Everyone has seen a goalkeeper determine the outcome of a game. Sure, it’s always easy to cheer for your goalkeeper when he/she makes a game winning save. But, how should coaches react when a goalkeeper drops a cross or lets a ball slip through his or her hands?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOO_IjYqz2c]
The goalkeeper is the last line of defense. A mistake will either end up in the back of the net or very close to it. The million dollar question is whether coaches should treat them like any other player or treat them like their own breed.
You might have guessed it, there is really no one correct way to react towards a goalkeeper’s costly mistake. Some goalkeepers see right through the positive just to be positive talk and feel embarassed when they are told nice try when they have a blopper like Dida’s above. On the other hand, there are goalkeepers that hate to be scolded and when they are they can’t get over the mistake and it becomes a snowball effect. Then there are some that thrive when they are held accountable. So the new million dollar question is what would your goalkeeper prefer? You can ask your goalkeeper or you can just watch how the goalkeeper reacts to your coaching during practice and games.
Recent Comments