The position of goalkeeper in a team is one of the most demanding emplacements in all sports. The goal keeper must be agile, sharp, flexible, energetic, enthusiastic, he has to have stamina, good decision making skills, confidence, mental toughness, attitude, self belief, and determination along with other skills; the quickness, the toughness, correct mental attitude, determination, self belief, all combine to create a great keeper. But without one of these, the goalkeeper is average, not the best. Even the most talented athlete can fall short if they do not have the mental preparedness to make it in this tough arena.

Correct Mental Attitude. The position of goalkeeper is one of the most psychologically demanding on the soccer field. Mistakes are final and fatal for him and his team. The glory is usually reserved for the players at the other end of the field. It's not a position for everybody.


Stay positive in any circumstance.  Goalkeepers need to be able to put mistakes behind them quickly and recover, so try to put a positive spin on things.


Continuous improvement. Focus on the skill that needs work, not the fact that the goal was allowed. Very often it's just basic footwork or catching that needs improvement.

Aggressiveness. A keeper can keep the soccer ball out of the net in more ways than making a direct save - forcing a missed shot gets the job done too. Aggressiveness goes a long way here - by making the shooter decide too early, a keeper can force a miss or a pass on an otherwise open shot. A goalkeeper who can get into the heads of opposing forwards early has a huge advantage.


Keep confident. This applies to both coach and goalkeeper. Give the keeper time to internalize the save (builds confidence), calm down, give field players time to recover, and look up-field to restart the attack. Six seconds is plenty of time to do all this. If you stay calm, you're showing that you have confidence in the keeper's ability to control the ball and the game.


Training is the key. Teach them good technique, and then hammer it in with repetition. Don't allow any lazy or sloppy technique, even when they're not officially doing drills or playing. Good habits will show themselves in games just like bad habits. Repetition is the key; doing it right every time (consistency) is what separates a good goalkeeper from a great one.


Full committment. Every shot deserves an attempt at a save, even if it seems futile. Eventually, the shots that seemed impossible to stop before will start coming into range. If the effort is there, the results will start to come.