Seven tips for young goalkeepers [3 May @ 10:00pm]

1. Get hands in the correct position. It's critical that a goalkeeper's hands, especially the thumbs, are behind the ball. When the ball is above waist height, the fingers and thumbs should form a "W" shape with the thumbs touching. Below waist height, the hands should form a basket, or M shape, with the little fingers touching. When picking the ball up from the ground, your goalkeeper should bend their knees and back, stay low with finger tips brushing the ground and scoop the ball in one fluid motion. 2. Get behind the ball. Make sure your goalkeepers always get some part of their body behind their hands when catching or picking up a rolling ball. They should sidestep quickly to get in line with the shot, and not reach out sideways for the ball. 3. Don't stand rooted to the goal line. This is perhaps the biggest mistake young goalkeepers make. You can easily demonstrate the benefits of closing down approaching attackers by standing on the goal line with your goalkeeper in front of you, about 5 yards away. Ask them: 'how big does the goal look?' Answer: 'big!' Then you move off the line by 10 yards or so and place your goalkeeper right in front of you. Ask: 'how big does the goal look now?' Answer: 'very small!' This should be enough to convince your goalkeeper that they should get as close to approaching attackers as possible and not wait on the line for them to shoot. 4. Get your knees dirty! Beginner goalkeepers tend to bend from the waist to block low shots and rolling balls. This makes it hard for them to get their hands low enough and prevents them getting some part of their body behind their hands. You need to encourage them to get down. Call out: "Get your knees dirty!" 5. If you're not sure, kick towards the touch lines. Young goalkeepers often struggle to get any distance on their kicks and throws. Accuracy can be a problem too, and the receiving player doesn't often have brilliant ball skills. All this adds up to danger... goalkicks in youth football often result in goals for the opposition. Especially if they are coached to step in front of the receiving player and intercept the ball. Tell your goalkeepers to take their time and not rush. If they are not sure where to kick or throw the ball, they should kick towards one of your players on the touch line - not straight up the middle of the pitch. It's safer that way. 6. Stay focused. Children often switch off when the action is at the other end of the pitch. You need to help your goalkeeper to stay alert, even when the ball doesn't come close by for long periods. If you're on the touch line, occasionally talk to them. Ask them if they are okay and encourage them to move around the penalty box to stay warm. That way they will be ready for a sudden attack from the other team. 7. It's not your fault! Young goalkeepers nearly always blame themselves if they let in a goal. Sometimes they can get really upset. I always tell my goalkeepers we have 10 outfield players whose job it is to stop the other team shooting at our goal. If they can't stop the other team shooting, it's not the goalkeeper's fault if the shot goes in. It's a team game!