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WINTER 2020 GOALKEEPER TRAINING AT SPORTIKA

11/20/2019

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Details Every year during the winter months of January and February coach Niko, who is the goalkeeper director in New Jersey for Just4Keepers international goalkeeper academy form England as well as the goalkeeper coach at the Widener University will be conducting goalkeeper training. The goalkeeper training is done at a futsal enviroment which allows goalkeepers to better develop their goalkeeper skills in a short period of time. The goalkeeping training includes technical skill developing, positional skill training as well as read of game and small sided goalkeeper war games.

Coach Niko trains a lot of the area’s goalkeepers as well as being the goalkeeper coach for Widener University and the director of coaching of Just4Keepers in NJ. Working with keepers at Widener, coach Niko helped mold the last line of defense to one of the best in the conference. In his three years as the goalkeeper coach, Widener keepers have finished in the top-10 in the conference in total saves and have finished top-five in shutouts. Coach Niko has coached and developed goalkeepers to go on and be standouts in high school as well as college. He has coached Jackson's Ariel Donza to Community College All American team. As the goalkeeper coach at the Futsal 365 Academy coach Niko has coached Ryu Guevara to a roster spot in the USYF U18s National Team.


Details of the goalkeeper training follow:
​8 one hour training sessions - FREE J4K GLOVES with registration
Day: Thursdays 1/9,1/16,1/23,1/30,​2/6,2/13,2/20,2/27
Time: 5:00-6:00pm
Training done on Futsal Environment surface
Venue: Sportika Sports 150 Woodward Rd Manalapan NJ
Investment: $249.99

​You can visit www.just4keepersnj.com to register for the training.

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Why do you play?

12/12/2013

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Most parents and coaches think players come to the pitch simply because they want to win. In reality, this is the furthest thing in a player’s mind. Players want to play more often regardless of the result. For less able players, if this means playing in a losing

side, then many would rather do that than not play at all. Players play, coaches coach fans cheer! Simple isn’t it?

As a coach my philosophy is to give all players in the development years as close to equal playing time as possible. Off course there may be situations or instances that may not be possible but overall the playing time should be divided equally. Think about it; would you just show up in every game knowing you will be sitting on the bench? And please do not tell me that some players know their role and have accepted that they are support role players or are on a team for development purposes. At the youth development level there is also a social element to being part of a team. Players build bonds and relationships and feel like they are part of a group.

Research shows the focus should not be on whether you lose or win, but on positives.

Introducing a procedure that reduces the emphasis on losing or winning and focuses on activities to create more developmental fun activities while creating a learning environment for the players is essential and the positive results will follow.

I had a parent recently tell me after a training session that he liked the fact that I trained, build and developed for the future rather than the now. He meant that he liked the fact that the training sessions were designed for developing the player/goalkeeper skill set, awareness of game, solving situations and most of all having fun. He said that his son always looks forward to coming to training because number one he is always curious to see what the coach has planned for the training session, (keeping a session always fresh by doing different things keeps the player’s retention and focus), and likes the fact that the players play.

That is what the “street games” philosophy is all about that SoccerSkillz Training and Just4Keepers are implementing in their indoor training sessions. Players/keepers come together and after a topic specific warm up and technical period the players play 3v3 and build to 5v5. However the players make their own line ups, substitutions and run their teams as they see fit, without the coaches’ input. Coaches make coaching points during brakes. As coaches we like to watch players/keepers find their own solutions in the game. Just like kids do on the school playground without any grown-ups around. It is beautiful to watch games start at a chaotic state and eventually settle down with a well organized group helping each other and working together.

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Good Ball Retention Starts With The GoalKeeper

5/1/2012

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To have a goalkeeper confident with his feet when you have play against high pressure teams is extremely important and a big advantage to your defense. 


Keeping possession has become the way to play football. Long ball football or Hollywood ball football, as otherwise known,  has become extremely unpopular and broadly unsuccessful. Every side wants to have possession of the ball for the majority of the game, and a key way to impose this on a side is by getting the goalkeeper to play short. Barcelona’s Victor Valdes is a master of it.

This is why improving footwork and agility in a goalkeeper has become as essential as having a GREAT touch with one's hands.

Watch How Victor Valdes' footwork skills help the team play from the back and develop play without giving up possession HERE


Swansea actually bought Michel Vorm to play in goal because he is so comfortable with the ball at his feet. ”For us it was then the case of looking to get in the right type of goalkeeper,” said Rodgers. “We needed one that was going to suit our style and Michel was one that was on our list. After looking at his style and his game I think his attributes suit us perfectly. He makes saves, which is important for a keeper. But for how we play, we like to build the game from behind, it is vital that the goalkeeper is comfortable with his feet…he is a player that not only does that but he controls the game well from behind and will help us construct the game from the back. He is very quick and very agile so he is similar to Victor Valdes at Barcelona.”  Watch a GREAT video about improving goalkeeping footwork HERE
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    Niko Alexopoulos

    As an ex player I have loved the sport since I was 4 years old. 
    Soccer has always been part of my life, both on and off the pitch. From my early years as a 4year old playing in my dad’s pro team peanut programs for kids, to the older training sessions, through high school, college and eventually going back to Europe and playing at the pro level I have loved the game, and the lessons it has taught me both on and off the pitch. The relationships with fellow players and coaches are priceless. 
    Passing the knowledge of the game and teaching kids the love of the game, watching them develop, both on and off the pitch, watching their love for the game grow, leading with the game being the best teacher and showing them how to play a complete game is a great passion.

     


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