Once again, the under 9’s, 11’s, 13’s and even the under 16’s do not have anyone in the team that wants to be goalkeeper. Uhh! What’s going wrong here – don’t they know it is the best position on the field!

Can we better sell this dynamic and exciting position?

There are a number of stereotypes and strange stigmas that over shadow the tremendous rewards that are gained from playing the position of team goalkeeper. For females, the idea that being a goalkeeper is “masculine”, “rough” is not as attractive or glamorous as playing on the field is rubbish!  Goalkeeper’s are not strange people (well, not all), nor are we desperately seeking to be hit and hurt!

The goalkeeper is unique. He or she has the capacity to change the score line, to make or break a team’s success and yet it is increasingly hard to get players who want to step up and take on this role. Even with the tremendous developments in the protective equipment worn by the goalkeeper, the more fashion sensitive colours, shapes and accessories available to them, still the position of goalkeeper is one that often requires coercion to fill.  Are parents worried that their child will be injured or hurt? Is it because the position of goalkeeper is so overwhelming and requires perhaps the greatest skill level that players do not feel confident to take up the challenge?

I’ve thought about this long and hard and I don’t think there is an easy solution to increasing the number of people who want to be the team goalkeeper.  Certainly at the elite level, the goalkeeper is just as fit (if not fitter) as the rest of the team. They wear the latest gear and look colourful and powerful. They are afforded the same opportunities off the field as the rest of the players and most have good sponsorship.
When I have spoken to goalkeepers who have voluntarily taken up the challenge to play goalkeeper several key categories seem to fall into place. Firstly, they have chosen to play goalkeeper because they knew that they could stop the ball and they wanted to be the person who did this for the team. They had confidence in their defensive ability, their hand eye coordination and their reflexes. Some also commented that they had played soccer and other foot sports.  Secondly they chose to play goalkeeper because it looked exciting and it looked as though it would be challenging.  They had a sense that the position would be hard, but it would afford them tremendous opportunity to ‘star’ or ‘stand out’.  Thirdly, they identified that the position was more in keeping with their general way of thinking; they were more defensive and protective, even aggressive and they believed that they could ‘save’ the team and wanted to take on this important role for the team. Finally, they identified that they did not know why that wanted to be the goalkeeper; they just knew that it was the right position for them. 

I believe there is a vocational type of connection here and that not everyone can in fact successfully take up the position of goalkeeper. Certainly there are key attributes identified in our most successful goalkeepers. They are brave, resilient, skilful, intelligent, reflective, physically and mentally tough, hardworking, dedicated, professional athletes.  They have outstanding reflexes, coordination, speed, agility, power; composure, decision making and communication skills and they can endure pain.

It may be possible to identify in young hockey players the attributes and categories identified by goalkeepers as being some of the possible building blocks of quality keepers and encourage these young players to try out the gear and give it a go.  I know that I started playing the game by accident, but it didn’t take me long to realise that I could be a goalkeeper and I was encouraged and supported by enthusiastic, dedicated coaches, who also understood that goalkeepers, good goalkeepers, don’t just come along every day. They helped to ‘sell’ the position to me whilst they scaffolded my learning as I was building my confidence and skills.