U14 Goalkeeping Crossing Session

Warm Up/Stretch Phase

• Players jog 30 yards and then jog back
• Players jog 30 yards and then jog backwards back
• Players skip 30 yards and then skip back.
• Carioca 30 yards there and back
• Knees up 30 yards jog and then heels to butt
• Stretch for 3 minutes (on their own)
• Jog 5 yards, sprint 5 yards with a change of direction with every change of pace
• Stretch for 3 minutes

Warm Up/Ball Work

• Players form groups of twos with one Medicine Ball per group (2 pound Kwik Goal Medicine Ball). Players have a catch for 3 minutes with balls ranging from rolling to high balls. Players are 10 yards apart.
• Sitting Kneeling Catcher’s position progression. This will be done every day as a basic warm up (again with a medicine ball).
  Stretch
• Fourteen cones set up in two lines one yard apart. The server plays the ball and the keeper comes forward to catch the ball in front of the front cones. 

(See diagram below 1)

The keeper then goes backwards and does the same thing down the next set of cones. This is done in groups of 2’s and each keeper goes twice for balls head height, knee height, rolling balls and high balls.  (services from the feet if accurate would be best)

Next we go to working on crosses. The two points of emphasis are getting behind the ball on lofted balls to come forward to get to the ball at a high point and also seeing the field when the ball is out wide instead of fixating just on the ball. Start with a goal and two coaching sticks 4 yards out and even with the goal posts. (See diagram below 2) One server plays a ball far post and the keeper must get around the far pole to get behind the ball to catch it. Also, right before the ball gets served the opposite server holds up 1, 2 or 3 fingers and the keeper must shout out which number. This forces the keeper to see the whole field.
(See diagram below 3)

Each keeper gets served 6 balls from each side

Next to make it more dynamic in terms of movement the server stands on the 6 and end line and the keeper must sprint to the ball, touch it with both hands and then do a drop step and get back behind the ball and make the catch.  There is a “dummy” fighting the keeper for the ball. 
(See diagram below 4)

Next, there are two servers (one on each side) dribbling down the side line and crossing from each side with a “dummy” fighting for the ball with the keeper. 
(See diagram below 5)

Next the keepers take 10 goal kicks

Next the keepers join their team and scrimmage on a 55 x 35 field. The rule was that a team had to play outside the sidelines to a wide player who has three touches to serve the ball into the box. This allowed the keepers to continue working on receiving crosses and proper footwork.

After the scrimmage the keepers stretch and then leave

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