Soccer Lessons 11 (back kick)
One important aspect when learning how to coach soccer that is often overlooked is how to use your goalkeeper. For many youth soccer programs, the keeper is an afterthought. When all of the other positions are filled the coach looks to see who is left on the bench that could be put in goal. Many times that ends up being the slower, less athletic players. That is a big mistake.
One of the first lessons you should learn when you begin to learn how to coach soccer is the importance of a well trained goalkeeper. In reality, the goalkeeper is the last line of defense and the first line of offense. What that means is, after your defense has broken down, the goalkeeper is the last person that can prevent a goal from being scored against your team. Once they have the ball in their control, the keeper is the one that distributes the ball to get your team back on offense.
It takes a special temperament to play soccer goalkeeper. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. It takes a willingness to dive for the ball, even if other players are trying to get a foot on the ball. It takes a person that will not crumble emotionally after every score. While other players can make a mistake and not have it count against the team, a mistake by the keeper usually results in a score.
Your goalkeeper should also learn to become a field general. More than any other player, they are in a position to see everything that is happening on the field. Once they learn the game, many teams expect the keeper to be able to direct other players where to position themselves on the field. When the opposition is attacking, it is the keeper that directs the defenders, telling them who they should cover, and pointing out open players that might pose a threat.
Your goalkeeper should be a player that can keep an eye on the ball without being distracted by all of the action that is occurring around the ball. They need quick reactions so they can catch the ball when it comes their way, or at the very least punch it away from the goal. They also need to be agile enough that when they dive for a ball they can quickly get back to their feet to get themselves in position for the next save.
What that means is that this position requires much more than the least athletically able person on the team. It requires speed, agility, courage, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to stop the ball from getting to the back of the net. The more you can learn about how to coach a soccer goalkeeper, the more you will be able to keep your teams in a position to win games.
About Author
Jim Smoot writes the “Learn Youth Soccer” website at http://learnyouthsoccer.com. It provides reviews of some great resources that will help you learn to coach soccer.
the only trick i finally learned it the atw……………………im starting to make soccer videos hope it goes good
in the subway !
loll nice one
A N Y W H E R E . thats the beauty of it . street soccer is one of the best places to play.