Nutrition & Fitness for goalkeepers

Introduction: Out With The Old

The old adage of putting the fat kid in goal has changed. While us “chunks” have often come from the larger stock of players, modern goalkeepers now count themselves as some of the best athletes on the planet. The elite level goalkeepers are true athletes and as such need to be physical specimens in order to master the art of the position. This means that they need to maintain a healthy diet and have a good fitness routine. But what is a healthy diet and a good fitness routine? Read on to find out more.

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Good Nutrition Practices for a Goalkeeper - We all know that generally goalkeepers spend less time than let’s say, a midfielder exerting energy on the field, but they still need speed, agility, strength, flexibility & a high level of concentration. Goalkeepers often leave the field in good physical condition but mentally & emotionally drained and if you are like me (back in the day) a sore throat. Spending 90 minutes plus expecting the unexpected from 21 other players requires them to be in peak physical condition.

Rollie Polie Goalie Wayne Shaw
Rollie Polie Goalie Wayne Shaw

Nutrition

Like all athletes in any sport, what you eat can mean the difference between a decent performance and a great performance or a good player and a great player. According to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association. A goalkeeper's diet needs to be high in carbohydrates for energy, with adequate amounts of protein for strength.

Calorie Counting but I prefer Adequate Calories - Getting the right amount of calories improves performance and prevents fatigue. The common misconception is that goalkeepers as a whole don’t require as many calories as field players. Here at Keeper Akademi we beg to differ. If you are a goalkeeper who has a good and intense training routine you will need the same if not more calories than our teammates on the field. It all depends on your training loads and your body because as we know everyone is different (especially goalkeepers). We’ve covered the position aspect of calorie needs, now let's look at physique & gender. In general it’s a commonly known fact that an active woman needs around 2000 to 2400 calories per day, whereas an active man will need between 2,400 to 3000 calories per day to maintain a healthy weight. If you are slightly over your optimum weight or have a bigger physique look at dropping your calorie level. if you feel you are too skinny then you might want to increase your caloric consumption The key is to monitor your intake & weight, record it daily, and through a trial & error process you will find your nutritional needs.

Carbs, proteins and fat - Now, hear me out, over the last couple of years fad diets have controlled mainstream media and most have been debunked by science or sports science. Most diets have made carbohydrates the “enemy” but scientifically speaking they are an athlete's friend. Finding a right balance for your body and training routine is paramount. If you are only training twice a week you will want to keep your carb intake lower than if you are training 5 times a week and playing at the weekend. I will leave the comparison of Simple vs Complex Carbs for another day.

Next up proteins, what is Protein? I’m going to leave the deep science for another day too but quite simply proteins are an important part of an athletes nutrition plan, they not only strengthen muscle tissue but they aid in repair as well. High protein diets are popular among athletes who seek a leaner, more defined physique. Protein intake is important for strength, so we all know that one guy who goes to the gym, works out and slurps a protein shake right? Honestly some of those guys forget about leg day, now that I’ve mentioned it you’ll notice it more. I’ve read research that is pro protein shakes and some that are against it. The fact of the matter is if you have a balanced diet that includes a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups you are more than likely getting an adequate amount of protein to maintain muscle mass.

What about Fat? Well, fats are another component of nutrition that gets a bad rap. Fats also provide energy but too much fat will bulk you up and slow you down so it’s important to balance your fat intake. Now, that doesn’t mean chow down on a burger and fries before a game because they are high in fat, but it does mean good fats like nuts and avocados can give you great sources of energy and keep your cholesterol within acceptable limits.

How to Stay Keeper Fit

Well it’s quite simple really, we’ve already covered nutrition but there are two other major components to staying “keeper fit” and they are;

  • Position Specific Exercise
  • Position Specific Mental Health Hygiene

Let’s start with position specific exercise, this is a massive component of a goalkeepers attributes and coaches at all levels (well maybe not the pro’s but college and down) forget about this. Have you ever seen a college pre-season, what about a high school preseason? If not I’ll give you the lowdown on how some coaches still operate. It’s called The timed 2 mile run… Not only is that counterproductive for field players but it’s completely useless for a goalkeeper. Think about it, name one instance in the game where a player or goalkeeper runs at a steady pace for 2 miles. You can’t can you? So why do coaches think this is good practice or preparation for the season? Ok as you are reading this I can hear you saying well what should I do? It’s simple. Short, sharp exercises with reps and reps and reps. Let's look at it this way: the average sprint distance for a goalkeeper is between 10-12meters or 10.9 -13.1yards. What should a goalkeeper be working on? A two mile run or interval training with 10-13 yard sprints and shorter? I’ll let you decide but I know what I want my goalkeepers working on.

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Band work, get yourself or your goalkeepers exercise minibands and start working with them. Remember when doing these exercises it is imperative to make sure you have good form. Using bands for legs & upper body is great activation and a fantastic tool for fitness and injury prevention. I am planning on going into more detail on this in another blog so keep an eye out for it.

Position Specific Mental Hygiene

When it comes to psychology I don’t claim to be an expert but I do have experience as a former professional and collegiate level coach. Goalkeepers take the brunt of the blame when a goal is conceded whether it was their fault or not. My mum, who is a typical soccer mum (definitely not a Karen by any means), didn’t play the game or anything, would say this to me as I beat myself up “Look, it had to get past 10 other players before getting past you” Simple and a bit cliché but true. That’s during and after a game.

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What About Preparation & Regeneration?

Preparation: if like me you are a bit nutty then you will need to calm your brain down in order to function at the highest level possible during a game. This is how I did it. I became a creature of habit. I would wake up at the same time every day, I’d eat the same breakfast, I’d pack my gameday bag in the same order, I would go for a walk and take the same route every time. When arriving at the stadium I would shave & shower before the warm up. I would psych myself up in the mirror 2 minutes before going out to warm up and I would do the same activation and warm up routine to the minute. After 3 or 4 games this became a habit and my performances improved drastically and with those better performances came a self belief I hadn’t previously had. Good performances and belief are in the bag guess what else happened? Mistakes, I made far fewer. When they did happen and they will from time to time, my confidence wasn’t knocked as it became a challenge to myself not to repeat it. If you project an air of confidence then your teammates will pick up on it, trust you more and work harder for you. Postgame I would cool down with the team but I would always be the last in the locker room after a game. The simple reason for this was I gave myself and my brain (such as it is/was) time to decompress. I would take a long cold shower and reflect on my performance. I was a very, very vocal goalkeeper and my throat would be throbbing after a game so I would treat myself to an ice cream and for home games I would go for a walk before heading home.

If during a game you are struggling with your confidence here is the best advice I was ever given and it came from my dad. Who isn’t a typical soccer dad, he actually did play and was a very good coach. He said “When it’s not going right, just go back to your basics, get them right and it will all take care of itself in the end” as much as I hate to say it. He’s 1000000% right. Focus on your basics, get them right, your confidence comes back very quickly.

Keeper Akademi

Keeper Akademi was founded by Robbie Carroll in 2014 and has delivered goalkeeper coaching sessions across the country. We have written goalkeeper curriculums for over 50 youth clubs and coached over 100 college & professional goalkeepers while nurturing thousands of aspiring top level goalkeepers.
Our founder Robbie Carroll has a wealth of knowledge between the sticks and in the six. He is a former professional and international level goalkeeper. Since hanging up his gameday gloves he has turned to coach and has coached at all levels in the game from youth rec soccer to college & the professional level. His passion for the game & the position of goalkeeper specifically knows no bounds. He develops goalkeepers to play at their next level whatever that may be.

 

Keeper Akademi Mission

To provide a safe, enjoyable & affordable learning environment for goalkeepers of all ages & ability level regardless of their ethnic & socioeconomic backgrounds.

Keeper Akademi Vision

In a perfect world every goalkeeper would play every minute of every game but unfortunately that isn't the case. There is only one spot for the highly specialized position. Which is why Keeper Akademi endeavors to deliver a quality & well structured training environment so even the third string goalkeeper can level up their game and enjoy learning the art of goalkeeping.