Have you ever got tired of trying to be Messi, Ronaldo, or even Neymar on the field? Why don’t you try being a goalkeeper? You could be like Donnarumma from Paris Saint Germain, Ter Stegen from FC Barcelona, Courtis from Real Madrid, and Manuel Neuer from Bayern Munich. You could be one of the future’s best goalkeepers if you put your mind to it. Not only do the players get a lot of spotlight, let’s say you’re saving a goal in the World Cup, you’re doing it for your country. You save it and now your whole country loves you. They will recognize you as the country’s hero.
Mindset:
Your body doesn’t control you, your mind does. Being brave is the number 1 rule to being a goalkeeper. Being a goalkeeper is important, you are responsible for catching the ball from getting in the net. Want to get better at it? Getting your right stance can help you a lot, number 1 keep your knees bent, number 2 hands relaxed out in front of you, number 3 think of it like if the ball is like a big trophy when they shoot it on you, you want to catch it with your hands bravely.
Make a ”W” or a diamond shape with your hands behind the ball. Stay positive, bring positive energy on the pitch. Forget about the past and focus on the present. When defenders are coming your way, angle yourself with the ball. Look at the ball always and follow it, not the player.
Strength & conditioning:
Goalkeepers move fast, that is having good agility and reflexes. It is also important to stretch a lot so you are more capable of catching the ball. Lower body power to jump, dive, and save goals are all with leg power. You would need explosive power to do them. To train your lower body some exercises are doing heavy bilateral lifts like squats, deadlifts, Bulgarian slip squats, and lateral bounds.
Exercising your lower body is really important for being a goalkeeper. Always remember that you should warm up before exercising. Don’t forget that you can also use your legs to save goals, basically your whole body. Don’t be afraid to save goals with other parts of your body, that is why you would need to get some muscles so you are capable of saving the ball with other parts of your body without getting seriously injured.
Sportsmanship:
Sometimes players can be rude or even your own teammates. It is important to have sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is showing fair play, respectful behavior, controlling emotions, and kindness. If you don’t play with sportsmanship you could get a yellow card or even a red card. Most likely you would be sitting out for the game, players also could treat you with disrespect, so you should treat others the way you want to be treated.
Good sportsmanship examples are helping players when they are done, shaking hands before or after the game, and kicking the ball out if you see an injured player and the ref doesn’t notice. Bad sportsmanship examples are purposely wasting time in your game, arguing, tactical fouling, etc of bad behavior. Players can get awarded for having good sportsmanship, you could be a role model for younger players.
Follow these steps and I guarantee you, you will be strong, confident, responsible, kind, and smart. Being all those are a key for being an athlete, always remember to be strong in every way. You can be what you want to be if you have the confidence.
