Goalkeeping Tips, Tidbits and Random Thoughts

An athlete talking to themsleves during competition is hardly a new phenomenon.... The talk does not have to be vocal. By merely thinking you are talking to yourself and sending a message.
-- Tony DiCicco, Goalkeeper Soccer Training Manual

If you have a question, comment or rebuttal you'd like to see addressed here, send me email. I will post your mail to the blog at my discretion unless you specify otherwise.

Which end are we attacking again?

Being a goalkeeper is hard enough without your own team shooting at you.

Labels: Matchday observations

Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 | Permalink

Glove storage and care

Some good advice on storing gloves over at TheGloveBag.com.

Labels: Equipment

Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 | Permalink

The howling wind

Ever thought you played on an incredibly windy day? Try this.

Labels: Miscellaneous

Posted on Saturday, March 08, 2008 | Permalink

The high school girls team I coach opened their season tonight. With us up 1-0 and 13 minutes left, the other team is awarded a penalty kick (and rightly so). My goalkeeper, who has played the position for several years but has never had any formal training, steps to her line. We haven't really worked on PKs, but I have passed along my advice to not guess and simply react to the shot if you don't get a strong read. The shot goes right down the middle, and she makes the save without even moving. I don't know if it was poorly hit, or if the kicker expected the goalkeeper to guess and dive out of the way.

Regardless, what could have been a 1-1 game and a huge momentum swing ended up in a 2-0 victory for us.

Save all the ones you should, then save a few of the ones you shouldn't.

Labels: Penalty Kicks

Posted on Friday, March 07, 2008 | Permalink

Goalkeeper own goal

Poor Jussi Jaaskelainen. It's not often you get goalkeepers credited with an own goal, but he managed to do it in Bolton's match against Liverpool this past weekend. On a shot that might not even have been going in, a lowish drive by Steven Gerrard, Jussi didn't get his hands to the ball. In fact, it takes a bounce, hits him in the side of the head, bounces out a few feet in front of the goal, and then the spinning ball rolls into the net. Ouch, physically and mentally.