In August, upon returning to College Station, I started playing indoor soccer once again at the Rec center. My team needed a goalie and so I volunteered myself. I found my self making a ton of saves in quick succession and quite enjoyed it, as well as enjoying the mind games of trying to out position the opponent to make the save. As such, I started to actively pursue goalkeeping. I am naturally a striker so I am very far away from my home but the experience of playing striker gives me an insight into when players are going to shoot and helps me assume where they are going to shoot.
The Gloves
I ordered and received my first pair of real goalie gloves in October. After a lot of research and some trial and error, I landed on the Uhlsport Supergrip Bionik+. Uhlsport is a German Soccer company that is almost solely focused on goalkeeping gloves. While they are not partnered with some of the Elite goalkeepers like David De Gea, Manuel Neuer, and Hugo Lloris as the more popular goalies are sponsored by the big companies of Nike, Adidas, and Puma. But of the lesser known but still solid goalkeepers, they sponsor almost half of them. The Uhlsport gloves are very well made and have a good latex that makes the ball stick to the gloves better, and especially this model, in particular, this the Supergrip in the name. The Bionik+ refers to the metal frame that lines the back side of the glove to keep my fingers from bending back badly and getting injured. So, to say the least, these are a very sturdy and protective pair of gloves.
Month 1: October
My goalkeeping month of October went fairly well. It was still very much a learning process but I was up for it! In indoor intramural soccer I did not concede a goal for the entire month so that was pretty fun. I began being mentally able to dive but not consistently and not to my right, only to the left for some reason.
Month 2: November
November was a tough and trying month for me. My skills and patience were very much put to the test this month. Playoff month. My Coed team won 2 games but lost the third and my Mens team did the same. I conceded a few tough ones, some went through my hands, some went off me and in, and both of my teams crashed out of the playoffs earlier than I would have liked. I got angry with myself and my defense on a few of the goals I conceded, but in the end, the losses were avoidable for the most part, had I been better. But I still learned a lot of good goalkeeping this month and also became mentally able to dive to my right.
Bonus: December
I hardly played in December and over the break, but the 2 times I did I became much more confident in diving to make saves.
Month 3: January
January was all pickup games. Honestly, it felt like an incredibly long month and my gloves started to really get beat up. Much of the latex and cushioning on the lower right palm had worn off and holes in the area between my thumb and my index finger started to develop. But I once again became more comfortable with diving but still do not do it as often as I should to make saves.
Month 4: February
After , to say the least, intramural games (one coed and one men's) I still have not conceded a goal. In games thus far I have not even had to mentally think about diving to save as I just reacted and did it anyway. Also had a fantastic reflex save. The gloves are all but too worn now but they have done a good job in the time they have served. I have ordered a new pair which should be here , and am excited about goalkeeping more in the future.
Overall
Honestly, I have enjoyed playing goalie, but it feels like a chore sometimes. It also hurts a lot to dive so much on the hardwood and the turf and my patience with defenders, especially in pick up, wears thin.
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