Picture two goalkeepers who have just let in the same kind of goal. One is already asking for another ball, desperate to put it right. The other is quiet, replaying the mistake while the next attack begins.
A coach has only a few words before play moves on. What should those words do?
That is where I begin when I think about goalkeeper mental training. It happens in ordinary moments: between repetitions, after a difficult match and in the way we discuss a mistake. The aim is to help this goalkeeper understand what happened and return to an action they can control.
Find out what the goalkeeper saw
In the example, both goalkeepers let in a goal. That is all we know at first. We do not yet know whether they misunderstood the instruction, read the shooter differently, felt unsure about their position or simply faced a well-placed shot.
Start with a question that helps you understand the situation: “What did you see before the release?” Give the goalkeeper time to answer. Their explanation may reveal a different problem from the one you assumed.
Then compare it with something observable. If the goalkeeper says they were set, but the clip shows them still moving at release, you have a concrete point to discuss together. The conversation can now lead towards a change in training.
This is one reason I value video in online coaching. Both people can return to the same moment. The footage gives the discussion a shared reference instead of leaving it as one person’s impression against another’s.
Ambition needs a useful target
A young goalkeeper may want to fix every weakness immediately. The enthusiasm is valuable. It can also make an ordinary learning period feel like failure because progress does not arrive as quickly as they imagined.
Help the goalkeeper choose a target small enough to recognise. For example: arrive in a balanced position before the shot in a particular exercise. Review that target over several sessions, alongside how the player feels and what else is happening in their training.
If the first few attempts produce fewer saves, explain what you are evaluating. A technical practice task may temporarily make the goalkeeper less comfortable. They need to understand why you are asking for it, and when you will test the movement in a more realistic situation.
Keep ambition connected to something the player can practise today. Praise a useful observation, a thoughtful adjustment or a controlled repetition. These are behaviours the goalkeeper can repeat.
Experience changes the conversation
An experienced goalkeeper arrives with years of decisions, habits and successful solutions. Begin by understanding those solutions. Ask what they want to improve and where they would welcome another perspective.
The same correction may need a different explanation for two people. One wants the full technical reasoning. Another understands it best through two clips and a short trial on court. Age alone does not tell you which approach will work.
My season-long work with Nikola Portner and Jože Baznik was entirely online, through opponent preparation and analysis after their matches. That continuing exchange gave us a way to discuss the decisions from one game before preparing for the next. The relationship was built through specific work, repeated over time.
That is an important part of trust: the goalkeeper can see what the conversation is for.
Give feedback the goalkeeper can use next
Return to the two goalkeepers from the opening. One may need a moment to slow down and listen. The other may need a short prompt to reconnect with the match. Those are possibilities to explore, not fixed personality types.
During play, a brief cue might concern the starting position or the next defensive situation. Save the longer technical discussion for a moment when the goalkeeper can use it. A list of five corrections shouted during the next attack is difficult to act on.
Afterwards, be precise and respectful. Describe the behaviour you observed, explain why it matters and agree a next step. Invite disagreement when the goalkeeper saw something you missed. Honest feedback works best when the player also feels able to be honest.
For your next review, choose one clip and use three questions: what did you see, what options did you have, and what would you like to practise next? End with one agreed focus and return to it later.
The goal in our opening example stays on the scoreboard. The conversation decides whether it also becomes something the goalkeeper can learn from.
Related reading: planning training and personal video analysis and mentoring.