Goalkeeper Training Different Age Groups: How to Progress Each Stage
East Coast Bays AFC Generations
Louie (far right) with his East Coast Bays AFC teammates supporting the junior footballers before one of their games on a Saturday morning, building connection at the club.
Goalkeeper Training for Different Age Groups: How to Progress at Each Stage
As a young goalkeeper, the journey to becoming a top-tier player is filled with exciting challenges and opportunities for growth. Tailoring training sessions to different age groups is crucial for optimal development. Let's explore how training should vary from younger goalkeepers (6-12) to more advanced (13-18+).
Younger Goalkeepers (6-12): Building the Foundation
Focus on Fun and Fundamentals: At this age, the primary goal is to instill a love for the game. Keep sessions engaging and fun, focusing on basic techniques like catching, throwing, and diving.
Develop Motor Skills: Incorporate exercises that enhance coordination, agility, and reaction time. Incorporate a ball as much as possible to really help with their catching and handling ability.
Build Confidence: Positive reinforcement and encouragement are essential. Celebrate small victories and create a supportive environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn.
Intermediate Goalkeepers (10-15): Refining the Skills
Technical Refinement: Start to refine specific techniques like hand positioning, footwork, and diving mechanics. Introduce drills that challenge their abilities and push them to improve and help them understand how and why they should make a save for example.
Tactical Awareness: Begin to introduce basic tactical concepts like positioning, decision-making, communication with defenders, how to take part in a smooth session and how to serve the ball to other goalkeepers.
Physical Conditioning: Incorporate simple physical conditioning exercises to improve strength, speed, and endurance. This is easily done by increasing the amount of repetitions when you are doing drills, they won’t notice! E.g. instead of doing 3-4 shuffles-to-catch around a cone, do 12 then let them rest.
Advanced Goalkeepers (15-18+): Specialisation and Performance
Advanced Technique: Focus on advanced techniques across various types of saves, what to do when a ball is moving at a certain speed/height, where the balance should be where to push the ball if they cannot hold it etc.
Tactical Mastery: Develop a deeper understanding of tactical principles, including defensive organisation, goal kicks, and crosses. This can be done much faster through our new Virtual Sessions, reach out to hear more.
Psychological Preparation: Incorporate mental training techniques like visualisation, goal setting, and stress management to enhance performance under pressure. Goalkeepers that carry this forward will always find it beneficial.
Specialised Physical Conditioning: Implement a comprehensive strength and conditioning program tailored to a goalkeeper's specific needs, focusing on explosive power, agility, and flexibility. This will help with confidence as they grow into their body by moving faster and becoming more powerful.
Remember, Consistency is Key!
Regardless of age, consistent training is vital for progress. Encourage young goalkeepers to practice regularly, even if it's just for a short period each day. As they advance, consider increasing the amount of sessions to give them an additional edge.
For developing goalkeepers one session can make for significant progress, so adding a few more sessions where possible can really help to compound their growth. Once they have learned a skill and had enough repetitions, they don’t go back to bad habits meaning they only get better.
By following these guidelines and adapting them to individual needs, young goalkeepers can lay the foundation for a successful career and reach their full potential.
NZGKU is committed to helping goalkeepers of all ages achieve the above and more. Contact us today if you’re interested in hearing more about the types of sessions above or want to hear about our new Virtual Sessions.
