What in the world does the US Open (Tennis) have to do with GKing?
Well, as my good friend and colleague Dave Anderson said this morning, "If serious young GKs watch the US Open and study the footwork and movement of the pro tennis players, they'll see that tennis footwork is almost identical to GK footwork". And Coach Dave is right. (You might remember my Blog on Sepp Maier, legendary German GK).
Two points that spring to mind when thinking about the above:
1. Tennis is a great sport for developing footwork, fitness, AND it is a sport that you can play your whole life. My Dad plays in tennis tournaments around the country in the Over-90 Division. Yup. The Over-90 Division! Tennis has all of the ingredients to improve your footwork and foot-quickness, and your overall athletic ability and fitness. PLUS, it gives you an alternate sport which will help keep you from getting 'stale'. I firmly believe that young athletes need to play a variety of sports. When you become 15 or 16, then you can decide to focus/pursue/specialize in only one sport. Until then, you should be experiencing as many different sporting activities as possible. Who knows? You might discover that you are much better in a sport other than soccer. I had a Youth team back in the day that played in a tournament in the Washington DC area. One of the teams we played had a young man by the name of Grant Hill playing for them. They were a good team, they beat us, and as you know, Grant Hill was a pretty good basketball player, too.
2. Try to study sport when you watch it on TV and see if you can find any aspects that relate to GKing. I always tell GKs to watch and study professional GKs on TV. When you're watching Liverpool play Everton, don't just watch the game--study the GKs. Watch how they move, watch how they direct their defenders, watch how they deal with crosses, shots, serves. Watch their footwork. In addition, when you watch other sports, study them. STUDY how a wide receiver catches a pass over the middle and hauls the ball in, even when he's about to get leveled by a linebacker. STUDY how a hockey goalie sets his angles and "stands his ground" until the shooter shoots--he doesn't move early, and that puts all of the pressure on the shooter, not on the goalie. STUDY how a basketball player moves his feet and his body to get positioning on a rebound. STUDY the footwork and movement of a tennis player. All of this can translate into helping you become a better GK. GK is still--and always will be--a self-monitored position. You have to be willing to look at, see, and acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses; and improve upon your strengths, and work on your weaknesses. Good luck.
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the opposition always shoot right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
And.......CATCH the BALL!
All the Best--EV
Well, as my good friend and colleague Dave Anderson said this morning, "If serious young GKs watch the US Open and study the footwork and movement of the pro tennis players, they'll see that tennis footwork is almost identical to GK footwork". And Coach Dave is right. (You might remember my Blog on Sepp Maier, legendary German GK).
Two points that spring to mind when thinking about the above:
1. Tennis is a great sport for developing footwork, fitness, AND it is a sport that you can play your whole life. My Dad plays in tennis tournaments around the country in the Over-90 Division. Yup. The Over-90 Division! Tennis has all of the ingredients to improve your footwork and foot-quickness, and your overall athletic ability and fitness. PLUS, it gives you an alternate sport which will help keep you from getting 'stale'. I firmly believe that young athletes need to play a variety of sports. When you become 15 or 16, then you can decide to focus/pursue/specialize in only one sport. Until then, you should be experiencing as many different sporting activities as possible. Who knows? You might discover that you are much better in a sport other than soccer. I had a Youth team back in the day that played in a tournament in the Washington DC area. One of the teams we played had a young man by the name of Grant Hill playing for them. They were a good team, they beat us, and as you know, Grant Hill was a pretty good basketball player, too.
2. Try to study sport when you watch it on TV and see if you can find any aspects that relate to GKing. I always tell GKs to watch and study professional GKs on TV. When you're watching Liverpool play Everton, don't just watch the game--study the GKs. Watch how they move, watch how they direct their defenders, watch how they deal with crosses, shots, serves. Watch their footwork. In addition, when you watch other sports, study them. STUDY how a wide receiver catches a pass over the middle and hauls the ball in, even when he's about to get leveled by a linebacker. STUDY how a hockey goalie sets his angles and "stands his ground" until the shooter shoots--he doesn't move early, and that puts all of the pressure on the shooter, not on the goalie. STUDY how a basketball player moves his feet and his body to get positioning on a rebound. STUDY the footwork and movement of a tennis player. All of this can translate into helping you become a better GK. GK is still--and always will be--a self-monitored position. You have to be willing to look at, see, and acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses; and improve upon your strengths, and work on your weaknesses. Good luck.
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the opposition always shoot right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
And.......CATCH the BALL!
All the Best--EV