Now you're talking

Tone of voice

This can be just as important as context in some cases. 

Again, when dealing with an attack in our defensive end, everything is urgent; but that doesn’t mean every word from our mouth has to sound panicked.

In general, you’re going to be louder and more urgent with instruction than information, because you are looking for an immediate action to correspond with instruction.

Try to deliver information in a more even, measured tone, transmitting the idea to your team that, yes, we’re under some pressure, but we can handle it with some simple steps. 

An authoritative but calm voice helps spread confidence in you throughout your team. Consequently, everyone plays with more relaxation and trust.

I once coached a young goalkeeper who screamed “Time!” with the same urgency they screamed “Man on!”. I pointed out that those are completely different scenarios, and that we want our teammates to be calm on the ball when in fact they have time.

So why not transmit this not only with what we say, but how we say it? Especially considering that, in pressure situations, teammates may notice our tone before they recognize what we’re actually saying.
You can still speak loudly and with authority, but in a measured tone. It’s one of the most effective ways a goalkeeper can transmit calm though their team.

 

Praise be

A mistake young goalkeepers often make is only communicating instruction and correction, leaving out praise. 
Why is praise important? Well, praising a defensive action helps reinforce the idea that your teammate has done something good, and they should keep on doing it. 

 

"An authoritative but calm voice helps spread confidence through the team..."

It can be something as simple as “Great tackle!”, which gives the kind of feel-good reward all humans crave. But it’s even more effective when they are still in the middle of a situation and are handling it correctly, and we want them to keep doing that.

Top among these is when a defender has an attacker facing away from goal. Recognize that this is a good situation for the defending team, and trying to win a tackle from this scenario often results in needlessly giving away fouls.

A shout of, “Excellent Jaiden, stay on your feet, she’s going nowhere!” lets Jaiden, or whoever, know that what she’s doing is good, and there’s no need to try to lunge in to win the ball.

Defenders can get impatient, and feel like everyone is waiting for them to win a tackle. But defending and tackling are not the same thing, and tackling is not always the right call. It’s our job to help them understand this.

On top of all that, praising your teammates is a good way to develop a bond with them. Teammates who respect and like their goalkeeper tend to work harder and listen better to what they say. If you are only ever correcting a teammate, they may eventually begin to tune you out.

 

Goalkeeper is a leadership position. By virtue of our perspective of the entire pitch, our teammates rely on us not just for saves, but to help prevent shots in the first place. 

Effort put into improving and refining our communication will pay off with more organized responses to pressure. 

Go into each match embracing your responsibility to create calm out of chaos, to transmit instruction, information, and praise, and you’ll be another step closer to being a complete goalkeeper.