Practice

• 1). Always stand in ready position when the ball is anywhere near the goal. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and lean slightly forward with your knees bent, standing just in front of the goal line. According to "The Soccer Goalkeeper," your weight should be centered above the balls of your feet. Keep your hands out, facing toward the field -- either with your elbows bent and your arms up, or your elbows straight and your palms up.
  
  
• 2). Stand in the ready position, and react quickly as soon as the ball is kicked toward the goal. The ready position will help you react quickly to try and stop the ball. The more you practice, the better you will become at reading the ball and guessing where it will go. Focus on the feet of the person with the ball and the ball itself. This will help you guess the player's next move.
  
  
• 3). Keep your eye on the ball the entire time, especially during a game, no matter where it is on the field. This will ensure you never lose track of the ball, when it eventually gets to you. Also keep track of the opposing players to see how they play the ball, their reactions and how they move with the ball. This will help you know how an opposing player may react when he is attempting to make a goal at your goal post.
  
  

Training

• 1). Strengthen your goalkeeping skills by becoming a better jumper, developing better balance and improving your agility. These three strengths will help you move and change direction quickly along the goal line.
  
  
• 2). Build up the muscles in your legs by practicing your jumping. Attach a piece of masking or athletic tape to one of the goal posts, and mark it with measurements going vertically. Practice jumping straight up, and try to touch the tape. Continue a few repetitions, and note how high you jumped. Continue this jumping practice to gain height.
  
  
• 3). Practice agility by shuffling your feet in different ways. Ask a teammate or coach to stand on the field with you. Start shuffling in an open area and have the teammate yell out commands to you, to change your position. For example, have him yell out commands like "Right," "Left," "Back" and "Forward." When he gives a command, move your position by shuffling quickly. Practice this as often as you can to become faster at switching positions.
  
  
• 4). Practice your diving technique. Get into ready position and have a teammate or coach kick a ball into the goal line, out of your reach so you have to dive. Remember to watch the footwork of the teammate and the ball position, to anticipate where the ball may go.