By Tony Englund
Question - Our club doesn't have a goalkeeper coach, so the goalkeepers are included in all of our training sessions and it's my job to train them along with the rest of the team. I know lots of GK drills, but I have difficulty trying to fit them in while training the rest of the team. Do you have any suggestions on how I can integrate GK training into my regular training sessions?
One of the most daunting tasks for coaches who do not have a goalkeeper specialist at training or who have to train the team and the goalkeepers at the same time is how to comb the 'keepers into team training. There are a couple of important variables here: 1. Does the team coach have a background in goalkeeping? 2. What is the general design of the team session? If the coach lacks a footing in goalkeeping, there is often hesitancy to venture into the realm of instructing goalkeepers, particularly in the context of the team.
The best advice for coaches in this situation is to simply try to provide functional training for goalkeepers without worrying as much about the specific goalkeeping instruction. In other words, try to structure training to get the goalkeepers handling, distribution, shot-stopping, etc. as part of the design of the session. Often this can be as simple as playing a lot to goals or having the goalkeepers restart play with thrown or kicked distribution, making them a neutral target in a possession game. In this way, the goalkeepers will be an important part of the session, but the coach will not be required to do a lot of goalkeeper-specific training. It's important to urge these coaches to try to find trainers who can give more formal instruction to goalkeepers so that their training needs are met.
In the case of the second variable, what is the design of the session? In other words, combing the goalkeepers into a session on defending crosses is easier than incorporating them into a session on midfield combination play. Regardless, there is always a useful way to incorporate goalkeepers into a session, but it is important to be able to think in terms of how to mix in the goalkeepers during the session design phase. Here are a few examples.
1. In a session on defending crosses, mix in the goalkeepers by having them train beside the team during the warm-up phase, focusing on dealing with high balls (catching, punching etc.). Then develop the session to go to goal, having the goalkeepers defend their area in concert with center backs, outside backs and defending midfielders.
2. If it's a tougher topic from a goalkeeping perspective (i.e. midfield combination play), try to think of ways that goalkeepers can be incorporated. For example, in a 6 vs. 6 game plus the goalkeeper in a grid, teams get a point for a combination that is followed by a chip to be caught by the goalkeeper, who roams freely about the area. In this way, the goalkeepers are working on handling, while the field players have a technically-challenging ball to play after the combination. Progress the session to the two teams playing to goals and coach the goalkeepers to read play after a combination and ball played through toward goal.
In conclusion, the most important part of keeping goalkeepers relevant in team training is simply being mindful that they are there and need to be included in the training design. Creating opportunities to defend goals, distribute, play as a target or organizer, etc. all help build the goalkeeper's confidence and also his or her connection with and role in the team.'
By Tony Englund
Goalkeeper coach and author of Goalie Wars and .
