At the end of each training session, it was a familiar sight to see the Goalkeepers spending some additional time with FC Mangalore’s Goalkeeping Coach Subi AG. The major focus was on getting the technique right considering that the children were eager to learn and despite the high intensity sessions, showed a lot of hunger and dedication to spend the extra time on the pitch honing their skills.
“Clearly there is a lot of potential in these ‘keepers. Considering their age, they are all hitting the growth spurt at the moment and most of all there is a good attitude and willingness to learn and improve everyday. With Goalkeeping, its all about good form and technique and my job is to ease them into the routines and focus on individual development” said Coach Subi, who is also an AFC ‘C’ Certificate Coach.
FC Mangalore’s football philosophy focusses on a possession based game which requires goalkeepers to be good on their feet, have good distribution, communication and leadership skills. Overall, Coach Subi’s verdict was that the campers – mostly 12-15 years of age- had many good qualities and needed some guidance to blossom into good shot-stoppers in the coming future
“Considering their age, they are all hitting the growth spurt at the moment and most of all there is a good attitude and willingness to learn and improve everyday.”
Subi AG, Goalkeeping Coach – FC Mangalore
“We spend a lot of time working with each ‘keeper individually. It’s the one position on the field which demands specialised coaching and my job is to ensure that they are able to meet the requirements of modern football where the Goalkeeper is essentially the first line of attack and the last line of defense” he concluded.
