EDITION 3

Welcome to the third edition of the Keeper’s Newsletter.     Before beginning the keeper information, I would like to deal with a couple of details.  First of all, I am using new software (new to me at least) and am not completely confident that the emails are getting to all of the people who have subscribed.    I would greatly appreciate it if you would reply to this email to let me know you received the newsletter.  Thanks

The second issue I want to deal with is yesterday’s newsletter (if you did not receive it, you can see it online at http://finesoccer.com/keepers2.htm).     When I talked about the three most important parts of the body I did not list them in order of importance.  If anything, they were listed in reverse order since I would have to say the most important part of the body are the feet, then the eyes and then the hand.  I would like to thank Paul Harbin (Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham) for pointing this out. 

Today’s subject that I would like to discuss is how to train by you.     Unfortunately, too many keepers are on teams without keeper coaches and frequently without a second keeper.  If you h have a wall to work with you are quite fortunately.  Most drill that can be done with a partner can be done with a wall.     For example, the footwork I talked about in Edition #2 call be done by serving the ball against the wall and then react to the rebound concentrating on coming forward and meeting the ball while getting behind the ball.  The more confident you get of your abilities, the closer you can get to the ball and the harder you can serve the ball to yourself.

You can even work on diving with a wall.  As a warm-up, sit down facing the wall approximately 5 yards away.  Throw the ball slightly to the side and work on a simple collapse dive concentrating on getting your body behind the ball and watching it into your hands.  Really emphasize coming forward to meet the ball so that you catch the ball in front of and to the side of your feet that started out in front of you.  Alternate sides and do 5 to each side.  From there, you can do the same thing from your knees again concentrating on coming forward to meet the ball and landing properly on your side.     Again this can be done while alternating sides and also height of the serves.    Next, do the same thing from a catchers (squatting) position.   From this position you can do both collapse dives as well as extension dives.   Proceed from there to a standing position. 

Unfortunately, it is a lot more difficult if you don’t have access to a wall.     There are still ways to train without a wall.  Sit down with ball in front of you and to the side slightly in front of your foot.  You can then do the same sequence of drills with an even greater concentration of the technique.  Once you do it from the catchers’ position you can proceed to a standing position.    Now get two balls and put them 8 yards apart.  Stand between them and a few yards back from the line made by the balls.  Now you can work on your footwork and diving technique as you work on stepping in, taking a power step and diving to receive the stationary ball into your hands properly.  Do 5 to each side and then you can move on to the next step.  You want to concentrate on the same technique but this time, throw the ball up high and slightly in front of you.  Take the same steps and really push up on your power step and concentrate on coming around with your opposite foot.

Are there other drills that you can do by yourself?  Of course.  It just takes a bit of creativity.  Another example would be to work on punching (boxing) the ball.     With a wall, see how many times you can successfully punch the ball against the wall emphasizing the proper technique and getting good height and distance.   This is for the two handed punch.  Without a wall, see how many times you can punch the ball up to yourself.  Again, concentrate on proper technique. 

I would greatly appreciate it if you would send in any drills that you know of that work well for you regarding training by yourself.  Send them in and I will include them in next week’s newsletter

Have a great week

Lawrence