How to Support a Youth Soccer Goalkeeper
- 1). Be careful not to specialize too early. A young player should experiment by trying all positions in the game, at least until the age of 12.
- 2). Stress physical fitness and conditioning. While there is a lot of standing around, a good keeper must be fit. Youth players often need to take special measures to acquire and maintain this fitness.
- 3). Consider specialty training and camps. Goalkeeping can be hard to pick up in regular team practice.
- 4). Do your homework. Read up on the position, and consider taking a goalkeeping coaching course to assist your player.
- 5). Emphasize on-field communication. Young keepers need to develop the ability to talk to their teammates. Let them practice by shouting at you.
- 6). Invest in good goalkeeping gear. Young players should wear padded clothes to give them confidence and protection when they dive or slide.
- 7). Layer up. Young children have less body fat and need to stay warm during long stretches of inactivity. Particularly in cooler climates, wearing extra layers (like long underwear) is helpful.
