Understand that the goalie position is a very tough position. Accept the fact that you are going to get hit, kicked, and maybe even stepped on, but that it is all part of the game. Mentally preparing for the likelihood of physical injury will help you feel prepared for anything the game might throw at you, so you won’t waste time thinking about the possibility of getting hurt and can focus on the game.
If your opponent successfully gets the ball around you, run and slide diagonally toward their right-hand side. If they try to kick it to the right, your feet will block it. If they kick it to the left, stretch your hands out to catch it. Try to keep your legs closer to your opponent than your face to avoid injury. Being fearless doesn’t mean you purposefully jeopardize your own safety for the sake of the game.
Make sure you have a teammate who is able to receive the ball before kicking or throwing it back into play. [4] X Research source
Never wait for the penalty shot on your heels; stay in the middle of the goal on your toes at all times so you can react faster. Remember, the player will have a chance to run up to the ball so there’s a good chance the ball is not going to stay on the ground.
Never close your eyes as you lunge or dive for the ball. If you can’t catch the ball, grab it. Be aggressive and quickly scoop the ball up before the opposing team approaches and tries another shot at the goal. If you can’t grab the ball either, then you can deflect the ball out by making a fist and punching the ball out of the goal, or you can use your palms to palm it out. But it you do not think you have the reach to palm the ball, the use your fingertips. Although the fingertips have small deflections and if your fingers are not locked, you can jam your fingers, so use hand clinches to strengthen your hands and fingers. It will make your deflections more effective during play time.
Never land on your knees. Your knees will start to ache and sore and it will affect you during play time When you’re coming down from a dive, roll to your side to break your dive on high dives, and low dives To dive further, lift from your leg your diving off of and launch yourself off of the ground.
For reflex training, have your teammates line up in front of the goal each with their own ball. Have each of them kick the ball from different distances and at different speeds so that you have a variety of situations to deal with. This will get you used to high intensity game play, as well as work on the reflexes needed to be a fearless goalie. To practice your reaction time, have your coach line up two rows of balls in front of the goal, one row closer to the goal than the other. Your coach will kick the balls into the goal (the closer ones will come off the ground a bit while the farther ones will stay lower, creating an erratic pattern). Your job is to keep all the balls from getting into the goal. [7] X Research source
Side-to-side. Train for this kind of footwork by keeping the ball between your feet and quickly kicking it back and forth between the insides of your feet. Once comfortable with that movement start to practice keeping the ball moving from side to side between your feet while moving your whole body forward and backward. [12] X Research source Crossover. This involves swiftly crossing one foot in front of the other to get the ball. [13] X Research source To practice this, bounce the ball off the top of your cleats about knee height back and forth, and then to waist height. Cross your right leg over the ball as it’s descending from waist height and try to catch the ball again with your other foot. [14] X Research source Mastering these soccer drills during your training will help you gain confidence in your soccer playing abilities, and confidence leads to fearlessness![15] X Research source
Pay attention to the position of your opponent’s body and feet if you approach them. Most people are right-footed, and will likely kick it to your right hand side. Try to swing your right foot around, with the inside of your foot facing the ball to block it. This will help you anticipate what your opponent is likely to do, with less fear of unknown outcomes. No one likes getting hit by an unexpected ball, having a good idea of where the ball is likely to come at you helps you brace for it and be less fearful of getting hit by it.
