Hi, i coach an u9 team. We have just moved leagues and our progress has been amazing. I have two goalkeepers. One has made tremendous progress within the team and the other who is a brilliant lad with such supportive parents, is not making the same progre
ss. I want hime to stay at the club, but he get upset when he makes mistakes, so then. itry to keep him away from the pressure but then he wants to play. He struggles with positioning, and reading/understanding the game. i have to instruct him where to stand and what to do with the ball when he gets it. He makes everyone nervous. But as i say i want to keep him as he is s really good boy. The 1st keeper can slso play out and this solves the problem to a degree, 2nd keeper cannot. Parents are not happy with the situation and don't seem to see what i and the other coach see.
Has anyone got any good advice please/ I have a meeting with parents tuesday coming
ss. I want hime to stay at the club, but he get upset when he makes mistakes, so then. itry to keep him away from the pressure but then he wants to play. He struggles with positioning, and reading/understanding the game. i have to instruct him where to stand and what to do with the ball when he gets it. He makes everyone nervous. But as i say i want to keep him as he is s really good boy. The 1st keeper can slso play out and this solves the problem to a degree, 2nd keeper cannot. Parents are not happy with the situation and don't seem to see what i and the other coach see.
Has anyone got any good advice please/ I have a meeting with parents tuesday coming
Personally, I'd suggest you go into it with a development plan for the keeper. So if positioning is a problem how can you address it via drills in training and explain to them that where you see a problem and ask his parents for help - maybe encouraging them to watch a GK play in his favourite team at a live game, and follow what he's doing with a focus on movement and positioning? If you go into it defending your views you're on a hiding to nothing, but if you go into it saying this is how I'm going to help him and this is what I need from you, it's a much easier conversation. The other thing is - the kids 8 or 9 and are still learning. Kids that age are brutal with blame at school so I'd be encouraging the team spirit to support each other, but equally how if we make a mistake it's OK so long as they learn from it. That's not to go into forensic detail on every fluffed aspect, but maybe highlighting to him 1 on 1 in training to try and recreate a scenario from the last game and show him how if he had moved into the position you want him that it would be easier - he has to see and feel that for himself.
