Life of a Goalie
May 26, 2015 Shenanigans 13 comments ksturtevant15
It is unbelievable how important a soccer goalie’s role on the field is. Not only are they the wall between the ball and the goal but they are the number one communicator on the field. A goalie is in charge of the player’s placements on the field and sometimes can even be a 6th sense for the players. Picture an open man on the opposite side of the field with a wide open shot but the players can’t see him because they are all back to him watching the ball, this is where the goalie needs to recognize the open man and instruct his players to cover him, overall preventing the easy cross and shot. During free kicks, due to the failure of his teammates to follow the rules, a goalie has to position his players to create wall in front of the kicker to prevent an easy goal but if the wall isn’t positioned properly it could blind the goalie and allow a goal. Communication is a very important skill for a goalie to have.
On top of all that the goalie still has to be aware of his own positioning and ball reading. The key to saving shots is to analyze the shooter, such as what foot he is shooting with, where the shooter is looking, how the shooter’s foot is angled, and even where the shooter’s planted foot is pointing. After analyzing the player the goalie then has to check his positioning and decide where he needs to dive, step, slide, or jump. Imagine doing all that in a matter of 2-3 seconds. Then if the save is made the goalie has to clear the ball, there are different methods used to clear the ball such as a punt, roll, and a throw. It is the goalie’s decision on how to clear the ball but they have to make sure it gets to the player or a fast break could occur and a goal could be scrounged up out of it. The life of a soccer goalie is rough and they deserve to be recognized because I couldn’t do it if I stood where they stand.
13 Comments
Being a lacrosse goalie I can relate with the fact that as a goalie you have to communicate effectively. Also, how do they decide if they wanna throw it, kick it, or roll it on a clear? Overall, this a great article on what it takes to be a soccer goalie.
I like how you describe how important the goalie really is and the impact that a goalie has on a game. From watching soccer games I know what you mean when you say that the goalie has to have good communiation skills in order to be effective
Wow, very informative! I always wondered what it would be like if I had played soccer instead of field hockey, do you think it would be smart to be a goalie if I had switched at the beginning of high school?
This is a really good post! I never really thought about how hard being a goalie really is. Have you ever tried being goaly?
Coming in as a goalie for the lacrosse alumni game, I really didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was going to be pretty easy, but then I quickly realized that communication and positioning were the main keys. I soon learned that being a goalie is actually very challenging. Do you think that being a soccer goalie is the same as being a lacrosse goalie? What are the differences?
Being a soccer goalie is different from being a lacrosse goalie. As I was the team’s keeper for the last 3 years, I can tell you the difference between my job and a lacrosse goalie is different. A soccer goalie has a 9 yd box that he has to contend with instead of the 9 ft crease that also has the goal in it. Also a soccer goal is 24ft by 8ft instead of 6ft by 6ft. The jobs are mostly the same but they require entirely different skill sets.
After filling the role of a goalie, there is definitely a lot of responsibility on the field. The goalie definitely has to be the leader and voice of the team! This article was really well done and I really like how you compared it to being like the sixth sense.
Reading this post made me think how valuable goalies are. I know goalies were a big part of many sports I didn’t realize how hard or really how much dedication is required. Watching Matty in the net really makes me think “What is this guy thinking?” I really do not know which one would be worse. Would you rather get pegged with Lacrosse balls or Soccer balls?
Reading this reminds me of my short life in goal as a wee little lad. This is a very hard job and is filled with responsibilities beyond anything else on the soccer field.
I found the post to be very informative on what goalies actually do. Before reading I just always thought why can’t that goalie just do his only job, but this made me realize how much really goes into a goalies job on the field. I also feel like you can’t compare goalies in lacrosse and soccer goalies, they both have the same objective in mind but there is no way to compare the job they do.
I have always thought about how demanding being a goalie must be, and this post really gives that sense depth. I now understand the concepts that goalies must use other than the “just stop the ball” mindset one could think a goalie would have. Using the example of a sixth sense really demonstrates how well a goalie must know the field and game.
I used to play soccer for 4 years when I was younger during the spring. Funny thing is that I remember more of me playing tee-ball and basketball for the YMCA than me ever scoring a goal in soccer. I remember the drills but I do not remember how it went during the actual games. I enjoyed basketball than any other sport because of how involved I was during the games. I gave it my all just like you do as a goalie. I earned coached award twice and those are the years I can remember the most highlights from.
Nice post! There is a large amount of pressure on goalies, and I can connect to this because I used to play goalie when I played soccer in middle school. Also, this post is similar to my post about pitching, and they are both pressure filled positions.