We Should Always Act Like a Goal Keeper

“The conditions you need to be a goodallowed. Very often it's just basic footwork or
goalkeeper are exactly the same conditions you needcatching that needs brushing up. We need to improve
to be a good Architect. You must have a very goodupon our skills according to the needs of the hour
connection, in both professions, with time andand situations, we should learn various new skills and
space.” - Eduardo Chillida (Spanish sculpture,the update the changes we already have in line with
considered one of the greatest artists of the 2ndthe requirements of circumstances.
half of the 20th c., 1924-2002)· Aggressiveness. A keeper can keep the
The position of goalkeeper in a team is one of thesoccer ball out of the net in more ways than making
most demanding emplacements in all sports. The goala direct save - forcing a missed shot gets the job
keeper must be agile, sharp, flexible, energetic,done too. Aggressiveness goes a long way here - by
enthusiastic, he has t have stamina, decisivemaking the shooter decide too early, a keeper can
alongwith other skills; the quickness, the toughness,force a miss or a pass on an otherwise open shot. A
correct mental attitude, determination, self belief, allgoalkeeper who can get into the heads of opposing
combine to create a great keeper. But without oneforwards early has a huge advantage.
of these, the goalkeeper is average, not the best.· Keep confidence. This applies to both coach
Even the most talented athlete can fall short if theyand goalkeeper. Give the keeper time to internalize
do not have the mental preparedness to make it inthe save (builds confidence), calm down, give field
this tough arena.players time to recover, and look up-field to restart
If we mull over our life to compare the skills of athe attack. Six seconds is plenty of time to do all this.
goal keeper, in life, we should also act like a goalIf you stay calm, you're showing that you have
keeper, we need the same skills, talents, confidence,confidence in the keeper's ability to control the ball
mental toughness, attitude, self belief, determination,and the game.
etc. etc. for achieving our goals and ascend to the· Training is the key. Teach them good
ladders and to become successful. The belowtechnique, and then hammer it in with repetition. Don't
mentioned qualities of a goal keeper, shall more orallow any lazy or sloppy technique, even when
less applicable in our life too.they're not officially doing drills or playing. Good habits
Decision making capability. The soccer goalkeeper iswill show themselves in games just like bad habits.
one of the most important players on the field - theyRepetition is the key; doing it right every time
are the last line of defense and the first line of(consistency) is what separates a good goalkeeper
attack. To play the position well requires special skillsfrom a great one. We should undergo to get updated
and training. His quick decisions will change the courseand learn and develop new skills, the present day
of the game in a split second, shame or glory, evenscenarios demand more learning to survive.
the great strikers can fail in 10 times, but never ever· Fully committed. Every shot deserves an
an average goal keeper fail, then it will be fatal forattempt at a save, even if it seems futile. Eventually,
the team. In our life too, we do not shy away fromthe shots that seemed impossible to stop before will
the taking decisions at the time, when it is requiredstart coming into range. If the effort is there, the
to take, we can not put off the decision making forresults will start to come. We should always fully
long, we should decide now what we do next.committee to what we do with passion and
· Correct Mental Attitude: The position ofperseverance. We should also commit to the job in
goalkeeper is one of the most psychologicallyhand as well as to the team, in which we are
demanding on the soccer field. Mistakes are final andmembers.
fatal for him and his team. The glory is usually· If things aren't going well, do not blame.
reserved for the players at the other end of theMany coaches will pull a keeper if they are getting
field. It's not a position for everybody. You can't beshelled, but be aware of the repercussions of this.
stupid and play goal, but perhaps you must be a littleSome players will take this as a sign you lack
crazy. Our waywardness may cause disarray in ourconfidence in them, and only go downhill. Make sure
life, if do not have the correct mental attitude toyou stay positive, and point out you're not pulling
decide our destiny or goals.them because they are a poor player or person, just
· Only focus on a goal at a time. The positionthat it's not their day. Nobody is perfect and
of Goalkeeper is designed and defined for playingeverybody make mistakes at any time, however the
only in a specific area, at the goal; it is not desirablegreatness lies in not repeating the mistakes again.
that the goalkeeper moves wherever he likes, if he· Inspiration makes the difference. There isn't
blunders, which puts the team in awkward position.always time to properly train a keeper in normal
Like goal keeper, in our life you do not go forpractice sessions, especially when that player needs
attaining various goals at a time, focus should be putto develop foot and field skills as well. Encourage
on one major goal at a time and once this goal isthem to attend club or private training sessions,
achieved, one can focus on another goal or set freshgoalkeeper camps, rent or buy books or videos, or
goals.visit this and other web sites. A player who is serious
· Stay positive at any circumstances. Evenabout goalkeeping needs all the extra training and
when goals are scored against his team, then alsopractice they can get.
the goal keeper must be positive. Goalkeepers needIt is important to remember that the goalkeeper
to be able to put mistakes behind them quickly andposition is an important one. It is not the most
recover, so try to put a positive spin on things. Werecognized of the positions in soccer, however. But if
should also try to stay positive when obstaclesa person can successfully play this position, they will
disturbed us from moving ahead, so that we canbe satisfied they have helped their team win the
surge ahead and once we de-motivated, thengame. Defending the goal is the only way to keep
everything goes against us, we will float over thethe other team from winning. Goalkeepers must keep
water without moving anywhere.in mind that they are the last defense between the
· Give credit to others. Sometimes theother team scoring points. Keeping their
opposing team has just made a great play; give themself-confidence level high is as much the
credit - it's not always a mistake by the keeper thatcoach’s responsibility as it is the goalkeepers.
lets a goal in. When somebody excel than us in anWhen a goalkeeper knows what they are doing and
area, where we can also perform well, however ifare aggressive on the field, they will be successful. It
our competition does well, we have to appreciate himis impossible to catch every goal, but when a
for his achievement, it is not our mistake we pushedgoalkeeper is doing his job, he will feel satisfied that
to the wall. A lot of people comes into our life andhe did the best job he could for the team and for
give proper help and guidance for us to prosper andthe game they just played.
now or later on we should give the appropriate creditLet us follow the footstep of a goal keeper rather
to those help us or give proper guidance, irrespectivethan of a striker, as the goal keeper’s job
of whoever give those valuable push.demand everything, what are required in our life to
· Continuous improvement. Focus on the skillsucceed.
that needs work, not the fact that the goal was