Entries from August 1, 2006 - September 1, 2006
Sweet San Francisco: Goalkeepers Journey To Other Side Of The World!
To all our Keeper Skool fans. Sorry about not posting daily over the past few days. I am currently in San Francisco for the next two weeks! What an awesome town! So much to see and do. To everyone who has sent me questions, I will publish my answers over the next couple of days for all our readers. I have been flat out, but will continue posting when I get some more time. In the mean time, feel free to browse some of our archives for goalkeeper ideas, drop me a line if you are in the San Francisco area, if you have any questions feel free to email me!
John Stevanja
1 Comment
Email
PrintQ&A: Mental Alertness Important For Goalkeeping Success!
I get many questions from all our fine readers here at Keeper Skool and I thought it would be nice to post some questions that I get asked and my responses to those questions. Mental alertness should be on top of your must have goalkeeping abilities! Understanding the mechanics of the mind to excel in certain situations while goalkeeping is very important to playing successfully as a goalkeeper. Today, goalkeepers face some interesting challenges like the general increase in the speed of the game and the skill of today's players. The role of the goalkeeper has also changed to that of defensive support, playing stopper as an added fortification in defence. Following is a very good question by one of our readers Rob Davis who is a semi professional goalkeeper in Ireland:
Q&A: Rich Goalkeeper; Poor Goalkeeper?
What separates me and you from the big guys in goalkeeping? Well, that is a very good question. There are many facets that differentiate goalkeepers at a low and a high level, most notably the training frequency and intensities. I know when I was 15 training in Zagreb that the training was super intense, two times a day, live, breathe, sleep and eat soccer. There was a very good question sent to me the other day from one of our US Keeper Skool readers living in Thailand, aout the differences between the big bad guys and us small timers. Enjoy:
The Swing Of Things: Goalkeepers Can Increase Performance Through Studying Swing Biomechanics
One very interesting study could have implications in regards to how you utilize you body's energy when attacking outfield opponents who are trying to attack your goal. So as a goalkeeper you will be faced with many different scenarios, where you will have to run to meet the ball and attacking opponent. Reserach has shown that when you are running and utilizing to much swing with your limbs (arms swinging out and back, or legs swinging out to connect the foot with the ground while running, for example) you produce too much energy cost, which can hinder your ability to conserve energy and meet an opponent in a timely fashion.
1 Reference
Searching For Maximum Power? Train Harder!
Nothing happens by just thinking about it. In fact, you can almost kiss your chances of being the best goalkeeper you can be goodbye if you don't work your heart out. Training hard and smart, can help you increase your body's ability to generate power over a long period of time. That means, the harder you train over a prolonged period will allow your body to become more efficient, and thus help you generate more power. One study tracked a cycling legend over years of training with some facinating results.
Exercise Can Take The Wheez Out Of Asthma!
Let me tell you a little secret...I was asthmatic for most of my life. In fact my asthma was so bad, that I would constantly utilize a puffer to help curb my wheeze. By the age of 16, and with constant training I was able to get rid of my asthma for good, which is testament to the power of exercise. In fact, I truly believe that training at high altitude in the snow for many months while at Dinamo Zagreb as a junior really helped me improve my fitness and thus help curb the effect of my asthma.
Pain Is Your Friend: Using Lactic Acid For Greater Athletic Performance
When you feel that your muscles are burning like a New York fire trap after an intense workout, don't get mad at the cause of the pain. The dreaded "L" word is the bane of trainees all over the world. Now, significant scientific studies claim that lactic acid can be your friend. In fact, training the lactic system can help propel your performance to all new highs if you use it correctly.
I See Red: The City To Surf Marathon 2006!
A swirling dervish of red swamped me and the Mrs. as we walked toward St. Mary's Cathedral to take part in the 2006 City To Surf, 14 kilometer run in Sydney today. Red hats were the order of the day, and much fun ensued. We started at the back of the pack, and as we moved along with the caterpillar swarm of runners, we soaked up the atmosphere of one of the great running events in the world today.
Viagra Creates Strong...Athletic Performance At High Altitude
Sports scientists have taken Viagra out of the bed, and tested some athletes at high altitude with varying results. An interesting study by Hsu A.R (et.al) 2006 showed that 4 out of 10 cyclists who were training at a high altitude performed better while utilizing viagra than a placebo group. Other participants did not show any marked difference in performance while utilizing Viagra. Following are notes taken from the study and some of my thoughts on the topic:
The Hands Are Bigger Than The Feet: It's All Neuromuscular?
Because we humans have a propensity to utilize our hands more often than our feet, some athletes are at a natural advantage with certain parts of their anatomy because they have a very succinct mind-body connection with their hands for example. This awesome post at Soccerblog.com is a must read for any goalkeeper or soccer player. The hands are naturally used more often than the feet, and therefore it is testament to the awesome talent of great footballers such as Pele, Maradona, Ronaldinho and other greats who were brilliantly talented with their feet. Does this mean that goalkeepers are less skilled on the ball? Possibly.
King Khan: A Video Tribute To a Goalkeeping Great
Love him or hate him, he stands as one of the best of his generation. Following is a video of goalkeeping legend, Oliver Khan. Tonight I was searching for something inspiring, and I can remember glossing over an old European sports magazine in Croatia when I was 15, standing in the Trg. Ban Jelacic, with the cobble stone streets glossed over from the remnants of snow turned to water. Some of the shots in the magazine showed Oliver Khan training, outstretched in mid-flight, pouncing above his opponents, and that stone cut face barking orders over his defence.
The Universe Is A Soccer Ball!
There was a theory that some scientists put forward to the world some time ago, that the universe is indeed the shape of a soccer ball. Some very heated debate ensued, with other groups of scientists claiming that the universe is endless...no beginning and no end. Now I think that the information in the study was totally compelling, not because of it's claims, but because soccer is truly universal. From the slums of Rio, to the dusty savannah of Africa, it seems that soccer is not only the world's language, but it is also universal. Following are some findings from the study:
Peanut Butter Powerful Energy Source For Female Soccer Players
Female soccer players seem to perform better on higher fat diets is one recommendation that I found from a study published by the University At Buffalo some time ago. It is an interesting study, that showed women soccer players seem to be better at metabolising fats as an energy source than male soccer players. The study showed that a higher fat diet that included peanut butter to the diet was the answer to providing female soccer players the kick-start they needed to perform without increases in weight, percentage of body fat, heart rate or blood pressure.
World Cup For The Homeless Great Opportunity To Change Lives
I stumbled across a fascinating article today, where soccer has given a chance for homeless people in Canada to play competitively, with the further opportunity of getting a spot in the Homeless World Cup. With major corporate sponsorship from the likes of Nike, UEFA, United Nations, Manchester United sponsors the English homeless team and Real Madrid the Spanish homeless squad for example. This was truly the first time I heard of the event, and it seems to really give people who live on the outer edges of society the chance to re-communicate with the world through Soccer, which is an awesome feat and testament to the power of the beautiful game.
Sports Psychology: The Effects Of Negative Media On Performance
Ever have a game where you just felt like throwing in the towel? In fact, did you ever have a season where you felt that it was just not worth your time to play competitively as a goalkeeper because you did not achieve your goals? I've been there many times myself. Goalkeeping mistakes are often amplified, and then the goalkeeper has to resolve the negative emotions they feel by themselves. What if you were playing for Barcelona or your national squad, with millions of eyes watching you around the globe, and you let one through your legs. How would you cope with that? Fight or move on with it. One recent study Ott, K. (et. al.) from the University of Illinois looked into the effects that negative media can have on the performance of highly competitive professional athletes.
Protein In Sports Drinks Does Nothing For Muscle Endurance
Just when you thought that fancy new sports drink with the added benefit of protein will boost your performance through the roof, along comes a fancy lab coat who says that protein does nothing for performance enhancement, during exercise. This recent article by McMaster University provided some insight into the effects of protein during competition, and it ain't what you think!
