The recent holidays were the perfect opportunity for Queen’s Park’s Head of Goalkeeping Glen Johnson to host an Academy Goalkeeping Event involving shot-stoppers from all age groups as well as senior goalkeepers Calum Ferrie, Jack Wills, Sam Kane and Zach Balfour Fifteen goalkeepers, as well as academy goalkeeping coach Scott Fox, took part, with Glen […]
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The recent holidays were the perfect opportunity for Queen’s Park’s Head of Goalkeeping Glen Johnson to host an Academy Goalkeeping Event involving shot-stoppers from all age groups as well as senior goalkeepers Calum Ferrie, Jack Wills, Sam Kane and Zach Balfour
Fifteen goalkeepers, as well as academy goalkeeping coach Scott Fox, took part, with Glen saying: “It was great to get all the goalkeepers together from the under 11’s all the way up to the First Team. We did an event like this a couple of years ago and, like that one, the interaction between everyone was great.
“We are all one club, and everyone got something out of it. It was great for the young goalies to be coached by the senior gk’s and for the senior goalies to get a taste of what coaching involves.”
Glen explained his thinking behind the day by saying: “When I was a young goalkeeper, I looked up to the First Team goalkeepers and told myself that is what I wanted to be. Having everyone together encourages that but also shows that there are not too many steps from the Academy to the First Team.
“The Academy Goalkeeping Event built links between all the goalkeepers. Hopefully the youngsters can now confidently approach Calum, Jack, Sam or Zach and speak to them or ask them for advice.”
As well as on the field coaching there was off the field coaching with Glen adding: “As part of the day we put together a presentation about what it takes to be a Queen’s Park number one. Calum was heavily involved in that as he could give real-life experience. That included being released by Port Vale at a young age, and feeling that he was out of the game, and then a year later making his 1st team debut for Dundee against Rangers at Ibrox in front of 49,000 fans.
“Parents of the goalkeepers were also in attendance for the presentation, and it was great to get them involved and aware of what we are looking to do.”
First team goalkeeper Calum added: “The day was brilliant, and it was great fun to do something with the goalkeepers in the Academy. Everyone knows about the Goalkeeping Union, and it is great to have that connection at Queen’s Park from U11’s all the way to the First Team.”
“It was good to get to know them a bit better and it was good that their parents were willing to give up some of their Holidays to come in for it. It is important to have a connection running through the club so that the goalkeepers can see a clear pathway. Sometimes in Academy’s the First Team can feel a million miles away but in reality, it is just a few years.”
Calum explained that it was not just the physical training that was important as he said: “Goalkeeping is a specialised position. The physical demands on a goalkeeper are different to outfield players in that they are less demands in some areas but more in others however the mental demands are massive.
“What you experience as a ten-year-old goalie is the same you experience as a senior goalkeeper. There is a lot of responsibility, so it was good to spend the day and support people in the same boat.
“Our Safe Hands are in Safe Hands as there are a lot of good goalkeepers in the Academy.”
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