So tonight at training the session was rounded out with a friendly penalty shoot out. Lewis did well. Didn't save any but neither did his opposition GK. When it came time to take his shot he ended up hitting the post and his team lost. All his team mates and those on the "opposition" were really quick to comfort him and check he was ok after they saw he was upset. But still he really struggled. He really let this get to him and was quite upset. We had a really honest conversation in the car about it. I even asked him if he still enjoyed football, explaining that if he doesn't want to do it anymore that is absolutely ok. He is adamant that he loves football and doesn't want to stop. He explained to me that he expects himself to be the best and really struggles when he isn't. I asked he if thinks I expect that, or if he thinks his coaches do and he said no, it's only himself. I'm at a loss on how to help him manage this. I think it's great that he cares so much and wants to be the best he can be but I also struggle seeing him get so upset when things don't go his way, plus as a grown up I know you can't always be the best. I've done all the usual of explaining that everyone makes mistakes, we can't always perform at 100%, show him videos of premier league GKs who make mistakes etc. But I can't seem to help him get over this internal pressure. Does anyone have any tips or ideas on how to approach this with him? He has only just turned 10 so of course his emotional maturity is in its infancy and I want to allow him space to be upset but also want to help him recognise what is worth being upset over and what isn't. It's very easy to say "Just have fun" but the answer I get is "It isn't fun when I don't do as well as I think I should". Sorry for rambling post but any help would be super appreciated.

Hi all, Looking for a bit of perspective from other GK parents. My son Lewis is U10 and only started playing in goal last year. He’s made a big jump this season from a Division 4 team to a Division 1 side. Training is going well and his coaches are really positive about his progress, but in the last couple of matches his confidence seems to have taken a knock. What I’m seeing is that he puts a lot of pressure on himself. No one around him is piling it on. Coaches, parents, and teammates are all supportive. But he definitely feels like he has something to prove and it seems to make him nervous about making a mistake. As you can imagine, that hesitation then leads to the odd error, which knocks him again. We’ve had lots of calm chats at home. We regularly reinforce that: - Conceding is part of being a goalkeeper - The ball has to get past a whole team before it reaches him - Outfield players make mistakes all game and often get a chance to recover - Keeper mistakes are more visible, but what matters is the response - Head up, next action mentality He understands all of this logically. The challenge is getting it to stick emotionally on match day. The other piece is assertiveness. I’d love to see him a bit more proactive and brave in his decision making. For example, being more confident coming for crosses or committing fully in 1v1s. At the moment he sometimes holds back because he’s worried about hurting someone or giving away a penalty. I completely respect where that comes from, but I also don’t want fear to limit his development. For those of you who’ve been through similar with young keepers: - What actually helped your child translate training confidence into matches? - How did you help them manage self-imposed pressure? - Any good ways to build that positive aggression and decisiveness safely? - Anything you wish you’d done earlier? - He loves being in goal and I’m keen to support him the right way without overcoaching from the sidelines.

Anyone that was doing the mindset course, does anyone know if the teams chats were still running? Not sure if we have been missing them or if they have finished. Thanks

Last week some of the people in this group were asking about mindset and wellbeing. Here are 3 books I have read about goalkeepers and wellbeing. They might not suit everyone but some might like a great and hard read.Be safe and enjoy your games.

BEHIND EVERY REBOUND GOAL IS A PHENOMENAL SAVE