The Soccer Goalie Guide
As the soccer goalie you will be the last one who can stop your opponents from scoring. You must therefore make few mistakes as possible. You need also to keep yourself cool even when you fail. To maintain your calm in difficult situations you will need a great personality and also ability to infect your teammates with your own confidence. You will learn that and many other things by participating in following goalkeeper program. Your job as soccer goalie will not be easy. Think about just how often you have been unjustly blamed for the defeat of your team? The only goal a soccer goalkeeper cannot be blamed for is probably a penalty kick. Your teammates know that saving a penalty kick is a pretty difficult task but they are still hoping that you will make it. If you manage to save the ball against all odds you will be a hero, if not you will be no good. As a soccer goalie you also need to be in constant contact with the ball during training to develop your agility, reflexes and reactions. You won’t become a successful soccer goalie overnight. It will take you years to master all the finer points of goalkeeping. And keep in mind that you must always try to work hard and never give up.
Your second function as soccer goalie is to reinstate the attack of your team. This is an important part of your game where precision and fast thinking is vital. There is not much point in just throwing the ball out of the goal. The ball could find an opponent and come back faster than you think. I have found a great site that will help you out with this and you can check it out here.  Your throw, goal kick, volley or half volley must be aimed at a teammate so your team can keep possession of the ball and organize an offensive attack. When reinstating an offensive attack your teammates must quickly run into a free area so you can safely pass the ball to them. To learn how to perform this you should follow these principles: • Never throw or kick the ball back into play unless some of your teammates are completely unmarked • Try not to kick or throw the ball to the same side from which it came • Try always to find a teammate who doesn’t need to stop the ball to get control over it How to throw the ball? • Send it low • Roll it along the ground • Baseball throw When performing above mentioned throws you will need to keep the ball well balanced in the palm of your hand. You need also to clasp the ball firmly with your fingers spread. You should also practice on all mentioned throwing methods and try to use them at least once during a soccer game. You will also discover pretty fast which method of throwing suits your needs best. Try not to hesitate when you run out of the goal to intercept a ball or an opponent. In these situations you will need to react fast and you don’t have time to change your mind. Once you are out of the goal try always to go the whole way and I promise that your own conviction will help you. Do not rush out of your goal if there is a teammate between the goal and oncoming attacker. Instead, stay back or you may get in the way of your teammate. You could also wait for the split second in which your opponent has to look at the ball before firing a shot. In the shooting moment, try to rush toward your opponent and block the shot with your hands or body.
Your third function as soccer goalie is to organize the position of your defenders. This is very important because you need really to communicate and tell your defenders whether they should move up or stay.  As the last player you can see the whole field and can predict how the play is likely to develop. A vital part of goalkeeping is to encourage your teammates to mark your opponents or intercept unexpected passes or shot. As you can see goalkeeping is not just about stopping your opponents from scoring, it’s much more than that. My recommendation is to try all soccer positions (left midfield, striker, fullback etc.) whether you have started your carrier as soccer goalkeeper or have been standing for several years. This will help you gain a better understanding for the game and you will also develop better foot work.
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