PSW Coaching Library 2.8 - GK Warm ups and improving ability to think ahead

Through a partnership with Soccer Source 360 and the Animated Coach\'s Library, Potomac Soccer Wire brings you one new library entry per week addressing common areas of youth development. Each issue is authored by John Dingle, after he and other Soccer Source 360 staff members evaluate weekly practices and games. They pick two common issues from the weeks evaluations and then address them in a way that coaches can introduce the topic to their team. Then, they add a coaching progression to the Animated Coach\'s Library to correspond to each topic addressed. This week’s newsletter addresses the challenge of warming up a goalkeeper and developing player’s ability to think ahead.

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http://www.potomacsoccerwire.com/news/458/5986

While PSW is brining you the topic in writing here, in order to view the full animated library with, you will have to subscribe to at least a one-year membership to the Soccer Source 360 Animated Coach\'s Library.


PSW Coaching Library 2.8 - GK Warm ups and improving ability to think ahead

This weeks coach’s education newsletter addresses the issues of receiving air balls and possession with a purpose. 

Observation
Most goalkeepers are not warmed up properly before a game.  Many teams place the goalkeeper in goal and have the rest of the players take endless shots at goal.  This often deflates the keeper’s confidence to begin a game while not preparing them for the match.

Suggestions:

• Assign a coach or player to warm up the goalkeeper with repetitive activities focused on one part of the position at a time.
• Make sure the service prepares the GK for the game.  Do not have the person warming up the goalkeeper attempt to score as many goals as possible.
• Make sure the activity is realistic in movement, space, and distance.
• Make sure ground ball, high balls, shot stopping, dealing with crosses and distribution are covered.
• As the warm up continues increase the pace and difficulty of the service.

Animated Progression:

• Ground Balls
• High Balls
• Ground Balls/High Balls variation
• Shot Stopping
• Shot Stopping in Goal
• Handling Crosses
• Life Play
• Attack Vs Defense

Observation
Player’s are not being trained to think ahead.  Coaches often do the thinking for the players and the players never gain the experience of making mistakes and learning from them. 

Suggestions:

• Restrain from directing players to pass, dribble, shoot, and tackle.  
• Ask players questions and tell them to get their head up.
• Tell players to solve problems with team mates as an alternative to solving the problem your self.
• Present activities that allow players to solve problems through thought.

Animated Progression:

• Check Out Passing
• Partner Tag
• 3v1 with tagging and shooting
• 4v4 with major restrictions

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About the Author: John Dingle has been active in youth coaching for the past twenty years.  He began his career in coaching conducting summer camps while finishing his playing career at Central Connecticut State University. When returning to Baltimore, John started his soccer company, Soccer Source 360.  Soccer Source 360 is a company devoted to player and coach development.  At this time he began to take licensing courses through MSYSA and USSF.  John now holds a USSF ‘B’ license and the National ‘Youth’ License.  John serves as the Director of Coaching for the Soccer Association of Columbia, an organization of 6000 players.  He started with SAC under John Ellinger as the assistant director of coaching in 1995.  John has been an instructor for licensing classes with MSYSA since 1997.  He has been a featured clinician at coaching workshops throughout the region and in 2006 launched the Animated Coach’s Library.  This electronic coaching education tool now contains over 1000 animated activities and over 100 articles on coaching.  Each animated activity is placed in an age appropriate coaching progression labeled by topic.  The members only site boast over 1000 members worldwide.
 
While coaching teams, John has shown a commitment to player development.  He has coached numerous players that have gone on to play at the ODP, region 1, Youth National, and college level.  In fact, his previous boy’s team now has 17 players participating as student athletes in colleges.