Pic of the Week

It's Charlotte Armour getting out exactly what she put in.

 

Quote of the Week

"You gotta be madder than a psychotic hatter to go between the sticks, so the cliché goes.  But donning the gloves is a pretty important job and a goalkeeper more reliable than the German train network is the bedrock of any successful team."  Chris W - BBC Sport

 

Keeper of the Week

Laura Collins

Getting set for her game winning State Cup quarter-final penalty shootout save.

 

 Reaching for the sky-scrapers.

 

 

Are You On The Path?

On the roller-coaster ride that is goalkeeping, one thing must remain consistent - Training.  While the team and fans want a shutout victory, a goalkeeper requires shots, goals-against, and even losses to get better.  Where will you find those shots?  Will you wait until the cup final to realize that you must lead with your hands on a breakaway?  Or will you accomplish that in training and be prepared to be the hero in the final?  Imagine a keeper who sees very little action because of a strong defense, and has a shutout almost every game - are they prepared for the next level? does it create complacency?  It would take lots of training to make up for what you aren't seeing in the games, so good results actually mean more training.  It is only painful, sometimes embarrassing results that will ensure progress and intensity - it's what keeps the fires lit inside.  Through ups and downs, the training must remain constant - to correct what went wrong, is not-right, and is bound to happen.

A big part of goalkeeping is experience because it allows you to play at a high level while minimizing fluctuation and inconsistency.  Development as a goalkeeper not only requires many hours of preparation, but also a strong mental game.  As results rise and fall, a keeper must remain focused and on the path of development.  Every shot you face as a keeper must be your most important yet - concern not for what has happened and cannot be changed, only for what's coming next.  Emotions are best suppressed, and should not reflect the scoreboard nor those concerned with it.  It is in this difficult facet that a goalkeeper coach is most crucial... a keeper coach who has both sunk and swum between the posts.  When goalkeeping chooses you, choose Bravo... because you can't win 'em all, and we're counting on that.