Young Goalkeepers Enjoy the Fun!

As an ex goalkeeper I always get asked to help out with local teams in training their goalkeepers. Consequently I see a vast range of keepers and varying degrees of experience & competence.

One of the questions I get asked quite often is how to train the younger players who are just starting out in the game.

The youngest team I train with is 6 to 7 year olds.

With goalkeepers, especially the young ones, keeping their interest will be your hardest task as young minds do tend to wander and get bored quicker.

Before beginning your training have a specific aim in mind of how your session will be run. I usually structure it in 3 stages: -

1)       Warm up fun element

2)       Development session

3)       End with a �fun� session

# The fun warm up can be simply jumping up & down, running on the spot or running between cones.

# An example development session could be confidence in catching the ball or practising diving to save a ball. With young players I always start from a kneeling position.

If you are doing repetitive exercises or training remember to change over frequently to stop boredom setting in.

# A fun ending could be a simple kick about

I find that with young players (6 � 7) although they have expressed an interest in �playing� in goal they still want to have a run around outfield. I encourage this as it helps build leg strength, increase fitness and co-ordination as well as giving them a change from goalkeeping.

And remember���have fun!