Goalkeeper Secrets

As an athlete and goalkeeper, you must work on your craft constantly so that when it comes time to perform in high pressure situations (games, tryouts, trainings, etc.) your mind and body will react without hesitation.  The only way for all of the movements and skills to become 2nd nature is to practice them over and over and over.  Repetition will be one of your greatest tools to achieving greatness.  Be RELENTLESS.

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One of the most important aspects of improving as a goalkeeper is making the decision to leave your comfort zones.  Yes, it will be difficult at first, but the more often you put yourself in situations where you are inexperienced and more likely to make mistakes, the more you will learn and develop.  Utilize goalkeeper trainings and practices with your team to push yourself to leave your comfort zones on 1v1s, corner kicks, crosses, etc. and welcome the errors. You will learn from them.  

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Becoming aware of your weaknesses will help you to start the process of eliminating them. The hard part is recognizing that you do have a weakness and many times they are mental.  What helps with discovering your weaknesses is self reflection and reviewing games afterwards.  Think about your emotions and what your mental thought process was when you made a mistake.  The sooner you spot these weaknesses the sooner you can eliminate them and then begin to refine your strengths.


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Marcus Ziemer has been the Sonoma State Men's Soccer head coach for an astounding 31 seasons! Ziemer has had an incredible career in Division II soccer with a 344-183-65 coaching record over the past 30 years as well as winning the national championship in 2002.  Throughout his tenure as head coach, Ziemer has worked with many goalkeepers and has a keen sense on what he's looking for in a goalkeeper to support his program.  Ziemer drops plenty of gems and words of wisdom to young goalkeepers everywhere who are trying to take the next steps into collegiate and even professional soccer.  I have been fortunate enough to work along side Ziemer for the past 7 years and have gained so much knowledge about the game and how to manage goalkeepers at a high level. 

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Once you come to the realization that you are exactly where you should be, you will have more focus and drive to get where you want to be.  If you're a backup goalkeeper or striving to get to the next level, take a moment to accept where you're at and see that you have many opportunities right in front of you. 


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As goalkeepers when we look up at the proverbial mountain we can become anxious, fearful and hesitant.  This mountain is your playing career in the moment, whether it be a tryout for college or a championship game, these moments can be daunting.  The GK Secret is to shift your mindset to being fearLESS, confident, and excited to ascent up the mountain and conquer your goals.  Focus on how you talk to yourself before these big moments and be aware of speaking with fear and anxiousness.  Be grateful for these moments and prove why you belong.

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Being grateful every time you step onto the pitch will help you mindset to be more positive and open to experiences.  Every training session, tryout, and game is an opportunity to learn, improve, and develop your skills and talents.  Take advantage every time you lace up your boots to be thankful you get to prove to yourself how great you are.


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As goalkeepers we all have experienced drills during team practices that aren't necessarily designed for us and we end up getting bombarded with close range shots at a rapid pace.  This leaves us mentally and physically exhausted.  This episode is about how to find purpose and meaning in every drill so that you can benefit and become a better goalkeeper.

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Every time you step on the pitch is an opportunity to prove to yourself and everyone else why you belong there.  Every warm up, drill, game, etc. is an opportunity to show and prove your abilities as a goalkeeper.  However, just showing up to trainings and games to perform physically will not be enough.  You must prepare mentally days before so that when it does come time to perform physically you are ready.  Part of having GRIT is taking advantage of opportunities that are presented to you.

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Have you ever dreaded going to a tryout or a game because you're filled with anxiety and afraid you're going to fail? Me too.  We've all been there and the shift starts with your mentality before competition.  You need to mentally prepare yourself so that when you're in the game you are present and not afraid to mess up.  In fact, you don't want the game to ever end! Preparation starts with getting your mind right.

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Email: [email protected]