Can you play goal if you're short?

[paulb]

Wasn't sure where to post this, but I guess I want the "coaches perspective".

I have a dilemma with my daughter, who plays U13. She is fast, aggressive and fearless. She plays on a travel/select team. I have always thought of her as having alot of potential as a striker. But recently her team lost their goalkeeper, and they had no replacement. She decided it might be fun to try it. She'd never tried it before, she's had no formal training.

She has done remarkably well. Her speed, aggressiveness and fearlessness have been huge assets. She doesn't hesitate to charge out of the net and sacrifice her body. She has good hands as well. In the last game, her 3rd time ever in goal, against the best team in the league, she all but single-handedly kept her team in the game. Several of her teammates have told her how great she is in goal, that when she goes for the school team she should go out for goalie, etc.

So here's the dilemma: she's very short. Under 5 feet, and not likely to get bigger than 5'1" or 5'2". Everything about her physically, to me at least, says striker, not goalie. While perhaps at U13 being aggressive and fearless can go a long way, as she gets older I have to wonder whether her height won't greatly limit her ability to be a goalkeeper, and whether coaches at higher levels would even be willing to give her a look at that position.

I'm not necessarily looking for college scholarships and positions on the national team here. I'm thinking more in terms of high school varsity.

So what to do? Do I encourage her development as a goalie? Or tell her she just isn't physically right for that position, and that she should forget it and focus on being a striker? Is it possible to do well at goalie at around 5'?

Thanks...

[saabrian]

I think your assessment is right. Awareness and aggressiveness can carry you pretty far at 12 or 13. But as the shooters improve and are better able to place higher shots, she may have more trouble. As you said, the biggest problem might be coaches even giving her a look.

I think you'd be wise to encourage her to try both keeper and striker for another year maybe two.. Kids that age should play more than one position anyway. It's possible she might grow more than you think. Best to give her an extra option at this age instead of just switching one for the other.

[Kevin8833]

Have her stick with both positions, no need to dedicate yourself to any position at a young age, then she has both covered.

[uniteo]

Have her stick with both positions, no need to dedicate yourself to any position at a young age, then she has both covered.

ding ding ding...winner

Would height make a short keeper with quickness, instincts, andticipation ball skills etc. better? Probably. but if you have all that stuff you're probably better than most tall keepers. All she'll need to do eventually is make sure her vertical leap gets her up to about 7'6" to have the goal covered from ground to crossbar.

[ChrisSSBB]

5 ft is too short to play GK consistently well. In another year or so, the lack of height and wing span will become more apparent against better teams and harder to offset with her athleticism and aggressiveness. If she really wants to be a gk, she will need to start dedicating herself to it specifically within the next year. Seems like she would be better served dedicating herself to developing as a striker or middie where height isn't as important.

[ctsoccer13]

I'd have to agree that if she only grows about one or two more inches that it will not work out too well. But, have her keep playing both positions. You never know, if she does grow, then those footskills will definitely carry-over to the keeper position. Nothing better than a goalie that can control the ball well with his/her feet.

[rca2]

Wasn't sure where to post this, but I guess I want the "coaches perspective"....So here's the dilemma: she's very short. Under 5 feet, and not likely to get bigger than 5'1" or 5'2"....I'm not necessarily looking for college scholarships and positions on the national team here. I'm thinking more in terms of high school varsity....So what to do? Do I encourage her development as a goalie? Or tell her she just isn't physically right for that position, and that she should forget it and focus on being a striker? Is it possible to do well at goalie at around 5'? Thanks...

I look at this long term. If she enjoys soccer she will keep playing as an adult.
I suggest that the long term plan would be playing keeper occassionally for recreational teams, if she still thinks playing keeper is fun. At 5'2" she will be at a disadvantage in any competitive setting as a keeper. It is not just her reach guarding the goal, she will be at a tremendous disadvantage coming off the line after high balls in a crowd where most players are much bigger. A competitive team coach is gererally not going to put a short player with good ball skills in the goal. The team would be expected to be better off with her in the field. In a recreational setting, however, her height doesn't matter. You play for fun. I would not encourage her to specialize in playing keeper in a competitive setting. If she wants to do some keeper training because its fun, I don't see a downside. It may even help be a better striker. Proper training helps a keeper play safer, which is important for rec soccer too.

[Monkey Boy]

I don't know about height limits, but I was successful as a short keeper for guys. I am only about 5'10" and I played varsity for 4 years in HS. I had opportunities to play in college also, but a bad injury ended those plans.

I still play in goal for competitive adult league games, but I play on the field for coed teams -- not worth it to me to be in goal.

IMHO, positioning and timing have a lot more to do with keeping than height. That being said, I did have to do more to prove to coaches that I could do well being shorter.

[uniteo]

5 ft is too short to play GK consistently well. In another year or so, the lack of height and wing span will become more apparent against better teams and harder to offset with her athleticism and aggressiveness. If she really wants to be a gk, she will need to start dedicating herself to it specifically within the next year. Seems like she would be better served dedicating herself to developing as a striker or middie where height isn't as important.

I'd be interested in knowing what you envision as her 'future' in the sport in giving this advice?

Would it be different if you thought of her as someone that would be playing recreationally as an adult until 30 or 40 but not at the collegiate level?

High school level?

[gosh1976]

if Spud Web can win the slam dunk contest than surely there can be some successful short goal keepers....

I think the shortest goal keeper in the EPl is 6 ft 1 in, Briana Scurry 5 ft 8 in, Hope Solo is an inch taller...

Even in the U-14 boys team I work with we have two kids that play in goal but both also play in the field and I think that is as it should be at least up to that age. So it shouldn't be an either/or question at this point necessarily.

As far as what she goes out for in the school team maybe a discussion with the coach would be helpful.

[ChrisSSBB]

I don't know about height limits, but I was successful as a short keeper for guys. I am only about 5'10" and I played varsity for 4 years in HS. I had opportunities to play in college also, but a bad injury ended those plans.

I still play in goal for competitive adult league games, but I play on the field for coed teams -- not worth it to me to be in goal.

IMHO, positioning and timing have a lot more to do with keeping than height. That being said, I did have to do more to prove to coaches that I could do well being shorter.

It says a lot about the demands of the position that 5-10 is considered short.
I dont think 5-10 is too short at all - I have seen many good keepers at your height. 5 ft is a different thing.

[stangspritzring]

:)A couple of years ago, my daughter was goalie on the rec team I coached (first coaching job ever!), and she was far from the tallest person on the team. In fact, she was the second-shortest. But she was also aggressive and fearless, and I taught her early to come off the line, setting up walls, et cetera. On one particularly hot day when we only had one sub, and the other team had 11 (yep...11 subs), she had 27 saves in the second half before we stopped counting, keeping the scoreline close. The entire second half, their coach kept shouting "C'mon, the goalie's only THIS BIG!" holding his thumb and index finger about two inches apart. Come the end of the game, the coaches on the other team heaped praise on her performance...

Heck, in the pros, look at Nick Rimando...He's, what, tied for the shortest keeper in MLS, but has the highest percentage of saves? I think smart play and quick reflexes are more important than height, though if you have a combination of both, you're always in slightly better shape.

[rca2]

:)Heck, in the pros, look at Nick Rimando...He's, what, tied for the shortest keeper in MLS, but has the highest percentage of saves?

He, the shortest keeper in MLS, is 5'10". That is about an inch above the average height for US adult males. Average height for US adult females is about 5'4". The original poster is talking about someone who will be 2-3 inches below that.

[ALEX408]

A player could do well if they are short, but they must have these qualities just like taller goalies:
Agressiveness
Tenaciousness
Speed
Mentality
Power (For kicking)
and 2nd most important, reaction time
and most important for a short goalie, Jump height!

Regarding your daughter to be either goalie or striker, she should consider staying with striker. It shouldn't be your daughters responsibility to play goalie 24/7, she should just be a fill in, it's the coaches fault that he/she can't find a permanent goalie. Make sure the team finds another goalie.

[JoseP]

I'm thinking more in terms of high school varsity.




High school coach dilemna - I have 2 equally talented forwards. However, one is, also, a really good goalkeeper, though a little short. That may help somehwere down the road.

I'll take the forward/goalie.

[Th4119]

He, the shortest keeper in MLS, is 5'10". That is about an inch above the average height for US adult males. Average height for US adult females is about 5'4". The original poster is talking about someone who will be 2-3 inches below that.

And not trying to play professional soccer.