adminI REMEMBER sometime in 2013 Zifa Bulawayo officials asked me if I could conduct some interviews for coaches who were vying for positions to coach the provincial teams. The interview went like this; “Can you please go in the next room for 30 minutes and draw me a training programme which covers four days training.”
There were 12 coaches interviewed.
All the coaches drew their training programmes which included goalkeepers. It’s not the coaches who only omit these important men and women between the goalposts. Fans, commentators and sportswriters also forget to write about these players.
Goalkeeping
Goalkeepers can be the turning point of winning and losing a game. Goalkeeper is the “joker” in the pack that is not to say that his humour is any sharper than the rest of the team. It means that he is different; he has different skills that do a different job on the field and requires different training.
He is however very much part of the team and needs to have just as much an understanding with his fellow players as they do with each other.
It is often said that you have to be crazy to be a goalkeeper, this is just a way of saying that you need a great deal of courage not only in braving physical dangers but also in making critical decisions almost every time a cross comes in. Goalkeepers also need to be reasonably tall not so much for jumping high (where you have the advantage of your hands) but for reaching the extremities of the goal and of course you need a safe pair of hands.
It does not matter how big, agile, fast and brave you are if the ball does not “stick” in your hands you are a liability to your side and unfortunately it’s failing that has little if any hope of correction.
The insight of goalkeeping
The goalkeeping function has become more diversified and difficult. The following four aspects should be continually considered in the goalkeepers’ training.
• Ability to catch (also jumping or diving), blocking, punching and deflecting the ball. Training for these fundamentals include exercises for combined elements of techniques, speed of reaction, power, co-ordination, flexibility, dynamic balance essential factor of agility timing and rhythm.
• Highly complex range of movement demanded in positioning and re-positioning which is done in difficult conditions, constant changes in the position, direction and distance to the ball, physical contact, opponent’s pressure and lack of space and time to make quick decisions. Besides intensive training for improving movement effectively in the goal and away from the goal area the training should contain tasks for stimulating focused attention, peripheral vision, alertness, anticipation, emotion control and accurate dribbling or shielding and passing. These components of the ball technique should be trained by goalkeepers along with field players.
• Complete knowledge and diversified application of tactics on free kicks, restarts, counter attacks and possession. Exercise in the game related situations especially the small or tactical conditioned games are perfect for optimising goalkeeper’s tactics.
The best effects in training the goalkeepers are achieved by the new exercises which combine for example positioning, diving and catching restarts by throwing. This sequence is immediately followed by for example, compromising re-positioning, jumping and catching a high ball, short run with the ball, diving, blocking and so on. With diverse and intensive movement and group/team tactics the training becomes economical and extremely effective. Until next week
Feedback [email protected] (0773842671)
Online Reporter