In addition to standard exercises, the ZERO! Academy curriculum consists of a variety of proprietary “unorthodox” exercises in the areas of real game situations, fitness, and responsiveness, with a trainer-to-goalkeeper ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, meaning that one trainer provides goalkeeper training to a maximum of two goalkeepers.

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​All training sessions are held at the OBO Experience Center, at the BMHV complex, which adds an extra dimension to the goalkeeper training sessions at the ZERO! ACADEMY. Of course, the Club Goalkeeper Training sessions are held at your club as usual.

We offer challenging, varied, intense, and fun goalkeeper training sessions and do everything we can to raise you to the highest possible level. Of course, no two training sessions will be the same, but if you have specific wishes or want to improve specific aspects of goalkeeping, we can adapt the goalkeeper training sessions accordingly. During the training sessions, video recordings will be made regularly, which we will analyze and discuss in a subsequent training session.

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Our goalkeeper training sessions always include at least one of the six basic principles, with exercises that simulate game situations:

1. Technique

2. Reaction speed/anticipation

3. Tactics

4. Fitness and concentration

5. Coaching

6. Mental resilience

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TECHNIQUE

Good technique is very important for a goalkeeper, not only to control the ball but also to prevent injuries, both to yourself and other players. At ZERO! Academy, we cover all the skills you need as a goalkeeper:  

• Stopping low and mid-height balls with your leg guards

• Stopping high balls with a glove/stick and then clearing them

• Clearing the ball (kicking/hitting away)

• Running out (block sliding/head first)

• Dealing with rebounds

• Stopping penalty corners

• Stopping penalty shots/shootouts

 

REACTION/ANTICIPATION ABILITY

A goalkeeper needs to have good reflexes. Reflexes can be trained very effectively through exercises. But reflexes alone are not enough; every goalkeeper must be able to anticipate, understand how a player moves and thinks, and know where the ball is going to go before it is kicked. We improve the goalkeeper's ability to anticipate by means of exercises that teach the goalkeeper, among other things, to understand how to predict the trajectory of a ball.

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TACTICS

A goalkeeper is part of the defense and must therefore also be able to think tactically. A goalkeeper must learn where to position themselves in every game situation. Using the whiteboard and video, we visualize all game situations and explain what position a goalkeeper should take in these situations.

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FITNESS AND CONCENTRATION

A goalkeeper can have the best technique, the fastest reaction time, the best game sense, and tactical insight, but if you can't maintain your concentration for 70 minutes, the game is still lost. At ZERO! Academy, we train both fitness and concentration at the same time.

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COACHING

A task that is often overlooked is coaching the defense. A goalkeeper must keep a close eye on the opposing team's attacking players (mainly within the 23-meter line) and be able to direct the defenders. The goalkeeper indicates who is unmarked, where the defender should stand, where to cover, and how to cover. This allows the goalkeeper to concentrate fully on the possible shot on goal. The coach training consists of a theoretical part and a practical part.

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MENTAL RESILIENCE

Even the best goalkeeper in the world concedes one or more goals in a match. The strength of a good goalkeeper lies in learning from the goal conceded: what went wrong (not always necessary, it could also just be a great goal) and what can I do better next time? Don't dwell on the fact that a goal was scored or that you made a mistake. Mental resilience depends on character, but it is definitely something you can train.

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