Question about coaching at U10

A question based on observations. Do you/the coach have a defender take goal kicks instead of your keeper? Is the keeper encouraged to punt the ball as far as she can every time she stops the ball? Now that my daughter is really learning the keeper position, I’m noticing how top teams this age utilize their keepers and how they play in general. My kid’s coach never has defenders take goal kicks and always trains possession and building out of the back. DDs team is still relatively new compared to a lot of them, and would be beat handily by any of the top teams, but I’ve seen some video and watched some games of some of the best teams, and I’m noticing some patterns that I’m not seeing on my DDs team. What is the purpose of booting the ball at this age and why aren’t keepers developing their goal kicks? Just curious.

I’m not sure what you’re really asking here...I think you already know the answers to your questions.

Select is around the corner. Seems like a pretty legitimate question about what role keepers are playing at this age group. I'm not going to be breaking the bank putting my DD on a team when the general consensus is that keepers don't get to put into practice the skills they're learning with their keeper coaches. Might as well put her in volleyball and just do private keeper training until she's past the age where keepers aren't trusted to develop their own skills and learn their true role in the game. Maybe the games that I'm seeing are not a true representation of how most teams at this age are developing. That's why I asked.

Take you child to DKSC/Rush. They will train your child right. PM me and I will give you the managers info. If you look at this site you will know we are the top '09 team in the country.

GRANITZA12 wrote:Take you child to DKSC/Rush.  They will train your child right.  PM me and I will give you the managers info.  If you look at this site you will know we are the top '09 team in the country.

Those Rush training times are EARLY. Unless she Ubers, my daughter could never make a 5 PM practice in Dallas.

If you want to play with the best, you have to train with the best.

I think you have a valid point here @soccerhuh18. Up to last season, most teams would make the keepers play possession and play out of the back. Our coach still has our GK do this...no defender on our team takes goal kicks, but our GK doesn’t do it either. I have also noticed what you’re saying.

My guess is that right now GKs are focusing on punting the ball because that is a new skill they need to know, but so is taking their own goal kicks. I have not a good answer for you, but you have a solid concern.

Gerard teaches his girls in a beautiful way to play. He pushes them but not in a bad manner. Other Clubs would love to have him. If you have a boy, Pedro is the best. Both of these coaches want is development and best for their kids.

nTxsoccRfan wrote:I think you have a valid point here @soccerhuh18. Up to last season, most teams would make the keepers play possession and play out of the back. Our coach still has our GK do this...no defender on our team takes goal kicks, but our GK doesn’t do it either. I have also noticed what you’re saying.

My guess is that right now GKs are focusing on punting the ball because that is a new skill they need to know, but so is taking their own goal kicks. I have not a good answer for you, but you have a solid concern.

My DD's team doesn't take goal kicks regularly either, still mostly passing to defenders, but in the few instances where they do, it's only the keeper who takes them. As a keeper parent, I'd be irritated to see a defender do it, and it makes me wonder if keeper parents on the teams that are playing that way have a problem with it. The keeper already has lower overall involvement in the game, and it just takes away another opportunity to contribute. I think my worry is my kid ending up on a team where the keeper is treated as just a paying body and not an important part of the team unit.

Again, I think you have a good point. I hope the coaches here read your concerns (especially coming from a GK’s parent) and try to make a better effort to develop and involve more their GKs. I am thankful that our coach has the best interest for all of his players on his team.

soccerhuh18 wrote:

nTxsoccRfan wrote:I think you have a valid point here @soccerhuh18. Up to last season, most teams would make the keepers play possession and play out of the back. Our coach still has our GK do this...no defender on our team takes goal kicks, but our GK doesn’t do it either. I have also noticed what you’re saying.

My guess is that right now GKs are focusing on punting the ball because that is a new skill they need to know, but so is taking their own goal kicks. I have not a good answer for you, but you have a solid concern.

My DD's team doesn't take goal kicks regularly either, still mostly passing to defenders, but in the few instances where they do, it's only the keeper who takes them.  As a keeper parent, I'd be irritated to see a defender do it, and it makes me wonder if keeper parents on the teams that are playing that way have a problem with it.  The keeper already has lower overall involvement in the game, and it just takes away another opportunity to contribute.  I think my worry is my kid ending up on a team where the keeper is treated as just a paying body and not an important part of the team unit.

Does your coach carry two goalies on your team yet or is your daughter the only one?

tikitalker wrote:

soccerhuh18 wrote:

nTxsoccRfan wrote:I think you have a valid point here @soccerhuh18. Up to last season, most teams would make the keepers play possession and play out of the back. Our coach still has our GK do this...no defender on our team takes goal kicks, but our GK doesn’t do it either. I have also noticed what you’re saying.

My guess is that right now GKs are focusing on punting the ball because that is a new skill they need to know, but so is taking their own goal kicks. I have not a good answer for you, but you have a solid concern.

My DD's team doesn't take goal kicks regularly either, still mostly passing to defenders, but in the few instances where they do, it's only the keeper who takes them.  As a keeper parent, I'd be irritated to see a defender do it, and it makes me wonder if keeper parents on the teams that are playing that way have a problem with it.  The keeper already has lower overall involvement in the game, and it just takes away another opportunity to contribute.  I think my worry is my kid ending up on a team where the keeper is treated as just a paying body and not an important part of the team unit.

Does your coach carry two goalies on your team yet or is your daughter the only one?

She’s the primary keeper just starting this season and the only one who trains for it outside the club, but her coach is not keen on specializing in it at this age, so she plays a half of every game in goal and the other half on the field while he rotates the rest of the team in. In tournaments lately, she’s been back there the whole time and that’s mostly when she gets to start working on goal kicks, SOME punting etc. She loves her team, but there’s a chance the numbers won’t make after this year, so we need to be prepared if she’s committed to playing select. She’s fallen in love with the position and I don’t see her going back. I just want what’s most advantageous for her if she wants to move forward.

As GRANITZA12 mentioned, D’Feeters Voutier has a great team and they have a 2010 keeper who can’t play with them next year. They will be looking for a keeper soon enough.

Give it a try.

I’ve seen a LOT of keeper training and I’ve never seen them work on punts or goal kicks. Mostly footwork, diving and recovery technique, and hands.
If your team takes “long” goal kicks and your keeper doesn’t have a strong leg, then a lot of coaches will have a defender take the kick. This, obviously matters less if your team takes “short” goal kicks.
Every team uses their keepers in different ways based on the skills of the keeper, the skills of the defenders, and the coaches preferred or available style of play (sometimes the players don’t have the skill necessary to play the coaches preferred style).
All this being said, “breaking the bank” to play on a select team is on you, not the coach or the keeper...Make a list of teams you are looking at trying out for and go watch them play. Unless your keeper brings a skill set to the table that their keeper doesn’t have, then don’t expect the way the keeper is used to change after joining the team.

TayJ6 wrote:I’ve seen a LOT of keeper training and I’ve never seen them work on punts or goal kicks. Mostly footwork, diving and recovery technique, and hands.
If your team takes “long” goal kicks and your keeper doesn’t have a strong leg, then a lot of coaches will have a defender take the kick. This, obviously matters less if your team takes “short” goal kicks.
Every team uses their keepers in different ways based on the skills of the keeper, the skills of the defenders, and the coaches preferred or available style of play (sometimes the players don’t have the skill necessary to play the coaches preferred style).
All this being said, “breaking the bank” to play on a select team is on you, not the coach or the keeper...Make a list of teams you are looking at trying out for and go watch them play. Unless your keeper brings a skill set to the table that their keeper doesn’t have, then don’t expect the way the keeper is used to change after joining the team.

So here’s a scenario: You have a kid who’s decided to try her hand in goal, but has always been a field player. Her coach puts her back there with no training. She doesn’t learn proper distribution, she has not been taught the proper technique to take goal kicks (It doesn’t require a strong leg. Haven’t you seen a skinny six year old who can blast the ball over players’ heads?) or otherwise move the ball up the field, she doesn’t learn her role on the team, other than to stop balls from going in the goal. If she happens to have a keeper coach, and he’s also not teaching her these things, when does she learn it? If she’s not good enough to do it without risk of mistake in a game because she hasn’t learned or practiced it, give the job to someone else because her lack of training (by you or her keeper coach) doesn’t fit your preferred style of play? At 9 years old? I’m glad I asked the question and thankful my daughter has a team coach AND a keeper coach who are doing right by her. I hope her team goes select together, but if they don’t, I now know exactly what to look for in her future team. It’s tough being a GK parent. Thanks for the insight.

Oh my god, you are reading way to much into all this. By strong leg, I mean can kick it far enough...I’m not actually referring to the muscular structure in her leg!
Taking a goal kick for distance does take technique, but it’s the same technique as any other player trying to do the same thing.
The only reason for a defender to come take the goal kick is if they can kick it much further than the keeper, and that is what the coach wants. A defender isn’t going to come back to take a goal kick to play it wide to another defender, unless the keepers foot skills are so weak that they can’t handle the possibility of the return pass. In that case, unless they are a phenomenal shot stopper, the team is probably already looking for a new keeper!
The distribution skills from the keeper are learned (in my opinion) during drills at practice, during scrimmages at practice, and during games. It’s very hard to teach distribution at goalkeeper training because there are no teams. Decision making during keeper distribution takes time, lots of it. Real game scenarios that have real consequences.
If you think your DD needs help punting or technique on goal kicks, you can definitely ask your goalkeeper coach to expand on these. But, if her GK training is in a group, it would probably have to be done on the side.

I go back to DblDown’s response, I don’t feel like you are actually asking any questions...if your DDs “coach AND keeper coach are doing right by her”, then why all this argumentative drama? Are you just looking for a pat on the back that your situation is awesome? And all the “high level” teams are just looking for wins vs developing quality players? That’s all been done before.

TayJ6 wrote:Oh my god, you are reading way to much into all this. By strong leg, I mean can kick it far enough...I’m not actually referring to the muscular structure in her leg!
Taking a goal kick for distance does take technique, but it’s the same technique as any other player trying to do the same thing.
The only reason for a defender to come take the goal kick is if they can kick it much further than the keeper, and that is what the coach wants. A defender isn’t going to come back to take a goal kick to play it wide to another defender, unless the keepers foot skills are so weak that they can’t handle the possibility of the return pass. In that case, unless they are a phenomenal shot stopper, the team is probably already looking for a new keeper!
The distribution skills from the keeper are learned (in my opinion) during drills at practice, during scrimmages at practice, and during games. It’s very hard to teach distribution at goalkeeper training because there are no teams. Decision making during keeper distribution takes time, lots of it. Real game scenarios that have real consequences.
If you think your DD needs help punting or technique on goal kicks, you can definitely ask your goalkeeper coach to expand on these. But, if her GK training is in a group, it would probably have to be done on the side.

I go back to DblDown’s response, I don’t feel like you are actually asking any questions...if your DDs “coach AND keeper coach are doing right by her”, then why all this argumentative drama? Are you just looking for a pat on the back that your situation is awesome? And all the “high level” teams are just looking for wins vs developing quality players? That’s all been done before.

Nope. Like I said, going select next year is a lot. Especially with a new keeper, it seems like kind of a different animal. I thought I was getting it figured out for a field player and she flipped the script on me. I have not been arguing at all. Just pushing back in an effort to understand what my daughter needs if she's looking for a team in the summer. Yes, her keeper coach is doing a great job with her, but if I need to be asking questions of a possible club coach, I need to know what to ask before she signs a contract, don't you think? My original questions was centered around wondering if what I've seen in more competitive games is the norm and am I looking for a unicorn situation or if I should watch for how the keeper is utilized and stay away from teams who don't allow the keepers to learn during play like the rest of the team. If the decision making back there is not left up to her and she doesn't get to be put in those situations during games, that seems like the wrong team for her, or any developing keeper to be on. And I am not stupid. I get the need for wins at the next level. I was just curious about why that's happening this young and if I can avoid it in the near future. Also, again, interested to know if GK parents take issue with the way their kids are utilized on their teams.

I'm new to the keeper parenting as well.  What I look for in the coach is development of the player as a whole, not just in a single position.  This is obviously harder for a keeper, but I think the coach should work individually with the keeper a bit during practice to reinforce what he/she is expecting of the keeper.  Communication style with the other players, playstyle, distribution of the ball, etc.

With the coach's expectations and style in mind, the keeper should work with a GK coach to better understand what the team coach is looking for.  The team coach and keeper coach's goal should be to raise the player's soccer IQ to make good decisions in the box.  

As for utilization on the team, I want my kid to be able to play and understand any position but focus on a main position to really develop (in this case, keeper).  Keepers need to have great footskills as well so that they can take a passback and switch up the play and tempo of the game.  I also think keepers benefit from understanding other positions to better defend against them. Personally, I think at U10, the keeper should do 50/50 box and field as often as possible.