Being a goalkeeper is one of the most thankless but rewarding positions on the pitch. You need certain skills and plenty of training. Whether you’re always in goal, or just get sent in from time to time, read these five top tips on being a better goalie.
Be resilient and have fun
When your side is losing, it’s easy to feel dejected, but remember, the fault does not lie with you alone. In fact, that ball had to get past all the other players before it got to you. Be resilient, learn from your mistakes but don’t beat yourself up about letting goals in. The best way to be resilient is to remember that you play football for fun, so keep it that way. Keep your head up, enjoy the game and don’t let losses get you down.
Be strong in your decisions
The goalkeeper has to make many decisions for the team, whether they are captain or not. How and where you perform goal kicks or goal throws can completely change the direction of a game. You also need to instruct teammates on where to go so you need to be commanding and have confidence in your decisions. From your stance in goal and from the fact you are more static than other players, goalies tend to have more idea what is going on in a given match, this means you can help shout out advice, support and instructions to teammates. Again, be confident and commanding.
Own the goal area
The best goalkeepers in the world have excellent presence in the goal area. Be territorial in this space.
Learn how to prevent injuries
As a goalie, you will always get injured to some degree. Whether it’s from a dive or a collision, it’s, unfortunately, par for the course. But learning how to reduce the impact of injuries can massively improve your game. This includes ensuring you land on your side when you dive and investing in excellent shin pads and gloves from reliable football kit suppliers such as https://www.kitking.co.uk/.
Focus on the ball
Don’t wait till the ball gets to you before you start taking note of it, focus on the ball the whole time and react to its movements and location, even when it’s far from your goal area.
