adding goal keepers to club training

Steven PortplanOther, England

Hi Dave,

Working with Goalkeepers is always a key part of any training session. If you are planning on isolating your outfield players to work on `core` skills then you usually have two options.

1. Isolate the goalkeepers (I presume you work with more than one)
This will require you creating specialist drills for the goalkeepers. Usually, if the outfield players are working on core skills, you will be doing the same with your keepers. Use on keeper as the working GK between the posts, while using your other keepers as rebounders or ball injections etc. This does usually require a coach to work alongside the GK`s.

2. Bring the keepers into the core skills
There are very few skills which a goalkeeper can`t recreate, especially when isolating skills outside of game play. If you want to work on players receiving the ball on the reverse side while on the move, have your goalkeeper kick the ball into the player. This can then be returned by having the outfield player play a wide ball the keeper who must scramble to collect the ball.

One key thing i will highlight when working with Goalkeepers is that you should try to avoid working specifically on one apsect, (high left hand saves, flicks to the corner etc.) This often results in keepers making early movements and doesn`t further their interpretation of players movements. Integrate a clearance kick with a high save into a rapid dive to save a low ball in the corner.

Let me know your thoughts, and how you have tackled your issue at this time,

Josh