Keeper Skool Interview with Leo Percovich of Chivas USA (MLS)

Recently, Steve Amoia caught up with CD Chivas (MLS) goalkeeper coach Leo Percovich. In this exclusive audio interview, Coach Percovich gives an insider view into his training methodologies and how he helped develop goalkeepers such as Bouna Condoul, Joe Cannon, Brad Guzan and Zach Thornton. Coach Percovich plyed his trade in four nations namely Uruguay, Brasil, Peru and Spain, being capped for Uruguay on a number of occasions. Read more

Busch wins the MLS goalkeeper of the year and Barack Obama wins the Presidential race!

Today is a day when the whole of America wins. Barack Obama is voted into the White House as the first President of African-American heritage to sit in the Oval Office, and of course Busch (not George W. Bush), but Jon Busch of the Chicago Fire, was voted Goalkeeper of the Year for the Major League Soccer season of 2008. America rejoices, and so do us goalkeepers, especially those of the shorter ilk (I’ll get to the point in a minute)! Read more

Alarming use of drugs and nutritional supplements by World Cup footballers

Isn’t it amazing when we see our favorite footballer running the gauntlet. The crowd watches in awe, and shouts a roar of approval as he/she dazzles their skills effortlessly past their opponent. Many of the things that we are not exposed to, especially behind the scenes of high level sport, is the use of drugs and nutritional supplements to enhance performance.

When we speak of the use of performance enhancers, it is usually taboo, and possibly thought of as a once off occurrence in an Olympic event. Performance enhancers have been widely used since at least the 1950′s at a competitive level (don’t quote me on that number). We usually refer to these substances as anabolic (growth) primers, or corticosteroids in popular literature.

In recent years, with the advancement of sports science, we have seen that even at a recreational level of competition, the use of nutritional supplements have become the basis for a multi million dollar fitness industry. In international competition, the level of sophistication around masking certain performance enhancing agents has become an art form.

Football clubs are one of many sporting institutions, whom utilize and invest in high end research and development facilities to constantly test, measure and enhance their players performance. Many of these scientific institutes house sports scientists that work around the clock to maximize the output of a top tier footballer.

In a forthcoming interview that Keeper Skool had conducted with one of the leading goalkeeping schools in Spain (out next month), we probed one renowned youth goalkeeping expert about the La Liga club he trains, and their scientific department’s methodologies. We were left with a limited knowledge around how they go about their business of performance enhancement.

Clubs certainly do pay high amounts of money in taking their players to the next level, and clearly they want their testing and training protocols under very tight wraps. Anyone got the formula for Coca Cola? You get my drift. One recent study (thank you Steve Amoia for pointing this information out), pointed to the overarching use of drugs and nutritional supplements by World Cup footballers.

The New York Times discussed it in their weekly email newsletter: Prescription drug use and vitamin supplements at the last two Wold Cups.

Objective: To examine medication use in male top-level football players prior to and during international tournaments.

Design: Prospective survey.

Material: 2944 team physicians’ reports on players’ medication intake.

Methods: Each team physician was asked to document all medication and nutritional supplements taken in the 72 h prior to each match.

Results: A total of 10 384 substances were reported (1.8 substances/player/match); 4450 (42.9%) of these were medicinal and 5934 (57.1%) nutritional supplements. The medications prescribed most frequently were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (n = 2092; 20.1%); more than half of the players took these at least once during a tournament and more than 10% prior to every match (156 out of 1472). β-2-Agonists were reported for 1.4% (n = 20) and inhaled corticosteroids for 1.6% (n = 23) of participating players. Injected corticosteroids were reported for 73 players.

Conclusions: The high intake of medication in international football – especially of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – is alarming and should be addressed. The results raise questions as to whether the medication was taken solely for therapeutic reasons. In view of the potential side effects, more restrictive recommendations for sport need to be developed.

(Source: http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/42/9/725)

Over 10,000 substances is a highly alarming amount to be used by elite footballers. The use of injected and inhaled corticosteroids shows that elite level footballers are pushing their bodies to their limit. Whilst the use of these substances may initially help overcome deficiencies in the players game, the long term repercussions are yet to be measured extensively.

I’m all for utilizing nutritional supplements alongside a structured diet and training plan. Though, many younger athletes may not be informed of the risks of steroid use or long term repercussions associated with its utilization. It begins with awareness programs at a grass roots level, and also the investment by grass roots clubs into physicians and nutritionists to help structure proper dietary plans to help maximize younger football performance.

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Interview with Dr. Craig Duncan: Insight into how to blow up your goalkeeping performance!

Before writing for Keeper Skool, we were lucky enough to pick the brains of our resident goalkeeping expert Dr. Craig Duncan. In this interview, Steve Amoia gets a window view into exclusive scientific methods used by Dr. Duncan and how any goalkeeper can help blow up their goalkeeping performance. To access this interview you must sign up for the Keeper Skool Certified program. Read more

Interview with Mike Toshack goalkeeping coach of the Houston Dynamo (MLS)

This week Keeper Skool interview Mike Toshack, goalkeeping coach of the Houston Dynamo (MLS). In this exclusive audio interview, Steve Amoia asks some great questions of coach Toshack to uncover the ways in which he develops his goalkeepers at the Dynamo. To access this interview you must sign up for the Keeper Skool Certified program. Read more

Interview with Don Mullan, Author of Gordon Banks: A Hero Who Could Fly

Steve Amoia recently touched base with BBC writer and creator of the acclaimed novel “Gordon Banks: A Hero Who Could Fly”(2006), Don Mullan. Don’s relationship with Sir Gordon Banks stems many fruitful years and in this exclusive audio interview, Keeper Skool readers gain insight into Banks’ ability and what “that save” against Pele meant to England in the 1970 World Cup Finals. Don recently helped unveil a statue in honor of the great Gordon Banks outside Britannia Stadium at Stoke City Football Club. Read more

Interview with Tom Scott, Head Coach of Shot Stoppers Goalkeeping Coaching Academy in Glasgow, Scotland

This week Steve Amoia chats with Tom Scott, head coach of Shot Stoppers Goalkeeping Coaching Academy (Glasgow, Scotland). Tom was the head goalkeeping coach of Patrick Thistle (Scottish Football League; 1st Division) for many years, and shares his thoughts about what it takes to be the best goalkeeper you can be. To read the article, and interact with Tom in our exclusive forums, you must be a member of the Keeper Skool Certified program. Read more

2008-2009 La Liga Goalkeepers

La Liga (Liga de Fútbol Profesional or Primera División) began in 1929 with ten teams. Over the years, it has expanded to the present day total of 20. Only Athletic Club Bilbao, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, respectively, have never been relegated. In recent years, La Liga has become one of the most entertaining soccer leagues in the world. For this season, Malaga, Numancia, and Sporting Gijón were promoted from the second division. Read more

USA 1 x Brasil 0 AET: The Redemption of Hope Amelia Solo

Redemption for Hope Solo

“On a rainy night Thursday, Solo got her redemptive moment, playing brilliantly in a job that she never thought she should have lost. And the same teammates who once shunned her were the beneficiaries of her steadiness as the United States won the Olympic gold medal with a 1-0 victory over Brazil in overtime.” Read more

2008-2009 Serie A TIM Goalkeepers

The Italian Serie A began in 1929. Only Internazionale (Inter Milan) has always appeared in the top flight of Italian football; however, Juventus and AS Roma have only had one season outside of the Serie A, respectively. Three new teams join the top flight for this season: Bologna, Chievo Verona, and Lecce. The defending champion is Inter Milan. Read more

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