Who doesn't need a goal keeper?

Here's a few things that I've seen:
1. At the youngest age (u8-u10) the best keeper is also the best field player. They are the aggressive kid that has no fear. They are good at any sport they play. The coach likes them in goal because it gives them a good chance to win, but also plays them on the field because they dominate on the field too. The parents don't want this kid being a full time goalie.
2. Or at these ages, a coach will rotate several players in goal. The lose some games because of it. Parents get upset and say "if we just had a full time keeper, we'd never lose."
3. Or during the first few weeks of a new season, the coach says "who wants to play in goal?" And 3 kids raise their hand. Not really knowing what it means to play in goal. They either really like the position or they don't really care for running or they are trying to be a team player. One of these kids winds up being a full time goalie halfway through the season but she doesn't really like it. The coach either doesn't know or doesn't care and keeps her in goal. The parents get mad because they spent $2,500 for their kid to move 14 yards every weekend, while they drive 30-60 minutes to watch her stand around in a long sleeved shirt for 85% of the game.

There are a few kids out there that are goalies from day 1. This is maybe 5% of the youth soccer population. These kids should be nurtured and trained as goal keepers (unless their parents are both 5'1". Genetics won't be helpful once that kid is 15). For the rare teams that find these rare players, you are lucky and can and should do whatever you can to train and retain them.

The rest of the players/teams should be rotating at least 3 or 4 keepers each week. Unless a kid screams and runs away at the notion of playing on goal (this is my oldest daughter-04) each kid on a 7v7 or 9v9 team should spend a little bit of time between the sticks.
My middle daughter (07) likes to play in goal but goes back and forth on it. One week, she wants to be a full time keeper. The next week, she never wants to play in goal again. I'm glad she has a coach that rotates and listens to the kids.
 
timbuck said:
Here's a few things that I've seen:
1. At the youngest age (u8-u10) the best keeper is also the best field player. They are the aggressive kid that has no fear. They are good at any sport they play. The coach likes them in goal because it gives them a good chance to win, but also plays them on the field because they dominate on the field too. The parents don't want this kid being a full time goalie.
.
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This is definitely true on our 08 team with all 3 keepers, DS being the weakest field player of the 3. DS is also the only one of the 3 who regularly attends goalkeeper academy. For that reason even on games he gets blamed for, largely because there are skills he hadn't learned yet (like the high dive, crazy Ivan, or high tip), the temptation as he grows will be to keep him in goal full time. I suspect I'll have to be very vigilant, given all your advice, with the knowledge that as he grows he'll be ever more in demand, because I do want to give him a well rounded education. The keeper coaches have been great and include agility training that cross trains his field skills.
 
My two crazy kids love to play between the sticks and don't have a desire to be anywhere else. My daughter is 6'0" and my 13 year old son just passed me at 5'6". I have never talked them into the position but I have tried to talk them out of it a time or two. It is exciting to watch an amazing save and just as rewarding to teach your child to not take a goal personally but to learn from it.
 
For our keeper, we always say soccer is the metaphor. This thread really spells out how and why, and eloquently, so thank you.

I don't know much about soccer at all, so truly my daughter chose the keeper position for herself. I want her to dream whatever she wants for herself, but I also want to steer her in a realistic direction. So here's my question: What kind of college future is out there for a very hard-working but genetically-doomed-to-be-short keeper?
 
Grace T. said:
This is definitely true on our 08 team with all 3 keepers, DS being the weakest field player of the 3. DS is also the only one of the 3 who regularly attends goalkeeper academy. For that reason even on games he gets blamed for, largely because there are skills he hadn't learned yet (like the high dive, crazy Ivan, or high tip), the temptation as he grows will be to keep him in goal full time. I suspect I'll have to be very vigilant, given all your advice, with the knowledge that as he grows he'll be ever more in demand, because I do want to give him a well rounded education. The keeper coaches have been great and include agility training that cross trains his field skills.
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As many others have said, going full time keeper early isn't the best for most kids. Even so, it can work out. I suggest that the ideal situation for such a kid is with a team that plays it back aggressively. In the years you are on the small field, there is no reason the keeper can't come to the center circle and play sweeper when the team has the ball in the other half. Not only is this good for their confidence and foot skills, but also it is absolutely spectacular to watch the parents of opponents who are used to kicking the ball down the field past the defense. A high keeper using their feet will utterly baffle them and make them scream like baboons about an open goal. Hilarious.

The cherry on top is when your keeper learn to take one of those long balls, dribble it into the penalty area and pick it up. The reaction is priceless.

Any little kid who spends their time standing in the goal area for the whole game isn't having fun and isn't getting trained.
 
I don't think enough is done to protect keepers during games as they get older. Keeper from our last team had several concussions and quit this year. She got plowed over hard about every 4thor 5th game. Saw one yellow card against a striker in about 60 games we played.
Wonder if anyone collects stats on frequency of injuries by position?

My background is hockey and there are written and unwritten rules about touching a goalie. If you do and the refs don't call it the defenders would take care of you next opportunity if not then. Not really a part of this sport.not suggesting it should be but it drives me crazy to watch. A good cross check to the back does make you think twice though. GO DUCKS!
 
I don't think enough is done to protect keepers during games as they get older. Keeper from our last team had several concussions and quit this year. She got plowed over hard about every 4th or 5th game. Saw one yellow card against a striker in about 60 games we played.
Completely agree with this. At the last tournament during a direct kick, an opposing player seemed to target her as she went into the air to punch it away. I was shocked both at the intent and the lack of a penalty or card.
 
jsmaxwell said:
As many others have said, going full time keeper early isn't the best for most kids. Even so, it can work out. I suggest that the ideal situation for such a kid is with a team that plays it back aggressively. In the years you are on the small field, there is no reason the keeper can't come to the center circle and play sweeper when the team has the ball in the other half. Not only is this good for their confidence and foot skills, but also it is absolutely spectacular to watch the parents of opponents who are used to kicking the ball down the field past the defense. A high keeper using their feet will utterly baffle them and make them scream like baboons about an open goal. Hilarious.

The cherry on top is when your keeper learn to take one of those long balls, dribble it into the penalty area and pick it up. The reaction is priceless.

Any little kid who spends their time standing in the goal area for the whole game isn't having fun and isn't getting trained.
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Love this.

Unique situation for us is my daughter is the fastest player on her U12 team. Track team fast, so it is always fun to see her out run most through balls and clear them way outside the 18 before the striker can get to it. No matter how much a team says they play possession, every team is tempted to kick one over the top when they see their striker covered tightly at midfield. Just finished her first full year at keeper, so she is still getting used to figuring out what she can and can't get to so it occasionally leads to very exciting(and tense) moments. With every girl returning next year and all of them having great parents, it makes for a very stress free environment if she does let one go through. Every practice has short sided scrimmage at the end with all players required to play support and back to the keepers, so it is great to find coaches that play this way.

Funny thing today we were supposed to have a friendly but the times got crisscrossed. So they practiced and then had small side scrimmage. She made one bad pass on a ball passed back to her that resulted in a goal and one of the girls said something to tease her, so mine lets her and the rest of the team know that "hey, you all make bad passes during the game, I make one and something bad happens, so give me a break", all with a big smile on her face. She gets that she has a smaller measure of error and seems to thrive on it. Thankfully all the parents love her and would never question any of her plays. I always applaud good plays by the other keeper. Such a unique position that I appreciate good plays from either team.
 
watfly said:
Seems like a lot in the 2007 age group particularly at Tier 1. My son's 2007 team (tier 1...whatever that actually means at this age) lost its goalie, who is a 2008, to another team after committing (due to extenuating circumstances). So right now we are without a dedicated goalie, but we do have two field players that are great fill-ins. I sometimes question the benefits of having a full time keeper at this age. Of course, for selfish reasons I wouldn't want my son to volunteer to play keeper.
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Selfishly, I love the fact my son is a keeper. Its a position he chose because he understood that it is one of the most important on the field, it requires a mental maturity that few kids have. I love the fact that the boy has a better chance (versus field players) of getting a full scholarship if he keeps at it and continues to distinguish himself. He is a 2003 playing up on a 2002 team and happens to be 5'11 @ 13.

I will say that I think its a crying shame that any team with U12's and under don't carry at least 2 if not 3 keepers. Play those kids in the field half the time and between the sticks the other half. Create soccer players. For keepers puberty is a cruel thing and genetics dictate the future for keepers more than any other quality.
 
jsmaxwell said:
I found it helpful for my kids confidence to repeatedly tell them (and anyone else) that they can only make or miss a save after every other player on the field has failed.
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^^^^^This
The ball gets past 10 other players before it gets past the keeper. FACT
I once saw a shirt at a Keeper Wars tournament that said "The only position harder than GK is being a GK parent" Fact or fiction..you decide. But only a GK parent can relate imho.

As my daughter has matured she's a lot more mindful of her role and responsibility. Unfortunately she still shoulders the blame a lot for a loss..or even a tie. To echo what others have said..parents seem to forget the 10 missed shots on goal whether it be wide or right to the other keeper but they make sure to mention the 1 goal my kid gave up. "She almost had that ball" or some other stupid back-handed comment. Usually I follow their comment right back with the fact that if we can't score we can't win. Usually cools their jets. I won't stand idly by and tolerate moronic comments like that. I find the defender parents are more on our side. We couldn't find the back of the net last season even if we'd had sponsors from Lowrance, Garmin, and Thomas Bros. All but two games were all 0-2 or 0-1 losses with few if any shots on goal. Bad coaching played a big part. But that's the past so now we move on and focus on the future and a new club/team/coach and my daughter is excited about the next chapter in her soccer career. It's refreshing to see this and we are happy that she's happy. She'll miss her old teammates who have all moved on. Her coach..not so much. Didn't appreciate her one bit.

You have to have a few screws loose to play back there and play well..especially as they get older I think. The skills can be taught..but the natural aggression and especially the fearlessness I think is God-given. When a field player turns their back out of fear of being hit from that close kick,pass,etc with tons of pace on it..but the GK stands tall and ready to take that same shot face to face and at times at ridiculously close range is what separates the sheep from the sheep dog.
I laugh when I hear a kid complain to their parents after the game about the few scrapes on their leg from the one slide tackle they got during the game vs the crappy box that has more dirt than grass that my DD was diving in over and over and the only comment she'll make after the game is that the field was cruddy.
"Shaq Diesel" is what I always call her. :)
I always tell her how much I respect and admire her work ethic and her willingness to do a job most players can't or won't.

One of her old trainers used to say " GK can't win the game..but they can sure save one"


**Mods..we still need a sub-forum for the GK community**
 
To be a keeper . It has to come natural. Or it won't work. The majority of the clubs don't want to spend the money on a good keeper coach. Sorry but it's true. They get a young guy from college or a old guy that can't even do the drills himself. If your not investing in a good trainer the kid loses interest.
 
SoCal GK mom said:
^^I have wondered the same. How short is too short to have a chance to play GK in college?
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Boy or girl? I watched a few girl 2001 GK's today that couldn't hang from the top bar ... too short. Girls also tend not to be able to jump has high as a boy of the same height. A girl at 5'7 has a decent chance with a lower division if she is super aggressive and can get above the bar. 5'9" is ideal and anything taller is a major bonus. For some coaches they don't care that much about height as much as jumping ability. A 5'5 keeper that can hang from the bar is better than a 5'10 keeper that can only get 3 inches off the ground. The taller they get the more leeway they have in their skills because college coaches always think that they can train the physically/genetically gifted. This is something of a sore point with me because I watch these club coaches pigeon-hole these young players too early as GKs and now they have no chance to benefit down the road if they lost the genetic lottery.

I knew my kid (boy) would be tall enough for the position as I'm 6'3" and he was always in the 90% percentile on height. Low risk but I loved the fact that we carried two keepers and he played 1/2 in the field and 1/2 between the sticks. Now he is 5'11" at 13 (2003) and I'm OK with him dedicating himself at GK. He trained with his club's DA keeper one night (great little keeper) and looking at the DA keepers parents ... the boy won't be in DA for too much longer.
 
My '06 son's team from last year is folding, and in club shopping, I have had several coaches express interest. and he hasn't even been a keeper for a year yet! We are new to soccer, so this demand for keepers really surprised me.
 
keepersmom said:
For our keeper, we always say soccer is the metaphor. This thread really spells out how and why, and eloquently, so thank you.

I don't know much about soccer at all, so truly my daughter chose the keeper position for herself. I want her to dream whatever she wants for herself, but I also want to steer her in a realistic direction. So here's my question: What kind of college future is out there for a very hard-working but genetically-doomed-to-be-short keeper?
Click to expand...
It depends on exactly how short you're talking. At 5'1-5'3, honestly, it is going to be tough to get coaches interested. But it isn't impossible. I've scoured the rosters of many, many college teams at all levels and found plenty of keepers in the 5'4-5'7 range. I've found some 5'2 keepers playing NAIA college ball or even some on Div 1 rosters (probably walk-on, non scholarship, but they're occasionally out there). If they are short they will need to be able to jump out of their shoes, so if your daughter works on her vertical leap, she could compensate for her height. Anna Picarelli is a former college/pro keeper who played for Pepperdine and the Italian national team. She was listed at 5'4, but might have only been 5'3. Look up her highlights on Youtube and show them to your daughter for inspiration. My daughter was a late bloomer who will probably top out at 5'9, but for a while she was the shortest player on her younger teams so I did lots of research on this topic before she hit her growth spurt. Good luck to your DD!
 
Mystery Train said:
If they are short they will need to be able to jump out of their shoes, so if your daughter works on her vertical leap, she could compensate for her height. Anna Picarelli is a former college/pro keeper who played for Pepperdine and the Italian national team. She was listed at 5'4, but might have only been 5'3. Look up her highlights on Youtube and show them to your daughter for inspiration.
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Thank you for the advice and the video suggestion! 5'3" is a realistic expectation, so she will no doubt be working to max out on that jump. She is really just hoping for a small D3 with great academics. It's nice to know that window isn't completely closed for her.
 
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