Yes, as you might be aware I am a hockey goalkeeper. I have
been ever since I took up the sport at the age of 17. I was never a gifted
out-field player and when we didn’t have a keeper one day, I jumped at the
chance of donning the kit.
One thing I have always been able to do is give a ball a
good whack, so the whole leg/foot-led style of the hockey goalie seemed to suit
me.
Mental
The one thing I have learnt over the years, is that your
ability as a goalkeeper has a massive amount to do with mental toughness and
the ability to put mistakes to the back of your mind and focus on the next
save. Your game is much more reliant on your mentality than it is for outfield
players.
You may not be involved in the action for long periods, but
at the same time you need to keep concentrating, as attacks can develop
extremely quickly in hockey.
Image: Mike Lamper
As a goalie, when you do make a mistake, it invariably leads
to your team conceding a goal. The feeling of responsibility is immense.
Mistakes can range from fairly small and simple (getting a decision wrong, like
staying upright v spreading yourself) to absolute howlers (a mis-kick which
sees the ball bobble over your foot or letting a weak shot through your legs).
Cutting out Mistakes
Obviously, if you can minimise your mistakes by analysing why
you are making them, it will make you better prepared for the next time a
similar situation occurs. However, overanalysing or overthinking about a
mistake during a match can lead to overcompensation. For example, in one match
earlier this season I felt I was at fault as I hadn’t spread myself and had
stayed on my feet. My response was to get myself down on the floor during the
next attack. However I did this too early and the opposition were able to work
the ball around me as I lay prone on the ground.
A goalkeeper needs to rely on the instinct and ability that
has got them into the team in the first place. Experience plays a key role
here. Any bit of build-up play will be unique, but you will have faced certain
similar situations before. Your knowledge of likely scenarios will give you a
good indicator of how to play the situation successfully.
Resetting after a Goal
Of course there are simply times when you have to hold your
hands up and admit there was nothing you could do about a goal. For example, if
you are faced with a one on one situation, any good attackers worth their salt
should have the ability to beat you. Or if a strike was simply too hot to get
anywhere near.
In these situations you need to remind yourself that you
have done everything you can to stop the goal, put it to the back of your mind
and focus on the rest of the game. Similarly, if you have committed a howler,
the best thing to do is to stand up, have a few seconds of quiet swearing to
yourself – but then put the incident to the back of your mind. It is important
not to dwell on the goal and to carry on playing your own game in your own
style.
I’m 34 years old, yet I am always learning about the game
and my own style of play, so you are certainly never too old to learn.
