How do I see myself? How do others see me?

The thing is that the goalkeeper rarely does anything without the attention of the team and coach on them.  So, if they are to succeed in the context of the team, they must wear their heart on their sleeve and handle any situation and 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.  

What’s the message? This is one of the phrases I use most when coaching my goalkeepers in regard to mentality and poise.  It is very important to me that they understand the coded messages they send mostly with their body language, but also with their words and their play.  The goalkeeper, like anyone else, is always saying something by the way in which they are standing, the spirit with which they play, and the words they choose.  This message can be positive, negative, or anything in between.  And the team will receive it.  If you have a goalkeeper who has not considered this yet, but who is looked to as a leader by your team, watch closely the next time he or she concedes a goal at a crucial moment in the game.  First, take note of how many of the players on the field turn their attention, if only briefly, to the goalkeeper immediately following the goal.  Then, assess what the goalkeeper’s body language is projecting.  Is it confidence? Is it defeat? Hopelessness? Indifference? You will be able to decipher the message, and so can your players.  This is perhaps the most important moment for the goalkeeper to be aware of their body language.  Why? The team suffers a psychological blow after conceding a goal.  Collectively, they have failed and they feel that.  Teams with a good understanding of the game will not necessarily blame the goalkeeper for the goal, as most goals are a result of several players’ errors.  However, the team will hold the goalkeeper responsible for the ones they “should have” saved, and rightly so.  So, how does the goalkeeper send the right message to her team at this critical moment?

Every goalkeeper is different and some have a tougher time stomaching goals against than others.  At the youth levels, you will see everything from the goalkeeper who beats themself up over a goal against to the goalkeeper who seems entirely unaffected.  Neither extreme is good.  The team must see that their keeper cares, but they must not see that their goalkeeper is defeated or has lost their mind!  A little bit of anger is okay; it comes very naturally to most serious goalkeepers, and it is good for the team to see some steam coming out of the keeper’s ears once in a while, but the keeper should be mindful of the proverbial explosion after a goal against.  For some keepers, this manifests itself physically as they assault the goalpost, punch the ground or even themselves, or punt the ball a mile up the field.  Well, what is the message here? It certainly is not a message that suggests the keeper or their team is in control of what is going on.  For other goalkeepers, the explosion comes in the form of a tirade directed at the nearest defender, letting him or her know how at fault they are.  This is anger displacement and may function to make the keeper feel better, but it is certainly not healthy for the team and it is not going to go very far in terms of nurturing the important relationship between the goalkeeper and the defenders.  Criticizing a teammate has its place, but the timing and delivery must be taken into consideration. Caring, determination, and conviction are the ideas the goalkeeper should try to convey following a goal against.  It is okay if the players see that the goal hit you in the heart because that shows them how much you care.  So, the facial expressions of disappointment or controlled anger are okay momentarily so long as they are kept under control.  But, at the same time, that grit and competitiveness must return to the keeper’s eyes and overall countenance while the team’s attention is still on them.  They must look back there and believe they can still do it!