Starter Strength Training For Goalkeeping

It’s always hard to start things, isn’t it? It’s hard to get up in the morning. Couldn’t be bothered to put your goalkeeper gear into your bag? De-motivated to place your key in the ignition to get down to the park? How about starting a strength training or aerobic exercise regime? I remember reading a line from Sun Tzu many years back which stated something that epitomizes the character of the best athletes in the world. The word contained within that line was momentum. One of our readers asked me a very important question about planning to start a strength training regime and it led me to think that no good plan is executed without momentum. Following is the question:

Q: Hi I’m Joe from America and I have been playing soccer for as long as I can remember.  I am a junior in high school and have gotten some attention from colleges but not as much as I would hope, what I would really like to do during this off season is step my play up to the next level. The biggest way I could think to do this is to hit the gym. So I have started working out, but I haven’t really worked out before so I was wondering if you could just help me get started by giving me a few tips.

A: Awesome to see that you have done something that others only ever think about…Begun! Joe, you’ve just unleashed one of the most powerful motivators to accomplishing your greatest endeavors to training success. You’ve taken your first steps. Funnily enough, I’m in your shoes at the moment (having not trained at the same intensities I’ve previously enjoyed over the past year) so I have just begun to train for strength also, and guess what? Even the most simple action like a push-up kills me! No joke.

Having said this, I’m assuming that you have already worked on your aerobic base? Once this is accomplished the best ways to get involved in any strength training regime is through concurrent training. Concurrent training is awesome, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home to begin with (which can save you cash). Here is a sample training program for concurrent training:

Set up a circuit that includes a push up station, a jogging station (if you have a treadmill that is awesome), a sit-up station, some stairs that you can run up and down, (either from one level of your house to the next or stairs in your apartment complex), a chin-up bar (if you can buy one that would be cool), a skipping rope and squat station with dumb bells (you can buy them on the cheap from ebay). Now that you have set this up, and Mum, Dad or room mate are looking on in bewilderment at the mess you have created, you can start to do some concurrent training!

Try for 1-2 minutes at each station, completing each exercise (with strict form) before moving onto the next. You should complete the circuit in 1/2 hour.

Repeat the circuit 2 times and increase incrementally over a 4 week period.

Change the variety of exercises at each station regularly so that your body has a hard time adapting and you keep up the intensity (which should be progressive). Remember to increase the intensity each day. With the last day of the training week, cut down the session to half the intensity of the third day.

Continue the program for 4 weeks (each week you must increase the intensity incrementally), with the fourth week being half the intensity of the third week.

Concurrent training is a great primer before any goalkeeper moves into strength training (the heavy iron kind), as concurrent training taxes both the cardiovascular and muscular system all in one hit. Hope this helps you and all our readers here at Keeper Skool. Enjoy, and remember to keep up the momentum!  

The Anatomy Of The Goalkick

One of my biggest weaknesses as a goalkeeper was my goal kicking technique. There you go, I said it. Every goalkeeper has their own glitches and funnily enough they can be ironed out very easily at a young age. When I was growing up there was no back pass rule. Apart from this I never…ever played in the outfield. What a lethal combination for a goalkeeper playing at an elite junior level as I would find out in the latter stages of my development. Two of the biggest benefits to my kicking game over the past 6 years or so was the development of my leg muscles and playing in the outfield from time to time. Following is a fabulous question from one of our Keeper Skool brethren. I’ve added some scientific studies to help verify the above points I have made for good measure.

Q: Hey there, i’m from Singapore,i’m 19 coming up 20 in a couple of months…i am not a club player but do play weekly..as the keeper of the team..i find that not being able to take a good goal kick is really not making me a “full packaged” keeper..i had to, on several occasions call on my full backs to do the goal-kicks for me…other times, i will just play the ball short to the nearest player…so my question is, Are there ways to make my goal-kicks a good one or maybe the leg power play apart in doing so..?Does leg power alone make a good kick or techniques come in the picture??

Hope to hear from u soon…Cheerios..!!

A: What a great question. You’ve actually answered most of it yourself without realising it. Technique is of pivotal importance. Actually, I am a firm believer that basic technique taught at an early age resonates into the later stages of goalkeeping development. Basic kicking technique should be a staple of every training session for the competitive goalkeeper. In fact, goalkeeping technique does not change dramatically for a goalkeeper in the later phases of their development. This leads onto your second question about leg power. I’ve said it on numerous occasions, the thing that differentiates a good goalkeeper from a great goalkeeper (apart from natural ability) at a higher level of play are their use of good strength training techniques and power development.

The following study points to one of the most powerful words that a goalkeeper will ever learn “momentum”.

“The momentum of the kicking foot and leg is the product of the mass of the leg and the velocity of the foot at impact, plus the velocity of the body as the player approaches the ball. The greater the mass of the leg, and the greater the velocity of the foot at impact, the greater the resultant velocity of the ball at impact.

From the point of view of biochemically principles in kicking the ball, the velocity production of the ball can be evaluated according to the conservation of the linear momentum in collision. The action of the ankle can increase the release velocity of the ball a little. Through elastic collision, linear momentum transfers partly to the ball. The bigger is the leg mass the higher the ball velocity. The point of application must be inside the effective hitting area, which depends on the tension in the ankle.”

The acceleration of the kicking leg, and the resultant velocity at impact, is determined by the muscle forces being applied by the kicker. It has been reported that the speed of the ball at impact was directly related to the measured strength of his subjects. (Professor Pekka Luhtanen – Senior Researcher, KIHU Research Institute for Olympic Sports)

So 4 factors play a part in proper goal kicking technique:

1. Momentum

2. Mass Of The leg

3. Velocity Of The Foot At Impact

4. Stabilization Of The ankle.

Thanks again for your awesome question, hope this helps all of our Keeper Skool readers.

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Big, Bad & Blue: Video Tribute To Peter Cech

With recent news about Cech’s almost fatal head clash, I decided to post a video tribute to a goalkeeper many consider one of the best on the planet. The following article at Tribalfootball.com shows that goalkeeping is definitely not a position for the faint of heart. It takes raw guts and sheer determination to fight it out in the English Premier League, and at just 25 years of age, Peter Cech shows formidable size, brilliant positioning and super fast reflexes…something every young goalkeeper can learn from and aspire to. I think the video pretty much sums up the courage that Cech has shown in goal for Chelsea. One of the stand out snippets of this selection of saves is one where Cech catches a very sharp low ball. The keyword being catch…anyone can parry, but it takes phenomenal hand skills to catch a powerful, low drive on goal. Classic goalkeeping technique.

In Or Out? Goalkeeping Is Great Fun Either Way

Like a Romulan Mind Meld, one of our fantastic readers and myself, were on the same astral plane the other night. I was watching the World Cup of Beach Soccer on ESPN late at night, and thought back to the amazing training sessions we used to have growing up as a junior goalkeeper. When I logged onto the net later on in the night, I had this awesome questions awaiting me form another fellow Aussie goalkeeper:

Q: 
G’day,

Congratulations on a great site. I find sports science fascinating and am pleased that an Aussie has a great site for Goalkeeper science.

I was wondering if you would ever consider doing a feature on Indoor soccer and Futsal goalkeeping, and the differences between this and the field game.Considering how popular these forms of the game are it may be of interest to many readers.

I personally suspect playing Indoor is good practice for keepers, because you get a lot more shots to deal with and also many one-on-one situations during a game.

Thanks for your time and keep up the good work!

A: Beach soccer and indoor soccer are possibly the greatest way to stay match fit in the off-season. Both can do phenomenal things for goalkeeping performance, and should be a staple of any pre-season training regime also. I remember back at Sydney United as a 15 year old being asked to train with some awesome talent like Ante Milicic, Zeljko Kalac, Tony Popovic and co at an indoor session. I got nicely beat up but it gave me such a good vibe about being a goalkeeper. Also, I trained religiously for pre-season on the beach with my team-mates. Beach training can be gruelling but extremely liberating because it is so open and uncanny (mostly because of the uneven surface) and can give your goalkeeping skills a huge boost. 

Hugo, first let’s look at indoor goalkeeping. Indoor goalkeeping technique should really emphasize the use of angle-work. In fact, angles and short, sharp footwork are hallmarks of great indoor goalkeeping. In fact, Peter Schmeichel was a fantastic handball goalkeeper before he was a football goalkeeper. Schmeichel was possibly the best "angler" (as I like to call it) of his generation, not only for his presence in goals, but because he knew how to utilize the power of "cutting" the angle, and making himself super large in goals. You also make a very good point about the constant need to be alert, as there are more shots on goals in an indoor soccer situation. Therefore, to be a great indoor goalkeeper you must have very quick wits about you, and this can transcend onto the outdoor soccer field in its own special way.

Beach soccer has the power to take a goalkeepers game to the next level. Because you are training in sand, resistance plays a factor, and you benefit from the taxing cardiovascular workout that goalkeeping in the sand can bring. Goalkeeping on the beach also allows you to throw a little bit more gusto into your dives, and allows for experimentation with your diving technique, because you know you are going to land in that soft golden sand. Apart from this, beach goalkeeping allows you to heighten your senses, as the uneven playing field means that you must focus more intensely on proper technique. 

Therefore, there are certainly differences in technique and fitness levels required to play indoor and outdoor, but  the indoor and beach soccer games can really make a marked difference in your ability to play competitively as a soccer goalkeeper. I recommend playing both in the off season, and during pre-season training.

Hope this helps Hugo. Thanks so much for coming to Keeper Skool! 

What Are We Fighting For? When Junior Soccer Gets Too Rough

Maybe it is just me being a dad, but I don’t know for the life of me why children would end up brawling at a soccer match? This recent article in The Daily Telegraph, told a terrible tale of two junior soccer teams in suburban Sydney engaging in an all in brawl…50 people to be exact. My personal opinion dictates that fear for ones life, and love for football are not intertwined. I think that whoever the players were who started the brawl had no love for soccer at all. Is it a symptom of what we see in global events such as The World Cup?

The article resonates a sad tale and something that occurred at the recent World Cup 2006. In the final, Zinedine Zidane of France attacked Matarazzo of Italy after a racist slur. What is happening in the wider world of football that has made professionals fall from grace? Do they not understand that their actions affect billions of young people across the globe…our children, their children? Professionalism, as I understand the term, relates to the act of committing yourself to a higher order, to engaging your skills and talents for the benefit of your peers and the wider world. Sometimes I think that FIFA Fair Play is mostly about marketing and publicity to cover up the hooliganism, fear and hatred the lies in the belly of global football. It’s gloss, at best. 

Divine Bald One, Or Clown Prince? Fabien Barthez Retires

Barthez has finally retired from football, and some goalkeeping fans have shown either great praise for his goalkeeping ability, or brushed him aside as no more than a lucky clown. Winning a World Cup and a Euro championship is a phenomenal achievement. Barthez has accomplished both over a 15 year playing career that also encompassed two English Premiership titles and scores of other silver-ware under his goalkeeper jersey!Following is a video compilation  of Fabien Barthez. Barthez shows superior positioning, and amazing agility with razor sharp reflexes, you’ll enjoy the following video like a fine French vintage!

Following is a link to further information regarding Barthez’s retirement plans FYI.

A Shoulder’s Tale: Good Goalkeeping Technique Can Prevent Injury

Injury prevention can be maximized through proper strength training, we talk about it a lot here at Keeper Skool. But what about general goalkeeping technique? One of the key reasons why there should be a dedicated…and educated goalkeeper coach on the coaching roster of every club is that proper technique from an early age solves many injury problems as a young goalkeeper gets on with age. One Ver cool young goalkeeper sent me this awesome question:

Q: Hi John I was wanting to ask if you had any experiences with shoulder injuries. I’m 18 years old and i am a goalkeeper and have played for a number of clubs from a very young age. Recently I got scouted by a team who look to want to sign me but the worrying thing for me is that I suffer from shoulder dislocations when I save a very hard shot to my lower right. I have already suffered three in the space of 18 months. Would there be a safer diving technique I could use at all. Cheers for any advice man.

A:

Hey Ibby!

Thanks for coming through to Keeper Skool!

This is something for you to discuss with your physiotherapist (if you have one). I feel that strength training is pivotal to maximize joint and muscle strength. With your shoulder you should try shoulder presses with dumbbells, lateral raises with dumbbells or resistance bands (there are a whole host of exercises you can utilize). As for diving technique, this is something that is extremely important. Never land with your elbow (which I think could be your current problem???), when diving you need to land with your elbow tucked in…it’s hard to explain without some visuals.

If you need any help, just let me know.

So stumbling around the net tonight (and because I rarely have time to breathe with the little one bossing me around these days), I found a very cool video excerpt from Dutch goalkeeping coach Maarten Arts, of FC Utrecht. Although the following video shows some advanced techniques, it also gives some insight into proper diving technique. And if you know how to dive right at an early age, then you are pretty well set to advance quickly as you progress up the goalkeeping ranks. Apart from the former, it is also good to know that proper technique will also help prevent serious injury. Enjoy, and thanks again Ibby!

Goalkeepers Excel In The Mind First

I love the fact that we get so many very cool young goalkeepers sending through their questions from around the globe. Mostly, because I know that when they have a concern, 99% of the time I have been there before them. Following is a question I recieved from a very cool, up and coming young goalkeeper from Canada. What he said in the following Q &A really resonated with me, and I hope my answer is something that many young goalkeepers can utilize to enhance their performance:

Q: Hey John! My name is Aaron Wybrow, and I am a keeper, and I have been playing for 13 years, I absolutely love the game, and I play in a small town league, Kinkora. The coaches of all the teams have told me I should be in a much better league.  I live in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, and my father has been forwarding your site updates to me for about a month.  I have looked over a lot of your comments, and have put them to good use, and I wish to thank you for that.

The only problem I have right now is that I tried out for the city league Premier team last year, and I didn’t make it because of politics, and I don’t have the right last name, something that has polluted sports in this city for a long time. I also attend Northwestern Secondary School, and there are also two other schools in Stratford, and one is St. Mike’s. St. Mike’s is a really big athletic school, and their senior boy’s soccer team’s keeper is Kyle Buxton, who is the starting keeper for the National Junior squad.

I am just wondering if there are any strengthening exercises that you would recommend to a keeper, or any overall tips to excel my game to the next level.

Thanks a lot for listening, and I hope to hear from you soon!!

Aaron

A:

Hey Aaron,

I want to tell you first and foremost to STOP! I had the whole “politics syndrome” for quite some time…and guess what, there is always politics in every endeavour you undertake in life. In sport, at work, when you want to sit down on the bus, but the guy let’s that cute girl he was eyeing to sit down before you…get my drift?

You’re focused on factors outside of your control to dictate how you feel about yourself, and about your ability as a competitive goalkeeper. You can’t change what people think…you can change how you think about yourself. You can shape your reality by dedicating yourself to some serious hard work, focusing on soccer and your studies and excelling as a competitive goalkeeper.

So before you start lifting weights…which is fantastic for your self esteem and discipline. Get your mind muscle pumped first! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…it’s no use training your heart out, if your mind is not focused on the goal ahead, and that means focusing on the task at hand rather than the politics surrounding the game, or some other goalkeeper form a big school.

Let me know how you go!

God Bless!

Hopefully the above makes some sense to all of our goalkeepers at Keeper Skool. If you think too much about outside factors influencing you, you fail to focus on the task at hand, and this relates to better goalkeeping and generally a healthier outlook on life. Be positive about your abilities and focus each and every ounce of your mental strength on being the best goalkeeper you can be! A great little article I found related the story of US college players and their ability to push themselves through the hard yards of constant study and the quest for better grades, that’s a serious juggle and some powerful mental strength. You can read up about it here.

Goalkeeping Girls Remember To Iron Up

I’m a father of a beautiful little girl. I sometimes wonder how it will feel when she tells me she wants to be a goalkeeper one day just like daddy? Goalkeepers are a unique breed. Goalkeeper’s whom are girl’s show a telling difference when it comes to nutrition from their male counterparts. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus they tell us, and a recent study has seen that the way we teach young women goalkeepers to eat, can be profoundly different from us guys. In fact, we need to approach a female goalkeepers diet from a different perspective. Here are some findings from the study: