2014 / 2015 Season Review

2014 – 15 Season

The season end is rapidly approaching, and at a personal level, one which has been challenging in many different ways.

I started this season with the intention of not playing again, I had enjoyed my time playing, but felt the time had come to leave that side of the game behind, I had two Goalkeeping coaching roles with Forest Green Rovers Youth and Cirencester Town Ladies, and was busy with my 1st4sport Level 2 coaching with several grassroots clubs at differing age levels.   With this all going on playing was never really at the forefront of my mind.

However, I did end up pulling on the gloves again for in November and ended up playing 16 matches for my local team.  Bit of a mixed bag results wise, but we finished the season well and achieved a comfortable mid table finish.  I decided over the Christmas period that I’d see the season out, I wasn’t playing as well as I hoped, but as the season rolled on my performances improved, bar one minor blip.   I spent a lot of time after the ‘blip’ game, reading articles about the mental side of the game – I have always tried visualisation techniques as a player, but reading the articles about positive thinking in sport and overcoming the demons that plague sportspersons, it helped me no end and certainly will aid my coaching when I have a player short of confidence. 

 

Ladies Football

I hope to write a full piece on this in the coming months, and in more detail, but for now.  The summer was my first real experience of coaching a female player, we’ve all seen the stereotypical female goalkeeper caught in a non-position neither here or there flapping at thin air along with all the archetypal comments that follow.   I sought some advice from people who had coached female GKs prior to starting out, about how they went about training female goalkeepers and what to expect from them.  None of the people I spoke to were anything but complimentary about the goalkeepers they’d worked with. 

I have to say after a preseason with Cirencester Town Ladies FC’s Becky, that I had to agree with the advice I was given, in front of me I had a very capable goalkeeper, who never left anything on the training pitch and gave her all, but was also very eager to take on the coaching points and try to implement them into her game.  In comparison to her equivalent male grassroots counterparts, Becky was a dream to coach with no ego at all, no “I’ve always done it this way” or “my way is better, so I’m sticking with it”.   Unfortunately our time together came to an end when the training nights changed and I could no longer continue working with her.   However we are in regular contact and I keep an eye out on their results.  Seems she’s had a very productive season with a couple of games to go, she may still have a league title medal heading her way (at the time of writing)

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GK Youth Football

So after my debut season in the world of youth football last season alongside another GK coach, this season saw me take on the role on a solitary basis.   I won’t lie it’s been a challenging season, and with me being a relatively new coach, I have at times wondered if I am giving the lads what they need to progress their games.  Despite my own reservations and some trial and error sessions, it has been a joy to work alongside this year’s group, and frankly every single one of them I think has progressed over the year due to their own hard work that they put in. 

From a learning prospective, I have learnt a lot this year in how and what to deliver and the outcomes I want from a session, and this can only put me and my future goalkeepers in a good position.



FGR youngsters taking in a master class from Sam Russell 

It was described recently by a parent as a masterstroke, I’m not sure that this was the case, but getting 1^st team goalkeeper Sam Russell in for a few weeks certainly perked up the boys towards the latter end of the season, and his knowledge certainly benefitted them and myself at how Goalkeepers work at pro level.  I think the boys were eager to impress and show off their abilities to the pro as well, as their performances and application improved.   I can't thank Sam enough for donating his time for the sessions he attended he's a great fella as well as a very good goalkeeper.

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The next few months will see me take my next coaching badge as I look to progress on the goalkeeping side and start on the FA youth modules,  and generally it'll be a busy time with a cup final coming up with the u8's side I help out with and numerous summer tournaments to help out with.  June will see FGR's summer trials take place for next seasons squads before we start up again in July.   Is there ever a down time,  certainly doesn't feel like it !

To finish I'd just like to thank everyone and anyone who has helped me out this season,  your words of advice and guidance has been invaluable to me.

 

Thanks for reading.