Let’s talk about one of the hardest positions in sports to play at. While different sports can barely be compared to each other I think that one position stands out. Probably I am biased towards this as I play myself football but the goalkeeper position in football is probably one of the hardest positions to play in these times of modern football. In this article I want to give you a few reason why this is one of the hardest positions and appreciate if you have other views on this topic which you should definitely share in the comments sections! With that out of the way let’s get started!
Physicals
Let’s start off with the basics. Every athlete should be in top form: I am talking about the physicals. This is widely overlooked in the football world. There is a misconception of the goalkeeper position. While many outfield players are making something around 11km per game a goalkeeper makes around 6km. Here the people would say, how is this harder? Well, we need to look at the different loads that the players are getting. While outfield players are mostly running, goalkeepers have to jump, squad and dive. These motions are definitely much harder than just running. Just let me ask you this: What is easier: Doing 6 min of burpees or run for 30 min. I think most people would agree that the running is easier. This is exactly why goalkeepers have to stay in shape in their own way as they use completely different muscle groups then outfield players. Furthermore, they need to be resistant in the upper body which makes their work out routine much more complex. As you can see the physical requirements are very important towards a goalkeeper but there are far more important points to cover here.
Technique
The technique is probably the thing that differentiates many goalkeepers from each other. There are many great goalkeeper schools and each culture brings their own mentality and focuses. While Italian goalkeepers are very good at getting crosses and have good positioning, Spanish goalkeepers tend to be very good with their foot. On the other hand English goalkeepers are usually very physical while German goalkeepers have really good reflexes. All of this should be trained adequately as all of these traits are important for goalkeepers. With the complexity of the game, goalkeepers are now the first play makers. A lot of strategies and tactics require the goalkeeper to build up the game as well as intercept possible counter attacks wide in front of his own goal. Furthermore, it is required to have the perfect timing while catching a cross and never to let the ball get in front of you when you are saving a long shot. All of this has to get trained and practiced every day. Every mistake can lead to goals and that is why the goalkeeper has to be always precise and without mistakes.
Psychology & Communication
Last but not least we have to talk about the position itself. Because you are the last man you are seeing the whole pitch. That means that you have to give your players the right commands in order to not concede goals. Each command should be as loud and clear as possible so that there are no misunderstandings. Communication is very important for a goalkeeper which is why this position should always be filled with a person with strong personality and mental strength. What do I mean by that? We all know that humans are not flawless. This means that every goalkeeper will make a mistake at some point. This will lead in 99% of cases to a conceded goal. Now the question will be, does the goalkeeper let himself down or will the goalkeeper remain in the game to help his team turn it back around. The big challenge is that a goalkeeper has only a few plays in the game which is why it is so hard to make up for mistakes. On the other hand a striker could have 4 or 5 misses but if he scores one goal he will be the hero for this game.
Conclusion
I truly believe that the position of the goalkeeper is one of the most crucial positions in the whole sports world. The person playing in this position must be a great leader, knows what he is doing and has the mental capacity for mistakes. Everybody who plays in goal should deserve respect to be able to play this position! Like I said in the beginning, there are probably a lot more hard positions in sport that have to be filled so let me know what you think is the hardest position in sports?
Published by ga38jem on Hive Sports Talk On 19th March 2022