How to select and train professional male soccer goalkeepers: Expert opinion by semi-structured interview

Objectives: The main aim of the present study is to provide insight into the recruitment tactics, and training methods and strategies that professional coaches apply in their day-to-day work to best prepare their athletes for the highest levels of competition. Design: Expert opinion from semi-struct...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Perez Arroniz, Markel, Calleja González, Julio María, Fernández Navarro, Javier, Zubillaga Zubiaga, Asier
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad del País Vasco
Repositorio:Addi. Archivo Digital para la Docencia y la Investigación
OAI Identifier:oai:addi.ehu.eus:10810/78450
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10810/78450
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:soccer
goalkeeper
training
performance
Descripción
Sumario:Objectives: The main aim of the present study is to provide insight into the recruitment tactics, and training methods and strategies that professional coaches apply in their day-to-day work to best prepare their athletes for the highest levels of competition. Design: Expert opinion from semi-structured interview, qualitative. Methods: The opinion of 15 professional goalkeeper coaches was gathered using a semi-structured interview. Fol- lowing transcription, a thematic content analysis was conducted to identify and analyse patterns within the data. Results: Several key considerations emerge that any coach should take into account. 1) When integrating a new goalkeeper into a club, it is essential to assess whether their profile aligns with the club's style of play and philos- ophy, 2) training should focus both on the goalkeeper's individual development and on preparing them for the challenges posed by upcoming opponents, and 3) coaches must recognise that they are working with individuals rather than a homogeneous group, making it essential to understand and respond to the unique needs of each goalkeeper. Conclusions: The findings suggested that selecting and training professional goalkeepers is a multifactorial pro- cess that requires considering technical, tactical, psychological, physical, playing style and organisational factors.