Introduction To The Site

An Intro from James 

Thank you for logging on and welcome to the website. Whether you are a goalkeeper, or a coach, from Sunday league to the Premiership, I hope you will find that all the content will give you a professional insight into what it takes to become a great goalkeeper.

A number of coaches, including myself, look back and wish that we had the knowledge of coaching while we were still playing. Understanding what makes a good goalkeeper, from a different perspective, will ultimately make us infinitely better goalkeepers. If you’re anything like me, then I know that you are here to learn, and if you are a coach, then you want to be better because it is your players that benefit from your knowledge. What they take away from your sessions will affect them for the rest of their careers.

In that, you share one of my philosophies on coaching,

‘Coaching is not about the coach, it is about the goalkeepers. When they get better as goalkeepers, I have improved as a coach’

Now it is important I say to you that there is no wrong way to coach goalkeepers. We have all seen coaches who we think could be better and we have all seen coaches that, in our opinions, are extremely good. The important thing we must understand is that every coach will have had a positive effect on the goalkeepers they work with at some point. Often, just by watching them, you will learn something new. What they are doing is what they believe to be correct and in this game of opinions we are entitled to our own views and use of tactics, and should always respect someone else’s.

With that in mind we edge towards another of my beliefs when it comes to coaching, we must be flexible and maintain an open mind. The game is constantly evolving and different goalkeepers require different methods of training. For us to be better coaches and to get the best out of our goalkeepers we must continually evolve with the game. Whilst sticking to our beliefs about goalkeeping, we must also cater for the goalkeepers we coach.

‘The more flexible you are in your mind the better a coach you will be’

his site contains my opinions, beliefs, philosophies and theories on goalkeeping and the programmes, drills and techniques I have used throughout my coaching career. This is my perspective, and I have found they have brought great success to the goalkeepers I have worked with.

As I stated earlier, there is no right or wrong way to coach. None of this is written in stone, it’s not the gospel and it’s not “the” way to coach. It is a combination of my beliefs and techniques, my style of coaching and the drills I use, that make it what it is.

So look, read, and take it all in. Agree, disagree, use what you want, and disregard what you don’t. Whether it improves your knowledge, reinforces what you already know, goes against everything you believe or stimulates you to explore new techniques and theories of your own, there will be something in the site that helps you and your goalkeepers become better.

Once again thanks for visiting the site and all the best in helping the goalkeepers you work with.

Jim Hollman