Keeper!

Last Wednesday and two days ago, I ran my first rather impromptu goalkeeper practices. Any FSF participant who wanted to try goalkeeper could come. Last week I had three girls, this week only two. But last week there were no players who play goalkeeper in our games, and this week both players were "goalkeepers." Goalkeepers who had never had an ounce of goalkeeper training in their lives.

These two particular participants are also sometimes tough. They put on an air of indifference almost all the time, they are slow to listen, to act or to act like they care at all. But Wednesday was a totally new practice for them. And I think as a result, they showed a different side of themselves. We did a couple fun competitions and went over some of the basics of getting set, footwork, balls on the ground and balls in the air. Instead of their usual faces of indifference, they both laughed and smiled throughout the 45 minutes. And instead of their usual slow amble during exercises and to get water, they hustled and sprinted. They listened to the directions with eager interest and looked to implement them. By the end they were shuffling to get behind a ball on the ground and trying to catch a ball in their air at it's highest point.

As we finished up, one of them asked "When is the next goalie practice?" "Next Wednesday!" I exclaimed. "And every Wednesday after that!" I am so excited for the potential of what these goalkeeper practices could become and how much our participants who are goalkeepers or who want to be goalkeepers could develop as players and people. I think they are excited too.