A document containing all of the training tips from our old website up to September 2005 along with Jon’s expert advice in the Q&A section. Select which format of download below: Goalkeeping in Field Hockey 2nd Edition (PDF 3.07mb) OR Goalkeeping in Field Hockey (ZIP 2.57mb) Created by Pete Carling. You will need the free [...]

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A document containing all of the training tips from our old website up to October 2000 along with Jon’s expert advice in the Q&A section. Select which format of download below: Goalkeeping in Field Hockey (PDF 1.71mb) OR Goalkeeping in Field Hockey (ZIP 1.66mb) Created by Rene Verbeek. You will need the free Adobe Reader [...]

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Whether it is the New Year, the holidays, or just the opportunity to look back, life presents us with a chance to take stock of all we have. One of my all-time favorite books (and movies) is Pay It Forward. The story revolves around a boy’s class project, the concept of what we can realize if we pass on the good that comes to us. Many of us have been given a great many gifts. I’ll speak for myself and say many of my greatest gifts have come through sport. In the spirit of passing on what we have and the chance to give back, I offer a list of how we can play it forward.

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There was a day when any lifted shot at goal had to be controlled and cleared by the keeper. Control meant stopping the ball and dropping it straight down to clear. Keepers were required to wear gloves and essentially had to catch the shot without closing their hand on the ball and drop it down. Opposing forwards knew exactly where the first save had to go and were quick to pounce on the dropped shot. If the equipment made the job difficult enough, the consequences of bad technique made the lifted shot brutal. If your save caused the ball to be pushed or deflected you were rewarded with a penalty stroke against you. If you think that was ancient history, those rules were on the books in the 1980's.

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Recently I've received some questions from people having problems with bonded foam separating in kickers and leg guards. First off, if your leg guards or kickers are under one year from time of purchase they should be under warranty. If that fits your situation, you should take the matter up with the agent who sold you your gear. If the pads are older than a year, than try this…

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Drag flicks present a huge problem for keepers in that they increase the variables that a keeper must deal with on penalty corners. Previously, the straight hit was the primary option and logging became the popular technique for dealing with the well struck shot.

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Starting with reaction training, please check Rachel’s Tips on the OBO website. She has a good tip on REFLEX TRAINING. I do a lot of work with tennis balls in place of hockey balls in reaction drills but obviously that’s pretty tough on your own. I like to work on aerial saves with just a helmet, hand protectors and a stick and having someone hit tennis balls with a racquet. You can further add to the reaction element by facing your back to the hitter and turning on their call be fore the shot so you have to find the ball first.

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Recently there's been a thread on the Community section on throat guards and I'll throw my two cents in. Wearing a throat guard has nothing to do with vanity and everything to do with protection. Drag flicks, deflections and point blank chip shots make it difficult to predict how you'll be able to react and where you're going to get hit.

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Selections, mention the word and the reactions for keepers competing for a spot on a team range from a rise in pulse and butterflies the size of basketballs in his/her stomach to nerves of steel and a confidence that says

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In the ideal world every goalkeeper is a starting keeper. You play every minute of every game and never let in a goal. Reality tells us this isn't true. The world is filled with keepers with a wide range of skills and a limited number of teams. Not every keeper gets to play, but that's not to say that every keeper can't have an impact on his or her team's performance. How goalkeepers work together on a team is an important dynamic on and off the field.

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