Any goalkeeper specific coaches, soccer coaches or team parent helpers here?

Farneyman

Farneyman

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Random question I know but I have recently started working/volunteering with a boys team's keeepers, 1 year group. Since I began that I have completed my Goalkeeping Level 1 – Goalkeeping Certificate through the SFA and will be completing Level 2 in the new year.

I have now volunteered to coach the keepers for all the age groups from the boys club in a few weeks on a weekly basis. Having worked with the two keepers from the same team for the last while I have really enjoyed it and tried to make the sessions meaningful and fun and wanted to take it to the next level working with more keepers from the club.

I am just looking for any tips or suggestions you experienced "coaches" or "parent helpers" may have for someone starting out in a boys club.

Are there any things you did at the beginning that if you had your time again you would do differently? Or any other Do's and Dont's.

Ta
 
I have not coached football but my son was a goalkeeper for a number of years. He was coached at junior club level and also had coaching from some of the Newcastle academy goalkeeping coaches. First rule of goalkeeping coaching. Don't let the idiots blast balls at them from 10yds. That used to happen so many times and all it does is damage their wrists, break fingers etc. The academy coaches never let that happen. Minor rant but that was a huge irritation at club level.

From his experience: Keep the exercises short and snappy, keep all the keepers involved, not easy. Concentrate on technique, technique, technique. They were the sessions he enjoyed most of all.

Tell the parents to clear off. Kids work better without dad keeping an eye on them and pressuring the sessions.

Make them fun. They are there to have fun. Set mini challenges, keeper against keeper. Kids love games like that.

Contact your local pro team and ask to speak to the head of their academy. Ask to go along and watch their goalkeeping sessions. Tell them the role you are doing and how you want to learn. Goalkeeping is a very specific position and they tend to stick together and want to help other keepers. I would be astonished if they would not want to help you in some way.

It is great that you are taking this on. Keepers are often neglected, back to the blasting from 10 yds issue, and the quality of your keepers will inevitably improve due to what you are doing.
 
I've just enrolled on a level 1 coaching course so a bit begin you, there seems to be plenty of fully qualified coaches with drills and advice online.
The county fa coaches club produces a magazine Which I believe is excellent.
I did a webinar last night and locally there seem lots of new plans a foot at grass roots level. The biggest obstacle seems to be parents!
I recently saw a YouTube clip of Barca goalkeeper coaching have a look some awesome idea for reactions.

year 1 school group is that?
 
I think that it is sometimes easy for a coach to pigeon hole talent at a young age.

A family member was a pretty average football player at 12/13 but developed into a Scotland under 16 player.
I was working with 5 outstanding 12/13 year old golfers and the one who became was the most successful was a bit of a surprise to me.

Young teenagers change a lot between the ages of 12 and 15, both physically and mentally so my advice would be .....be loyal, patient and inclusive.

I get the Goalkeeper bit, my grandson's team won an under 10's match 4-3 with the 'star' forward scoring 3 goals.
He got all the praise for his 'tap ins' but his team's goalie was ignored despite having a stunning game.
 
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I played top amateur level under 16/17 and 18's as a "keeper and I spent a lot of time training with a smaller football, say a size 3 and it really helps keep your hands close together.
 
Ago of few years ago my lad was a decent goalie, which is a bit of an understatement. He had trials at Forest and Notts county. Anyway,
he played one day as a 9or10 yr old against a very good Norwich side.
a kid shot and my lad had it covered all the way and let it go out for a goal kick. However it didn't. It hit the post and went in. My lad was mortified.
After the game I said what did the coach say. He said we had a right good laugh about it. I didn't understand. The following Tuesday I asked his goalie coach what that was all about. he said " if you give them a roasting at too young an age they will walk away, that are not mentally strong enough to accept it, so another way of highlighting his mistake is to laugh about it, when he is at a certain age ( and all kids are differant), then you give them a roasting as they need to start getting mentally stronger".
look at your age groups you are coaching. You will coach men with a differant mentality as 8 yr olds.
my son was excellent at getting the best out of his defence, which made his job easier, full of praise with a tackle, header, etc. But God did his tyrets kick in if they made a mistake.
the bit about telling parents to disappear is 100% true. Everyone is a coach or manager now they have Sky or BT. There not, they have opinions there not coaches.
i was on about this the other day. If you took your lad to a PGA golf coach for a lesson you would not chip in you would leave them to it. But when it comes to football every parent wants to give input, and the ones who played Sunday league football ( to a high standard😜) are the worst.
good luck me man.
 
Tashyboy said:
Ago of few years ago my lad was a decent goalie, which is a bit of an understatement. He had trials at Forest and Notts county. Anyway,
he played one day as a 9or10 yr old against a very good Norwich side.
a kid shot and my lad had it covered all the way and let it go out for a goal kick. However it didn't. It hit the post and went in. My lad was mortified.
After the game I said what did the coach say. He said we had a right good laugh about it. I didn't understand. The following Tuesday I asked his goalie coach what that was all about. he said " if you give them a roasting at too young an age they will walk away, that are not mentally strong enough to accept it, so another way of highlighting his mistake is to laugh about it, when he is at a certain age ( and all kids are differant), then you give them a roasting as they need to start getting mentally stronger".
look at your age groups you are coaching. You will coach men with a differant mentality as 8 yr olds.
my son was excellent at getting the best out of his defence, which made his job easier, full of praise with a tackle, header, etc. But God did his tyrets kick in if they made a mistake.
the bit about telling parents to disappear is 100% true. Everyone is a coach or manager now they have Sky or BT. There not, they have opinions there not coaches.
i was on about this the other day. If you took your lad to a PGA golf coach for a lesson you would not chip in you would leave them to it. But when it comes to football every parent wants to give input, and the ones who played Sunday league football ( to a high standard��) are the worst.
good luck me man.
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Love it! Quality coaching that :clap: only wish there was more of this around at this age the kids should be able go out and have fun play football and enjoy themselves.
Aside from that up until aroundabout 12 they should all play in different positions too and not get pigeon hole at 6/7/8 in set positions whilst they are all still developing and growing at different rates.
 
Thanks a million for the replies. Some great stuff in there to think about and follow.

I have experience of playing Schoolboy international U-18 and for a League of Ireland and Irish League team in my past so I will be coming into this coaching as an ex goalkeeper. I must admit I am really looking forward to it and getting back into soccer. The GAA was and is still is my favourite sport however then are no clubs close by that I could work with in that. I just hope that the individual teams within the main club send their keepers to the session.

pbrown I meant one year group of kids for example the 2008's (kids born in 2008)

Marshy - quality site that. I have found loads of resources online added to the stuff from the SFA coaching.

I was thinking of buying championship manager and following the top teams goalkeeping coaching schedule :rofl:
 
pbrown7582 said:
Love it! Quality coaching that :clap: only wish there was more of this around at this age the kids should be able go out and have fun play football and enjoy themselves.
Aside from that up until aroundabout 12 they should all play in different positions too and not get pigeon hole at 6/7/8 in set positions whilst they are all still developing and growing at different rates.
Click to expand...

Totally agree with this and something parents in particular SHOULD take note of. How many times on a Sunday afternoon do I see my mates putting stuff on faceache etc saying brilliant morning we won 16-0 - this is at U7 level!! I don't think you should keep score at that age and should just concentrate on playing football.
 
Marshy77 said:
Totally agree with this and something parents in particular SHOULD take note of. How many times on a Sunday afternoon do I see my mates putting stuff on faceache etc saying brilliant morning we won 16-0 - this is at U7 level!! I don't think you should keep score at that age and should just concentrate on playing football.
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Results aren't allowed or league tables to be published at U7 or U8, leagues are just a series or friendlies which is good. I cannot see how anyone gets anything out of a 16-0 score.
IMO the team in the ascendancy should rotate players and give all the squad a chance taking stronger players off to even the match up.
This wont go down well with many parents but it should be fun for all to start with mot disheartening one sided matches. Winning at U7 is not the be all and end all despite what the parents may think.
 
When my son played rugby at that age they stopped when the score reached 6 tries to nil. At that point the coaches would then mix the teams up or play extra players on the weaker team etc to create a competitive match. The aim was to improve everyone and one team dominating another does not help anyone.
 
I coach and manage at U8s. It's great fun. We have a "Respect" barrier that we put up on one side of the pitch where all parents must go and stay behind. Coaches and players are on the opposite side.

Here's a link we use to help us plan drills for the kids for the weekly training :http://www.teachpe.com/soccer_football/soccer_drills.php

Keep it fun, varied and relate to their favourite players :)
 
Lord Tyrion said:
Tell the parents to clear off. Kids work better without dad keeping an eye on them and pressuring the sessions.

Make them fun. They are there to have fun. Set mini challenges, keeper against keeper. Kids love games like that.
.
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From a generic coaching viewpoint, sorry Dads but I agree with the first point a zillion percent.
Just keep out the way, let the coaches do the coaching, make the decisions and, sometimes, enforce the discipline. They are neutral, you're not.

Second point, agree equally.
 
Train with a ball.

Yep, very simple, but astonishing how often it gets forgotten.


Edit: mibbes not with keepers tbf. :)

Edit edit: One that sticks in my mind with keepers was getting them to face away from you, you shout turn and toss the ball (mix up where you throw it, left, right, high, low), it tests the keepers reflexes as it simulates a 'seen it late' type of shot. Very good for honing their reaction time.
 
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A right can of worms has been opened when it comes to coaching goalies/kids when it comes to football, and running a football team.
A person goes into football wanting to coach football. To get the right qualifications to coach football. What he is not told is that he expected to be a coach, social worker, parent, taxi driver, piggy bank, fund raiser, referee, linesman, kit washer, treasurer, committee man. And lastly but by no means least. A husband and father. Apologies if I have missed owt.
After all that if you manage to keep your sanity, when you bump into me I will buy the next round.
Good luck boys.
 
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