You speak, your team listens. This is where your leadership skills should come to life. When you tell, direct, yell, etc. you should always speak respectfully to your teammates. This will allow your teammates to respect and trust you and listen for your direction. It is also extremely important to always give positive feedback where it is due. This feedback is helpful for your defense to learn what it is they need to do, that they are defending correctly and that you are grateful for their hard work. Let's face it, defending is not an easy task, especially when you have no direction. If the ball is in an area where you can grab it so that it is safe, you must yell for it and make it clear that you are going for the ball (this allows your team to back off so that no one is hurt). Communication is the main key of having an effective defense and to avoid confusion.

The next step is to keep your eyes open. No, I do not mean to let your eyes dry out. What I do mean, is keep an eye out on the opposing team. Watch their runs and watch where they stand when the ball is not near them. Learning opposing players' behavior can and will allow for quick decision making later in the game. Even if the ball is 5 feet from you, you should be aware of all the players surrounding you. Your peripheral vision is important as a keeper and can help you determine how you will defend the ball. As well as the positioning of the opposing team, you need to watch your own as well. Your players can not see from the back of their heads, so you need to make them aware if a player is behind them. A keeper must develop his or her leadership skills in order to be effective on the field. Without these skills it will be impossible for you to play at a higher level.

Because of the isolation or “on stage” factor and because the goalkeeper is the one to whom the team turns to “bail them out,” leadership is built into the position in some sense.  However, as any experienced coach or player will tell you, not all goalkeepers are leaders.  So, there is something more to it than that.  The confident goalkeeper who faces challenges head on is, in a way, a microcosm of what a serious team aspires to be.  Here we have a player whose every touch is under pressure and whose best performance is the ultimate effort “not to lose.” (Now, this is different from the effort “to win,” though the two are very closely related.) The only way for the goalkeeper to succeed at this effort is to work tirelessly when called upon.  They can take no “time off” because doing so equals certain goals against.  So, it is only natural for the team and the coach to warm to this player and model their collective attitude after theirs.  The team tries to embody the same tireless work ethic and “refuse to lose” demeanor the goalkeeper exhibits. When the goalkeeper accepts the responsibilities that their position on the field and their position within the team require, they afforded many opportunities to display leadership under various circumstances.  The following circumstances pose for the goalkeeper a challenge of their character and, thus, a test of his or her leadership qualities regularly:

• an “impossible” situation, i.e. a breakaway or a penalty kick
• a game-winning save
• a game-losing goal against
• a regular save
• a regular goal against
• a major mistake by a teammate
• a major mistake by the goalkeeper herself
• being chosen as the “back up” goalkeeper on a particular game day
• winning the starting position
• a demanding training session
• an off-field problem that requires a player to step up and take charge of the situation
• and many more

The thing is that the goalkeeper rarely does anything without the attention of the team and coach on him/her.  So, if they are to succeed in the context of the team, they must wear their heart on their sleeve and handle any of the above situations and the countless others that may arise with the utmost poise.  When the team trusts the goalkeeper (and there must be trust between the goalkeeper and the team if there is to be success), they will often model their own demeanor after how the goalkeeper reacts to key moments.  That is to say, if the goalkeeper is confident and composed at a critical moment, then the team is likely to be confident and composed.  If the goalkeeper is panicked and defeated at this moment, then the team may lose heart.  For some goalkeepers, the feeling is that this is an unfair element to goalkeeping; they would rather just go about their business quietly, blending in, with no more or no less responsibility than any other player on the team.  But, the thing is the goalkeeper occupies a position that is different from the other players.  And with this position comes what has elsewhere been termed the burden of responsibility.  In other words, like it or not, the goalkeeper will be looked to as an example by the team and the coach.