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USL Louisville City FC

Budnick: Goalkeepers Can Stay Sharp with the Right Mentality

April 8, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


With the USL season suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, professional athletes all over America are finding new ways to train at home. Louisville City FC goalkeeper coach Scott Budnick says there are ways for goalkeepers of all ages to stay physically and mentally sharp.

"Even though we are all staying 'healthy at home,' there are still opportunities to maintain goalkeeper fitness and sharpness," Budnick said. "The key is mentality. It is critical to make sure the mentality that a goalkeeper brings into the 'at-home' workout is the same that they would take into any formal training session or match. Regardless of the environment, even if a goalkeeper only trains for 30 minutes - goalkeepers need to commit to making those 30 minutes count. Even though the environment has changed, the successful goalkeeper will keep the same competitive mentality. "

Budnick advises his goalkeepers to view this time as an opportunity to improve rather than just an obstacle.

"A professional goalkeeper should be looking at this time away as another obstacle to overcome and be thinking how am I going to get better today? How can I keep myself sharp?" Budnick said. "What can I do to keep myself in top physical shape while challenging myself during this time of isolation to become a better goalkeeper?"

While LouCity trainer Stuart Wright has the players on individualized daily workout plans to focus on their fitness, Budnick has also encouraged LouCity goalkeepers to work on position-specific drills.

"The good news is that the goalkeeper position is more individualized than the outfield positions, which means that even under current conditions any goalkeeper can work on his or her game by themselves even with limited space," Budnick said. "The easiest thing is to do is to identify basic, isolated, quick movements that the goalkeeper would perform in a match situation. For example, if you wanted to work on getting into a dynamic set or shot-stopping position, you could serve yourself off a wall or have a parent or sibling serve you shots off the wall by standing behind you or to your side.

"It may take some thought beforehand and a bit of prep work - you'll need to be creative - but this is an opportunity to use what is available to you and make it fun. If you have a space in or around the house or a rebounding wall- you can easily find ways to plan a productive session."

And drills can be adjusted based on the goalkeeper's skill level.

"We can mix in a side-shuffle, lateral mini-shuffle, or a backward-shuffle before getting into a good shot-stopping position," Budnick said. "You could also use an agility ladder, jump-rope or a set of cones as an obstacle to jump over or move around before reacting and stopping the shot. You might also add in distribution work before or after the shot to help keep your touch on the ball."

"Finally, for older or more advanced goalkeepers, I would also take care not to neglect the cognitive piece of goalkeeping training - recognizing visual cues and responding physically. A goalkeeper could ask a family member to raise a colored cone or other prop cueing the goalkeeper to react physically by moving in a certain direction based on the visual cues. With imagination, there are ways to set this up by yourself if no one is around."

In addition to staying physically fit and using individual drills, it is also important to stay connected with coaches and teammates. Budnick said his Louisville City keepers are staying in frequent contact during this suspension in play.

"We have been holding regular zoom meetings as a team, and then we'll keep all the goalkeepers in touch via text to check to make sure we stay connected," said Budnick. "These touchpoints are very critical to keeping all of us on point and in the proper mindset as we prepare to resume our quest for another cup."

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