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The goalkeeper is a very important member of the team, yet he is often neglected and excluded when it comes to team training. While the goalkeeper needs specialized training to refine and develop his skills he must also be included in training with the team. Only through training with the team will the goalkeeper be able to face and react to match like situations. With the laws of the game regarding the passback and offside, the goalkeeper more than ever plays an important role in team tactics. Many people view training the goalkeeper as a mystery, yet the same basic principles apply as to field player's. The technical, tactical and conditioning aspects must be developed. For the goalkeeper to develop all of these areas he must have both individual and team training.

SPECIALIZED TRAINING WITH JUST GOALKEEPERS

The best time to conduct the session is before your teams regular training as opposed to after practice when the keeper is tired. In general, goalkeeper training should be at least a half and not more than an hour long in duration. The session should be made up of both a warmup and a central core. The warmup should include lots of running and easy jumping combined with proper stretching to prepare the body properly for the work ahead. Always include in the warmup footwork training, there are plenty of different drills developed to improve foot speed and coordination and this is an essential part of goalkeeping and must be developed.

The core training takes about thirty minutes. It is here that the coach deals specifically with

a) technique
b) tactics
c) conditioning
d) any combination of the three.

During this time the keeper must concentrate hard on the tasks at hand and put forth maximum effort. The intensity can be broken up by mixing in drills or exercises performed at a relaxed pace. Always end the session in a positive and constructive manner.


TRAINING WITH THE TEAM

It is essential that the keeper train with the rest of the team, the goalkeeper must face as many match like situations as possible. For example, if the main core of the days specific goalkeeper training was dealing with technique for catching crosses then it is most beneficial that the keeper then be able to apply this skill under match conditions as soon as possible. As a coach you should try to create as many realistic match like situations as possible that will force your keeper into decision making, i.e. to come off the line or stay, to punch or catch etc.

Do not put your keeper in unrealistic situations that will be of no benefit and may even destroy his or her confidence. By simply spending the time to give your keeper the necessary individual attention combined with plenty of practice under match like conditions you should be able to help the goalkeeper towards reaching his potential. Remember, the success or failure of a team often relies on the qualities of it's goalkeeper.