After a very successful 2016 Fall Campaign, I am pleased to announce that the Spring season is right around the corner! We are three weeks away from the start of our Goalkeeping Sessions and I can't be more excited! Due to a conflicting high school schedule, we will be welcoming 4 new age groups on the women's side while also losing 4 age groups from the men's due to high school obligations. With the change I felt led to give a preview of what's to come for the upcoming season.
As many of you know, we have revamped the GK program here at TN United. Last Fall we held six sessions per week broken down into age specific groups. We are pleased to be doing this again this Spring!
These one hour sessions will be lead by myself and Coach Richie and our goal is to give each of you the opportunity to be successful. It is our passion to train in a way that not only makes you a better goalkeeper, but also a better person. We have carefully created a curriculum that is proven to challenge you both mentally and physically while also allowing you to have fun and grow your love for the game. Lets face it, it takes a special breed to be a goalkeeper, that's why we work very hard to ensure that you are getting the most out of GK specific training. It is our hope that you learn the tiny details on how to train, how to read the game, how to control your area, and how to lead your team to victory. Our position is one of the toughest in all of sports and yet it can be the most exciting! We have done a little extra research over the off season and purchased a few extra training toys. We can not wait to train with you guys!
For those of you that are new or need a reminder! This is an "open door" policy. It is my job to communicate with you and to listen to your needs. Please feel free to ask questions, to give criticism (good or bad), and to take advantage of our resources. It is our job to give you an opportunity to become great. Let's get to work! - HC
Monday, February 13, 2017
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Why the off season is the most important part of your career.
"There are three types of people in this world, those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and
those who wonder what happened."
The above quote couldn't be more true. Most professionals agree in that the off season is the absolute most important period in an athletes career. The off season, in my opinion, has a few different aspects to it: the recovery period, the strength period, and the developmental period. Each period is extremely important for an athlete's overall development, so lets start with the obvious one.
1) The recovery period.
This time frame is crucial for your body, especially for goalkeepers. Our bodies take a beating, even though the season is only 3-4 months long, our bodies require rest. Here is the misconception about rest, people generally relate rest with not doing anything. Putting the sport aside and focusing on other things. This is completely wrong. Our bodies should always stay active. In this period, we should focus on assisting our bodies. I used to do yoga to help relax and improve my flexibility. Not only was it calming and made my body feel brand new, but it also help me become more agile and flexible as a goalkeeper. Do your body a favor, focus on stretching, light running, cross training, and nutrition. This period should last about 3-4 weeks.
2) The Strength period.
The strength period is arguably the most important of the three phases in the off season. This is the time we begin to build our bodies. We, in theory, should be hitting the gym and lifting weights attempting to make our bodies stronger and more prepared for the beating that comes with the position. As a goalkeeper there are three areas of concentration: our core, our legs, and our upper body. We need to become more explosive and more powerful during this period. Leg workouts should include explosive movements so that our agility/quickness isn't compromised. We should work on our abs/core a minimum of 2-3 times per week to help stabilize and balance our body. And finally, we should bulk our upper body so that we can protect ourselves in the air and while hitting the ground. Eating correctly in this time period is just as essential as working out. You CAN NOT OUT WORK A BAD DIET. This stage should last about
3) The Developmental Period
This period can begin and overlap the other periods, specifically the strength period. This period starts our journey back to the playing field. I could argue this period last all year long but for this articles sake, I'll say that this period should start not later than a month before you season. Two areas where you can begin: getting touches on the ball and rebuilding your base fitness. It is time for us to begin preparing our bodies for the workload. Fitness is important. High School and College coaches will expect you to show up day one of preseason already fit. Not only that but they expect you to already have the rust off. One month (at minimum) before preseason begins, you should be running outside, sprints and long distance, while also getting your touch and comfort levels back to normal. As Goalkeepers we should also begin to introduce our bodies to the ground, start taking light shots, dive on the ground, get prepared for what's to come. What we do when no one is watching will define us as an athlete. I challenge you to work on your own. Be the best you can be. Don't settle more mediocrity. Take this off season seriously.
The above quote couldn't be more true. Most professionals agree in that the off season is the absolute most important period in an athletes career. The off season, in my opinion, has a few different aspects to it: the recovery period, the strength period, and the developmental period. Each period is extremely important for an athlete's overall development, so lets start with the obvious one.
1) The recovery period.
This time frame is crucial for your body, especially for goalkeepers. Our bodies take a beating, even though the season is only 3-4 months long, our bodies require rest. Here is the misconception about rest, people generally relate rest with not doing anything. Putting the sport aside and focusing on other things. This is completely wrong. Our bodies should always stay active. In this period, we should focus on assisting our bodies. I used to do yoga to help relax and improve my flexibility. Not only was it calming and made my body feel brand new, but it also help me become more agile and flexible as a goalkeeper. Do your body a favor, focus on stretching, light running, cross training, and nutrition. This period should last about 3-4 weeks.
2) The Strength period.
The strength period is arguably the most important of the three phases in the off season. This is the time we begin to build our bodies. We, in theory, should be hitting the gym and lifting weights attempting to make our bodies stronger and more prepared for the beating that comes with the position. As a goalkeeper there are three areas of concentration: our core, our legs, and our upper body. We need to become more explosive and more powerful during this period. Leg workouts should include explosive movements so that our agility/quickness isn't compromised. We should work on our abs/core a minimum of 2-3 times per week to help stabilize and balance our body. And finally, we should bulk our upper body so that we can protect ourselves in the air and while hitting the ground. Eating correctly in this time period is just as essential as working out. You CAN NOT OUT WORK A BAD DIET. This stage should last about
3) The Developmental Period
This period can begin and overlap the other periods, specifically the strength period. This period starts our journey back to the playing field. I could argue this period last all year long but for this articles sake, I'll say that this period should start not later than a month before you season. Two areas where you can begin: getting touches on the ball and rebuilding your base fitness. It is time for us to begin preparing our bodies for the workload. Fitness is important. High School and College coaches will expect you to show up day one of preseason already fit. Not only that but they expect you to already have the rust off. One month (at minimum) before preseason begins, you should be running outside, sprints and long distance, while also getting your touch and comfort levels back to normal. As Goalkeepers we should also begin to introduce our bodies to the ground, start taking light shots, dive on the ground, get prepared for what's to come. What we do when no one is watching will define us as an athlete. I challenge you to work on your own. Be the best you can be. Don't settle more mediocrity. Take this off season seriously.
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