Try to get the goalkeepers to cushion the ball towards their bodies with their hands. When meeting the football, the goalkeeper should also use their body to form two barriers, a cushion and a wall. This means that we have to encourage the young goalkeeper to have quick feet, attack the ball and move forward to meet the flight of the ball. It is stressed that whenever possible, the young goalkeeper should try to get two hands behind the ball (no show diving!) as quickly as possible. The thumbs of both hands are almost touching. The little fingers of both hands are almost touching.įor high balls the hand position resembles a ‘W’, with fingertips pointed up and palms facing forward. Coaches should also remember that at this age, players often have difficulty judging the height and speed of a moving ball.įor low balls the hand position resembles an ‘M’, with fingers pointed down and palms facing forward. (Remember to always play with an appropriate sized ball for the age group that you are coaching). In both cases, the hands should form a supple web that surrounds the back side (closest to the goal) of the football. It is imperative that young goalkeepers are taught the correct hand positioning for both low and high balls. To add to this the player should be shifting weight from foot to foot at speed in order to increase his reaction time and jumping ability. The ready position involves being balanced on the balls (or front) of the feet, bending comfortably at the knees while keeping as tall as possible, and having the hands relaxed through the fingertips. Start by teaching players the “ready position”, the stance that all young goalkeepers should adopt anytime they prepare to stop a shot, whether during practice or in a game. The goalkeeper should always be a part of the team and certain parts of training should emphasize the goalkeeper’s involvement more than others. Once the player has the basic goalkeeping tools, he or she can be worked into all the team’s training. It is at this age group that they should also be exposed to proper diving techniques. They have generally reached the age where they will not move out of the way of a hard shot, and should therefore concentrate on receiving all types of balls and on distribution. Proper instruction for goalkeepers in this age group can improve them tremendously. All keepers enjoy playing out on the field, and should thus be encouraged to participate in all areas of practice to improve their vision, technical foot skills and overall development. Exposing a player to diving and defending breakaways (1 v 1) without proper preparation usually ends in injury and discouragement, and should be avoided. It is helpful for every young goalkeeper to get basic instruction from an older keeper who has gone through proper training. The requirements and training of this position are specific and must be dealt with in a patient and understanding manner. It is, however, important that all players still do a lot of dribbling and passing exercises as all goalkeepers need to be good with their feet too. Up to this point, many players have probably taken turns playing in goal, but at this age the player that wants to concentrate on the position of goalkeeper usually makes him or herself known. The U12 goalkeeper is ready to take a major step in his or her development.
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