almost drop a notch when she steps on to the pitch. Many times I have watched the opponent NOT take a shooting opportunity because they were trying to get that perfect shot.

As a keeper you should strive to be known as a “good” keeper rather than a “crazy” keeper. Just because opponents are afraid of you, the “crazy” keeper, it will not stop them from shooting at every opportunity.

That’s it for now; keep the comments and questions coming. Until next chat I’ll see you on the pitch.

Gary