The Challenges of Goal-Keeping

Callie Aerni | December 8, 2022


Goalkeepers are the farthest back players on the field, responsible for shot-stopping. Keepers have the ability of no one else on the field; they can use their hands inside the 18-yard box. 

Madison High head soccer coach Allen Raynor stated that goalkeeping is considered “simultaneously one of the most important and underrated positions on the field.”

Goalkeeping takes a toll on people physically, requiring players to put it all on the line to make that big save, or shot-stopping all practice long. 

“I think psychologically, it's a little unfair,” Raynor said. “That's why it takes a special person to do [goalkeeping] and it takes people who are mentally resilient, mentally tough.”

While being recognized as heroes during penalty kicks (PK), shootouts or other huge games, their regular saves look almost basic to the average viewer.

“Plenty of soccer games are 1-0, 2-0, 1-1, 2-1 crap like that,” Raynor said. “That one mistake can haunt you, if you're not the right type of person to let it go.”

PKs can be seen as an easy goal to score and seem one-sided as an advantage for the kicker because they have a nearly open goal. 

Carrigan Causby was the senior women’s keeper for Warren Wilson College (WWC). Causby played soccer since she could sign up for recreational soccer. She only began playing keeper her freshman year of high school because she was tall and the senior keeper graduated. 

Causby shared some strategies for predicting a player’s movement. She reported trying to trust her gut as well as watch the player. 

“It depends on their hips,” Causby said. “If they have a shallow run they are probably gonna go right, but if their run is a little wider they'll probably go left.”

Goalkeeping can seem simple: save the ball with your hands, stay in one place and punt the ball. When it comes down to it, however, keepers make the difference between wins and losses, whether that be a good shot, a PK or penalty kicks after overtime. 

“You got to have a lot of trust in yourself,” Raynor said. “You got to have a lot of self confidence, say, ’okay well I've made one mistake, that doesn't mean I'm gonna make five.’ That sort of thing. I have a lot of respect for it.”

Causby mentioned enjoying messing with opposition’s forwards during PKs because of the need for psychological awareness. Causby also stated that frustration often leads to poorer performance. 

“It's a position that I have a lot of respect for because it can be very isolating,” Raynor said. “It takes a special type of person to want to play that because … you're part of the group, but you're developing very different skills almost the entire time.” 

Goalkeeping is not for the skittish or those afraid of stepping up. Causby stepped up to the position and is playing for the Warren Wilson Owls who ended with a 3-8-2 record during the fall 2022 season.

Causby said she tries not to dwell on mistakes too much. She believes that if she gets down that “the team’s gonna get down.” However, goalkeeping does have positive aspects. 

“Who doesn’t like making a phenomenal save?” Causby asked. “There’s no better feeling in the world.”

When it comes down to it, goals scored should not simply fall back on the keeper but on the whole team; the ball passed all 10 field players and the goalkeeper before it made it into the net. 

“I don't think there's a lot of appreciation — I don't think people understand just how much goes into it and how life or death literally every situation is or whatever,” Raynor said. “It's an intensity that I don't think most players understand.”

Causby reported struggling to not bear the entire weight of a scored goal. 

“It’s a team sport,” Causby said. “It’s on all of us (the team) that we got scored on.”

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