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Goalkeepers - How Do You Choose a Club

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    Goalkeepers - How Do You Choose a Club

    Parent of a goalkeeper. So far we've been choosing a club/team based on goalkeeper training and team strength/level of play. We're at a small club with a strong team.

    We'll likely stay one more year where we are at. Good coaching, close to home, etc. However the team is starting to disperse to NPL and ECNL teams.

    Do you choose your club/team based on goalkeeper training or do you choose based on the team and team coach and get private keeper training if necessary?

    Stars is close and has a great keeper coach. But I get mixed reviews from others regarding Stars for boys. Bolts is too far for us for now. GPS changes keeper coaches frequently. And I don't know anything about NEFC keeper training. My son had one session last year, not sure it was even a keeper coach, and we weren't impressed. But NEFC seems like a good place for boys.

    Lastly, is there loyalty with keepers and clubs? Or will a club take a keeper, over their current one, if he's better? It makes tryouts difficult when you are trying out for one spot.

    #2
    Always go for the best GK training. Yes it's important that the team be at a good competitive level so that your GK is challenged, but the quality of the GK is very important. Private sessions can add up quickly, while at a club the training is included in the price. Training should be 2x/week. Ideally the GK trainer will come and watch you play a few times as well so he can critique your actual game play. At higher levels and as they get older it's very rare for a team to only have one GK. Make sure to ask them how they handle carrying two - if they care about development each plays one half. Worse thing for a GK is being the bench warmer.

    parent of 2 GK

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      Parent of a goalkeeper. So far we've been choosing a club/team based on goalkeeper training and team strength/level of play. We're at a small club with a strong team.

      We'll likely stay one more year where we are at. Good coaching, close to home, etc. However the team is starting to disperse to NPL and ECNL teams.

      Do you choose your club/team based on goalkeeper training or do you choose based on the team and team coach and get private keeper training if necessary?

      Stars is close and has a great keeper coach. But I get mixed reviews from others regarding Stars for boys. Bolts is too far for us for now. GPS changes keeper coaches frequently. And I don't know anything about NEFC keeper training. My son had one session last year, not sure it was even a keeper coach, and we weren't impressed. But NEFC seems like a good place for boys.

      Lastly, is there loyalty with keepers and clubs? Or will a club take a keeper, over their current one, if he's better? It makes tryouts difficult when you are trying out for one spot.
      Do MASS ODP . The GK training is very good. My son has done several camps , rds and club training and ODP. ODP was the best .

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        Do MASS ODP . The GK training is very good. My son has done several camps , rds and club training and ODP. ODP was the best .
        ODP is dead. Oh, and it has nothing to do with the OP finding a regular club. Thanks for playing. Move along.

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          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          Always go for the best GK training. Yes it's important that the team be at a good competitive level so that your GK is challenged, but the quality of the GK is very important. Private sessions can add up quickly, while at a club the training is included in the price. Training should be 2x/week. Ideally the GK trainer will come and watch you play a few times as well so he can critique your actual game play. At higher levels and as they get older it's very rare for a team to only have one GK. Make sure to ask them how they handle carrying two - if they care about development each plays one half. Worse thing for a GK is being the bench warmer.

          parent of 2 GK
          Nail on the head, I could not have said it better myself. Parent of 2 Keepers as well, talk with the GK Directors and get all the info you can on them and their coaches.

          Comment


            #6
            Lot depends how old and how good. If they are older and really good, think you'll find that group GK training will slow him down (ie lots of bad services, teaching to baseline of the group) and what you ultimately will want is the ability to have him trained individually or in a small group of similar leveled players. Then the choice of club becomes a function of whether or not that is a possibility and who the specific trainer is.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              Lot depends how old and how good. If they are older and really good, think you'll find that group GK training will slow him down (ie lots of bad services, teaching to baseline of the group) and what you ultimately will want is the ability to have him trained individually or in a small group of similar leveled players. Then the choice of club becomes a function of whether or not that is a possibility and who the specific trainer is.
              Good point - a club that takes it seriously has sessions broken out into smaller groups based on age. We were with one that had U13-U18 together. It was a a joke and we didn't stay long.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                Good point - a club that takes it seriously has sessions broken out into smaller groups based on age. We were with one that had U13-U18 together. It was a a joke and we didn't stay long.
                Lots of good advice here. Agree that you should be looking for training in small groups, but not solely based on age. My GK always trained with a group that was appropriate to her skill set which for a long time meant training with older GKs. Avoid the cattle call approach which too many clubs advertise as quality GK training.

                Comment


                  #9
                  A good gk coach is a given, but the other gk's he trains with is an important consideration too.

                  Most gk drills involve the other gk's, so whether its warm up or actual session the training is only as good as all the players participating.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    Lot depends how old and how good. If they are older and really good, think you'll find that group GK training will slow him down (ie lots of bad services, teaching to baseline of the group) and what you ultimately will want is the ability to have him trained individually or in a small group of similar leveled players. Then the choice of club becomes a function of whether or not that is a possibility and who the specific trainer is.

                    We find groups of 3 works best - the other gk's must be of similar skill, but if they go all out it gives them a chance to catch their breath.

                    Google youtube videos of gk training, say the England three lions. You will always see them in groups of three when on int'l duty (Hart, Pickford, Heaton).

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Great responses and sincerely appreciate it.

                      We have not done ODP. Have done RDS and have been happy. But the ride to Gillette starts to be a drag.

                      Are there other clubs with great keeper coaches, other than the ones I've mentioned?

                      My son is playing at a regional elite level. Currently U13. Will likely stay put at U14 and then move on for U15. Mostly because his small club doesn't usually field teams past U14.

                      I'm finding it harder, navigating the club landscape, with a keeper.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        A good gk coach is a given, but the other gk's he trains with is an important consideration too.

                        Most gk drills involve the other gk's, so whether its warm up or actual session the training is only as good as all the players participating.
                        I agree with this. He's one of the stronger keepers in his session. Sometimes he gets bad balls from his peers or the pace of practice is slow. But the coach is good.

                        I would assume he'd need a bigger club then, which would mean more sessions and more keepers and more possibility of finding the right fit.

                        There just seems to be only so many options.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          I agree with this. He's one of the stronger keepers in his session. Sometimes he gets bad balls from his peers or the pace of practice is slow. But the coach is good.

                          I would assume he'd need a bigger club then, which would mean more sessions and more keepers and more possibility of finding the right fit.

                          There just seems to be only so many options.
                          Not it isn't easy to find the right combination of good training, well run club, challenging competition AND they need a GK for that age. Happens in college too. Easier to find a spot for a field player.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            Not it isn't easy to find the right combination of good training, well run club, challenging competition AND they need a GK for that age. Happens in college too. Easier to find a spot for a field player.
                            This was actually his 1st year as a full time keeper for club. Last Fall he played 1/2 on field and last Spring the coach put him in goal full time.

                            We've really stressed field play, and he has good feet for a keeper. He plays field for travel/MS. Problem is, as soon as a coach hears he plays goal he's put in net.

                            He loves it, but who knows how far he'll go with it. I want him to be prepared to transition to field at the older ages if he wants/needs to.

                            Being a keeper isn't easy. Being a keeper parent isn't easy either.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Keeper Training is important, but only part of the equation. Goalkeeper coach needs to watch the kid play and help with game time and half time adjustments. Furthermore, needs to train with the team and have a coach that views the kid as an outfield player to develope foot skills, confidence in distributing the ball and organizing the defense. The more the kid plays the better he or she will become at these skills. And they need to play as much as possible, the quicker they become at diagnosis what an offense is trying to do ...the better the keeper. This is gained through game experience. A long way of saying if your coach wants the kid to stay on the goal line and is happy when the defenders aimlessly kick the ball out of bounds in stead of a pass back....move on.

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