PINKERTON NAMED NATIONAL DIRECTOR FOR SOCCERPLUS GOALKEEPER
SCHOOL
Farmington, Connecticut
(Wednesday, 17 November 2009) – Tony DiCicco, CEO and
Founder of SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School, announced today that
Ben Pinkerton will replace George Kostelis as the National
Director for SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School (SPGS) as part of a
multi-year agreement. “It is with tremendous pride that we begin
another chapter on the Cutting Edge in soccer education with Ben
leading the way.” Tony elaborated, “He has shown tremendous
passion and commitment not only to the game, but also to our
student’s development and to the staff as they grow into the
future coaches of America.”
Ben is extremely familiar with SoccerPlus, having served on the
Goalkeeper Staff since 2003 and as a Director since 2005. During
that time he has served as the Goalkeeper Coach and Assistant
Coach for the North Carolina State Wolfpack of the ACC and as a
Goalkeeper Coach and Staff Coach with the Capital Area Soccer
Club (CASL), routinely acknowledged as one of the top youth
clubs in the country.
“I would like to
thank Tony and the SoccerPlus family for giving me this
opportunity,” said Ben. “When I think about the names of the
National Directors before me, I feel humbled to have been
considered. George Kostelis leaves very big shoes to fill, but
has been a great role model for me over the years. I look
forward to carrying on the tradition of excellence and the
standard of SoccerPlus as being the best goalkeeper camp in the
country.”
George Kostelis, who will remain an integral part of the
SoccerPlus family, was instrumental in the selection. George
explained, “SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School will continue to be the
best residential camp in the country under the guidance and
leadership of Ben Pinkerton. Ben is a top-flight goalkeeper
coach; his energy and work rate on the field will inspire
students to challenge themselves to exceed their own
expectations.” George, who serves as the Assistant Coach and
Goalkeeper Coach at Yale University for the men, welcomed his
first son Demitri in November of 2008 along with his wife Kim.
“I am thankful to the staff, Athletic Trainers and campers for
the commitment to the SoccerPlus vision. I am grateful to Tony
and the great coaches, campers and mentors that I feel
privileged to share many memorable SoccerPlus experiences with
over the past 18 years.”
Ben, who holds a Premier Diploma from the National Soccer
Coaches’ Association of America and serves as a Staff Coach for
the NSCAA’s Goalkeeper Institute has become one of the top
goalkeeper coaches in the nation. In 2009, Ben accomplished a
rare feat of completing tour – ten consecutive weeks of camp.
“It’s because of the campers,” he explained, “you allow me to do
what I love on a daily basis and through your drive, energy and
excitement the staff and I are pushed to be better for you. I
can’t wait for the summer of 2010.”
Mariel Wilner: "Ben has been an integral part of the
SocerPlus family for many years. I'm thrilled to hear that he's
taking the next step into the leadership role as National
Director and could not be more excited to be a part of this
transformational time at SoccerPlus."
Nathan Kipp: "It would be hard to find someone more
qualified, more driven and more passionate about the SoccerPlus
camp experience than Ben Pinkerton. Having worked with him at
SPGS and coached against him in the college ranks, I know him to
be an excellent teacher of the game, a charismatic leader and an
outstanding role model for both campers and new SoccerPlus
coaches alike. I'm quite certain that SoccerPlus will continue
to excel--as they always have--with Ben as the National
Director."
Ziggy Zigante: "Good for Ben. Good for SoccerPlus."
Lisa Cole: "I'm very excited for Ben and for SoccerPlus
as the program constantly evolves, he will be sure to carry on
the SoccerPlus tradition. He's a great coach and has a great
passion. I look forward to working with him."
Anthony DiCicco: "There have only been a handful of
National Directors in the history of SoccerPlus Goalkeeper
School and Ben embodies some of the best qualities of all of
them. I want to once again thank George Kostelis for his
tireless work behind the scenes as well as on the field over the
last five years and appreciate all his help in the search for
his successor. 2009 was a great year at SPGS and I have the
firmest belief that behind Ben's direction 2010 will be even
better. Welcome aboard Ben."
Katelyn Houston
English Period 1
Personal Narrative Essay
As a teenager, I know that I haven’t experienced as much life as
an adult, even so, I know there are certain memories that I will
never forget; such as when I traveled all the way across the
United States for something I love.
This summer was the best of my life, I had made a commitment
early on that soccer was going to be taken serious this summer.
This summer, I was going to get better. I had picked out a
soccer camp in New York, my Mom and Dad couldn’t afford to come
with me, so I was traveling alone for the first time of my life.
When I got there, I made friends right away because I was “that
girl from Alaska!” And that was fine with me; I just had a lot
of igloo questions to answer.
When I got to the camp, I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was one
of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It was at a
college called Colgate University, located in Hamilton, New
York, which was voted “the most beautiful campus” by college
students in the United States.
I loved everything about this camp, as I said, it was beautiful,
the people were extremely nice and supportive, and the staff
coaches were amazing! Most of the staff coaches were people in
college, there was one that was extremely funny, she had a lot
of piercings, a couple tattoos, and just loved living. She had a
nickname, they called her Mayhem. Since I was playing soccer
with 18-19 year old boys and also since I’m pretty crazy myself,
I picked up the nickname Mini-Mayhem; which for me was an
awesome compliment!
One day at the soccer camp, the other goalies and I played a
game called Star Wars, where there were 2 soccer nets about 20
feet away from each other, and you tried to score on the other
goalkeeper. There were a lot of fields set up like this, but the
one that stood out to everyone was the field that had a creek
running right through the middle.
“Are we really going to play on that?” I asked Dan, one of my
goalkeeper friends. “Only if we’re good enough, the teams
nominate 2 people to go and play on that field against the
staff, it’s a really intense game, and very fun to watch!” said
Dan.
So, the games got going, everyone was having a lot of fun, and
before we wrapped up everyone nominated a couple people to go
and play against the staff. Since I was a young girl, they
didn’t pick me; instead they chose two older boys. As I went to
sit down, Mayhem said “What are you doing, Mini-Mayhem? Go play,
your in this game too!”
“But I wasn’t voted in, I shouldn’t really be allowed, is that
fair?”
I said.
Then the Director of the game saw me and said “Hey! Mini-Mayhem,
go play, we’ve got to see you in action!”
So it was decided, I went across the bridge on to other side of
the creek and on the field. There was a pretty big line to get
in the net and start playing, because I had to wait for others
to get out before I could go in. But as soon as I stepped in, I
blocked a shot from Mayhem herself; it was a full extension dive
to my left side, a beautiful save. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made
some insane saves before, but this time it was different. This
time it was in front of a bunch of coaches, all my friends, a
lot of people didn’t even know we had soccer in Alaska but I was
making their jaws drop. It’s a pretty awesome feeling, maybe a
little prideful, but all in fun! After I made that save, I
kicked a perfect shot, bottom corner and got Mayhem out! After
that, I was perfectly content.
Walking back to the campus from the fields, I don’t think I
could have been happier. It was a beautiful sunset, on a
beautiful campus, with amazing people talking about what a great
job I did that night. I was sore as could be, and missing home,
but I wasn’t even thinking about any of that.
Mayhem was one of the best coaches I could’ve asked for at the
camp. She’s crazy, she loves what she does, and everyone knows
it. Plus, she’s a fantastic goalkeeper! Right now, she’s a
junior in college playing for the University of Florida.
Someday, I hope I can be as good of a goalie that she is, and
who knows? It could happen!
The morning after Star Wars I had to get up at 5 a.m. to take a
shuttle to the airport to head home. My friends had told me to
wake them up that morning to say goodbye. It was pretty rough, I
had to ride all the way to the airport holding back tears, but I
know that I was so sad to leave because I had such a blast. Now
I know that New York will always have a special spot in my
heart. I’m dying to go back, to score on Mayhem one more time,
and even though I’m young, that’s a memory that will stick with
me forever.
It is possible to play a complete game in goal without touching
the ball and still have a great game. One of the goalkeeper’s
responsibilities is to organize the team defensively during the
course of the game. If this is done effectively the opposing
offense can be stopped from penetrating the defense and getting
any scoring opportunities.
The simplest form of communication is for the goalkeeper to call
“keeper” when you want the ball. This in itself is very helpful
but it is only the tip of the iceberg. For a goalkeeper to
communicate at the highest level you must have a very good
understanding of the game. Here are some things you should be
able to recognize and understand:
1) Tendencies of strikers.
2) Systems of play.
3) Defensive principles.
4) Defensive mismatches.
5) Strengths and weaknesses of your teammates.
6) Responsibilities of defenders.
In essence the goalkeeper needs to be a coach of sorts in the
goal. Once the goalkeeper has that knowledge you must figure out
how you can apply it to the benefit of the team. When
instructing your team it is not always necessary to use complete
sentences. In fact, one word will often suffice. For example if
the ball is loose in the box and the keeper wants a defender to
quickly kick the ball upfield to safety the word “CLEAR” should
get the message across. Other one word examples could be
“CONTAIN,” “TIME,” “OUT,” or “MAN-ON.” Often there is not enough
time for more than a one word instruction.
The tone of voice is also important. As a keeper you want to
appear to be calm, poised and in control. Your speech should be
authoritative, clear and confident. If your teammates sense
panic in your voice they will lose confidence in you. If your
voice is too passive they may not process your message
immediately and certainly will not act with any sense of
urgency. Experience alone will dictate to you what tone of voice
works best. Your tone will also differ when talking to your
defense after a play. In time you learn which style works best
with each individual defender. For example, if you criticize
defender “A” aggressively for letting a forward turn in the box
it might be the kick in the rear they needed not to let it
happen again. Defender “B” may be insulted or embarrassed by the
same approach and end up sulking for the rest of the game. Each
defender has his own personality and the goalkeeper needs to
know which approach will work best.
Whereas communication is obviously a good thing, too much of a
good thing is bad. If you talk continuously throughout the game
your own players will tune you out. They will hear you but they
are no longer listening to you. Therefore you should only give
instructions when it is important.
One way of making sure a defender hears you is by using his
name. This works for the three reasons:
1) Most people like to be called by their name;
2) The sound of your own name immediately attracts your
attention;
3) If the keeper says “John, get tight to #9” then John knows
that everybody else knows that he should be tighter to #9. It’s
basic accountability.
As with all aspects of team play you must practice first.
Everybody on the team must know exactly what each instruction
means. Different teams use different words. To close a forward
down who is threatening to shoot, a goalkeeper may shout
“CLOSE,” “PRESSURE,” or “STEP.” It really doesn’t matter what
you say as long as the player knows what you mean. These issues
should be sorted out with your teammates and coach on the
practice field.
The number of scoring opportunities presented to opponents is
greatly affected by the goalkeeper’s ability to communicate.
Good communication may not improve your save percentage but it
will improve your goals against average.
SoccerPlus Goalkeper Staff, Directors
and Alumni help teams deep into NCAA Division 1 Women's
tournament. With only 16 teams remaining, 6 have SPGS ties (let
us know if we're missing anyone): Stanford (Jay Cooney), Boston College (Neel Bhattacharjee and
Jill Mastroianni),
North Carolina (Chris Ducar), Maryland (Laurie Pells), Wake
Forest (Amanda Barasha and Megan Jessee),
Texas A&M (G Guerrieri).
Congratulations to all the members of the SoccerPlus family who
made their respective tournaments. Have a highlight:
Share it with us.
If we know one thing - you can't go deep into a tournament
without good goalkeeping. SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School Director
and Boston Breakers Assistant Coach Lisa Cole explains some of
the things goalkeepers and coaches can do to be more successful:
"Come tournament
time, you need to keep things the same for the most
part. Coaches need to make sure that they are
building confidence in their goalkeepers, this may
mean less coaching. The exercises and drills that
the starting goalkeeper do need to be setting them
up for success. Aside from that, be sure you have
prepared for penalties, you may not be expected to
save any, but you can be more successful by having a
plan. And mostly, lots of good reps, maybe not as
much hitting the ground, but with a healthy,
confident goalkeeper, I like my chances."
My daughter is a Goalkeeper and her team
has been playing in a sub regional premier league this year
(as opposed to the state league they won last year with 56 Goals
For
and 16 Goals Against) They have had many more Goals Against this season than Goals
For.
Her confidence is shaky. The competition is much better than
last year. Her save percentage is probably around 0.75 or so
but all she remembers are the goals she lets in. Is there a specific
article that addresses the psyche of the GK. How to stay
positive when you team is loosing? The 1-0 losses are the
toughest of them all.
Thanks for any advice,
TP
TP:
In goalkeeping (and sports in general), a player's confidence
can make or break them. Any time a team moves up to a higher
division, a better league or from high school to college, there
is going to be an adjustment period. While the coach and you as
the parent can help by reminding her that this isn't a permanent
state, but just a challenging period, the message will only
resonate if she is prepared to hear it.
As for reading materials, this is a major component to sports
psychology and you can find it addressed in many books,
including Tony's book, Catch Them Being Good. In fact, we
recently had US U20 National Team Sports Psychologist Dr.
Tiffany Jones present this topic at a seminar here in
Connecticut. Here are the
notes.
Keep reminding your daughter that she and her team and not
defined by results. Look at any league in the world, when a team
moves up (whether it's an expansion team or a promoted team in
Europe) they don't find immediate success, so the girls will
need to be patient, but the fact they are only losing games by a
goal may be tough, but it's also a great testament to how close
they are. The margin between winning and losing is razor thin.
Keep your chin up, train hard and the results will come.
I was in the local Food Lion last night. A fellow in his mid to
late 30s camp up and asked me if my name was Bill. What could I
say other than yes? His name was Mike and he had gone to
SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School at Rice University [Houston, TX]
some years ago. His brother and sister had gone also. He now
works for a semi-conductor company in Greensboro. Obviously, I
had not seen him since that week at Rice.ce.
Just thought I'd send along this SoccerPlus moment. SoccerPlus
goes on and on...
Bill Steffen
Thanks Bill. What a great reminder that over the years
SoccerPlus has hosted tens of thousands of students. Have your
own SoccerPlus moment?
Please share it.
Hey Mike [Crane]...Two years ago you were my staff coach at a
SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. On the
first night of camp, we got together in our group and we shared
our goals for our soccer careers. I mentioned that my school had
not ever been very successful in soccer...no league titles or
State Championships. Not even a banner in the gym. I told you
and the group how I wanted to change that. You wished me luck in
making sure that I left with a banner hanging in the gym. Well,
this year, my senior year, we won the first league title and
have already clinched the best record in school history
(10-4-1), with the state tournament ahead of us.
We also made the county tournament for the first time in 22
years, but lost in the second round to a high-ranked parochial
school. I just wanted to share this with you and thank you for
all the encouragement two years ago.
Jon Seligman
Jon,
I do remember coaching you in Bloomsburg. You worked extremely
hard and I am sure you have continued pushing your ability as a
goalkeeper. It is great to hear about your successful season
this Fall. It is very easy to accept defeat and failure but it
takes a lot of effort and heart to change your circumstances and
find success. You have changed the culture of your high school
team and I am sure your impact will be seen for many years to
come. You should be very proud of yourself and your teammates.
Thank you for sharing your story with us.
Michael Crane
Duke University, Assistant Women's Soccer Coach
SoccerPlus Goalkeeper School, Director
Follow Anthony DiCicco on Twitter
If
you had been following us on Twitter, you would've been the
first to know about Ben's announcement. You never know what else
might pop up on there first.
Scientists at Hong Kong University have come up with a theory
that might prove extremely useful for football players around
the world. Had Mark Schwarzer known in the fateful World Cup
match against Italy last year what these Hong Kong scientists
know today, Australian soccer fans might still be cheering.
As it turns out, a small tweak in where the goal keeper is
positioned in the goal can make a player send the ball in a
particular direction. By just standing a couple of centimetres
to the right or left instead of in the middle of the goal, the
goalie might thus be able to subconsciously convince the player
to kick the ball into his or her path.
Rich Masters, assistant director of research and associate
professor at the Institute of Human Performance at the
University of Hong Kong, is one of the researchers behind the
report. He became a football fan after spending some time in
England.nd.
"I studied for my Ph.D. in England and spent 14 years there.
Gradually soccer just seeped into my blood. So I love to watch
it, but play badly," he said in an interview.
Masters is an experimental psychologist with further interest in
implicit knowledge, which he explained as such: "If something is
implicit, it influences your behaviour without your knowledge.
The penalty-taking study was a 'what-if' moment."
Football players and fans have long suspected the keeper´s
position in the goal is important, and the article published by
Masters and his colleagues John van der Kamp and Robin Jackson
in the U.S. journal Psychological Science proves these
speculations right. By standing six to ten centimetres off the
center of the goal - a displacement the penalty taking player is
unlikely to notice - the chances are ten percent higher the
player will send it towards the wider space.
Many fans loathe the idea of a game being decided on penalties,
and it has been a long running debate both in England and
internationally as to what extent this should be allowed to
happen. The BBC recently reported on a decision by the English
Football Association (FA) that stated that replay matches are
still to decide who advances in the domestic FA-cup, instead of
penalties as suggested by several managers.rs.
Masters believes this kind of research can be helpful both for
other parts of the game and for other sports, also here in
Australia. "Recently I have been involved with both your
Australian Institute of Sport and the New Zealand Academy of
Sport because of the relevance of implicit motor learning to
sport."
Perhaps these findings might help change the scene for penalty
takers, so that the keeper is at less of a disadvantage, since
today only 18 percent of penalty shots are saved.
One can only hope that the next time Francesco Totti rocks up
against the Socceroos at the penalty spot in a vital World Cup
game, he has not heard about this report.
Zach Thornton, Chivas
Matt Reis, Revolution
Pat Onstad, Dynamo
Kasey Keller, Sounders
Donovan Rickets, Galaxy
by Ridge Mahoney, Soccer America
3 November 2009
The lowest-scoring season in MLS history (2.54 goals per game)
was reflected in the stats of the top goalkeepers. For the first
time, five goalies completed the season with a goals-allowed
average of less than one goal a game, and one other - Donovan
Ricketts of the Galaxy, one of the three MLS finalists for the
league's official award - came home at just a shade higher. But
has the most deserving been left off the finalists' list?
Only one of those six made more than 100 saves, and that was the
Revs' Matt Reis. Playing behind a back four that included three
newcomers, two of which were rookies right out of college, Reis
led the league with 104 saves.
By allowing 23 goals in 24 games Reis compiled a 0.96
goals-allowed average, fourth best behind finalists Chivas USA's
Zach Thornton (0.87) and Seattle's Kasey Keller (0.92), and
Columbus' Will Hesmer (0.95), and just ahead of Houston's Pat
Onstad, who played every minute - one of three goalies to do so
- and finished at 0.97.
Those are microscopic differences -- and strong cases can be
made for all of the goalies, except maybe Hesmer, who played
only 19 games.
Ricketts spearheaded an amazing transformation of LA's leaky
defense - goals allowed cut in half from 62 to 31 - and Keller
excelled in his first MLS season. Onstad looks no different at
age 41 than he has for most of this decade, which is pretty darn
good.
Goalkeeping can't be boiled down to stats. The best keepers stop
all the shots they should stop, don't give away cheap ones by
dropping crosses or bobbling corners, and every once in a while
pull off a brilliant stop.
They also inspire and direct their teammates, destroy chances
before they occur by snagging or punching or parrying balls out
of the air and smothering those near the ground, distribute
efficiently, and extend their range outside the penalty area to
deal with through balls with the feet or even the head.
In the six games Reis didn't play, the Revs conceded 14 goals,
an average of more than two per game. By leading the league in
saves playing on an injury-decimated team that was the only one
to make the playoffs with a negative goal difference, Reis did
the most to help his team get results.
NEW YORK (Wednesday, November 4, 2009) – Major League Soccer
announced today that Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton was
voted the 2009 Goalkeeper of the Year.
The Goalkeeper of the Year earned the most votes in polling of
MLS players, general managers, coaches, referees and members of
the media.
Thornton, 36, had arguably his best season in his 13-year MLS
career. He led Chivas USA to a 13-11-6 record and posted a
career best 12 shutouts and 0.87 goals against average. His 12
shutouts were one shy of the club record and his goals against
average ranks second all-time behind Pat Onstad’s 0.82 in 2007.
Thornton led the League in goals against average, shutouts and
ranked second in wins with 12.
Thornton took over the starting role for Preki’s club this
season, after being acquired in 2008 and playing in eight
regular season games last season. The 2009 season was his first
full season as a starter since 2006, when he was a member of the
Chicago Fire. He started 27 of the team’s 30 games during the
regular season and led Chivas to the playoffs for the fourth
consecutive season.
This marks the second Goalkeeper of the Year honor for Thornton.
He joins Onstad and Joe Cannon as the only players to win the
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award twice. He received the honor in
1998, after being selected by the Chicago Fire in the expansion
draft, Thornton led the first-year club to an MLS Cup
championship. He finished the 1998 season with 16 wins and a
1.17 goals against average.
Thornton ranks second all-time in shutouts (70) and wins (125),
behind only Kevin Hartman in both categories. He played
collegiately at Loyola College in Maryland and was drafted by
the MetroStars in the 7th round of the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player
Draft. He played two seasons with the club as a reserve behind
Tony Meola before spending the bulk of nine seasons with the
Fire. In 2004 he spent six months on loan with Benfica in
Portugal. Thornton played with the Colorado Rapids in 2007 and
New York Red Bulls in 2008. During the 2008 season, he was
traded to Chivas USA, where he played seven games before earning
the starting role to begin the 2009 campaign.
MLS Save of the Year: Pat Onstad (Week 5)
He may be 41, but he can still play. Watch this impressive
display of goalkeeping by the Houston Dynamo starter.
Watch the top 10 nominees below. The Degree Save of the Year is the second
in the sequence (from Week5)
Not enough for you, watch every Save of the Week from the 2009 MLS Season. More
than 11 minutes of saves!
Originally Published in #133,
September/October, 2000
by Paul Cacolice ATC, CSCS
The development of vertical leap is something that I get asked
advice on pretty darn frequently. It is probably the most asked
fitness topic and as big a ‘hot button’ as first step speed.
It seems everyone wants to improve it – no matter how good or
bad theirs is currently! They believe ‘just one more inch’ will
help them not matter what their sport.
Let’s get our facts straight about vertical leap in this issue
of TKL and then approach some ways to improve it in future
issues. In my belief, to improve and fully master a skill, you
must understand it first. So, we begin the understanding.
What is the vertical leap?
First of all, why do I call it a vertical ‘leap’ and not a
vertical ‘jump’?
By definition, a jump is a lift from 2 legs at the same time. A
hop is a lift from only one leg. As a goalkeeper, you are often
expected to do both. I use the term vertical leap as this
encompasses both the hop and the jump.
The mechanics of a jump and a hop are different. You should
train for both. If there is one that you want to excel at, I
would suggest the hop. Remember though, that the hop is much
more stressful on the joints however (taking off and landing),
so training must be less intense and less duration with flawless
technique.
Getting your facts straight
Before you go about addressing a wrong, you need to confirm that
indeed it is wrong! It frustrates me when coaches want better
vertical leap out of all athletes before they test them and
assess what is their vertical leap. To me, this is akin to
answering a question before it is posed.
They often then categorically tell an athlete that their jump
needs to be better. This is the second mistake. They don’t
bother to find out what is normal for someone of their height,
weight, age, gender and sport (and often position by sport).
For example, I am relatively short (5’8”) and can be beaten with
a well-placed chip (shhh…my little secret), and you wouldn’t
suspect I have a good vertical leap. Upon testing last summer, I
tested out at 24½ inches, which is actually quite good for me.
So how would I train to prevent that well-placed chip? I think
better tactical awareness and training.
As always with fitness training, you are only as good as your
decision to use the physical skill. The best vertical leap in
the world is wrong if chosen at the wrong time and place for
that leap. Master your techniques and tactics while the physical
skills develop!
Assess your Leap
So how do we assess a vertical leap? There are several standard
methods for testing and frankly, all are acceptable if and only
if they are used consistently. Be sure to only compare results
from tests performed similarly!
Testing can be done through something as simple as a stand and
reach test next to a wall or through using a very pricey testing
machine such as a Vertec™. No matter what is used to test the
leap, a standing measurement of something that cannot change in
flight need to be done prior to the effort. The most common
measurement is standing height of the hand overhead. Your arm
and body cannot lengthen – and therefore this is a consistent
measurement of how high you’ve leaped. Some new machines test
from a belt placed at the hips. No matter how this is tested, do
not compare leaps taken by jumping over an object such as a
hurdle. The results from this are not comparable.
The test standards have several options. The approach can be
through a run, a one-step, a pre-loading jump (only for older
athletes) off of a step or from a stand-still (my favorite).
I think from my viewpoint, a goalkeeper needs to be tested on
the jump (2-leg take off) and hop with each leg both from a
stand-still start. Stride length changes rapidly as you grow and
this could affect the score of the running start and the speed
of the take-off. Once you’ve hit adulthood (22 years of age),
the pre-load jump from a run or a pre-loading jump.
Norms
Standards are still being developed through research. One of the
best methods is to be sports-specific and then judge for age,
gender etc. Unfortunately, there isn’t a great deal of
information available for soccer goalkeepers yet. We’ve begun
testing using standards such as above and are about several
years away from having good norms. Until then, consider
comparing goalkeepers to someone that plays a similar-type
activity. I prefer to compare to basketball forwards (#3
player). These are available through many sources and resources.
Many people consider themselves deficient in a leap when they
compare themselves to a professional American football or
basketball player. These individuals often have testing
protocols different and are also very different individuals. For
them, a vertical leap in excess of 33” is not unheard of. I
often look at the development age and the training age (years of
year-round fitness and soccer training). If these numbers are
small, then you cannot expect to have a great leap yet.
Only after you’ve gotten your results and compared then to what
you could have, can you then begin to address how (and if) you
need to improve the leap.
