Stupid Is, Stupid Does.

Training when you are injured is a one stop shop to goalkeeping calamity. Playing at a highly competitive level means that, one time or another, you will be faced with the looming prospect of injury. The surefire way to sideline your talent for good relies solely on being stupid and stubborn, yes I was stupid a few year ago too! You don’t have to be stupid, in fact being a smart goalkeeper entails structure, even more so when you are injured. Following are a few pointers as to how you should structure your rehabilitation to get back onto the field quickly after injury.

Many injuries in soccer can be prevented, one study by Linkoping University & UEFA showed that the most prominent reason why players are sidelined for longer than necessary is that they return to full time play sooner than they need to. So here are some tips that you can utilize to stay fit and strong during injury:

1. Stop…seriously: If you do not rest and recover actively, you will be in a whole world of pain going forward through your recovery regime. Active recovery means that you stop focusing on competitive play, and start focusing on your own well being, and how you need to get back into shape, it’s apart from the team…it’s really about you, so be selfish.

2. Other alternatives: Not many people understand that the best way to get back on track is physiotherapy and alternative medicine like acupuncture and massage. I personally think that if you don’t want to fork out money to recover effectively…you’re undermining your recovery immensely, and that is plain stupid! 

3. Don’t listen to your ego: Every goalkeeper has a little nasty voice inside that tells you to continue even when you are in pain, and that is understandable because you want to show that you are a big, bad goalkeeper. This is called "ego", and it is a surefire way to curb your performance for good. Listen to your body, and get advice from experts, don’t waste time.

Make sure that rest is active, it does not mean that you stop completely, just competitively…for a short while. Your body will thank you for it.