A lot of people in football talk about goalkeepers being different to other football players and they have to be, bearing in mind that there can only be one of them in a team and that they can also use their hands.
Conversely, goalkeepers talk about being part of a 'Goalkeeping Union' that sees them form stronger bonds with other shot-stoppers than they do with their own team-mates and one Scottish Coach is holding a Union meeting with a huge difference in May.
Ross Ballantyne, who works within the Queen’s Park Youth Programme, and who also runs the Savehands Goalkeeping Academy based at Toryglen, is organising only the second ever 2 day UK Conference designed specifically for goalkeepers.
The good news for SFL clubs is that there are still places available for their shot-stoppers or goalkeeping coaches to attend and learn from some of Europe’s finest.
Last year’s maiden event was held at the Petershill complex in Glasgow, however this year Ballantyne has booked Wokefield Park in Berkshire on May 25 and 26 for the event that will focus on two main areas – Spanish Goalkeeping Philosophy and the Art of Goalkeeping Coaching, Performance and Analysis
Supporting the 31 year old at the event will be a list of top speakers -
Dan Abrahams – One of the top football Psychology experts in Europe, who has worked with the English FA, as well as club sides Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Celtic.
Andy Elleray – One of few Video Analysts who is dedicated exclusively to goalkeeping. Andy has imparted his knowledge to Chelsea, Liverpool and Cheltenham Town.
Paulina Granero – Spanish Fitness Coach that uses the latest technologies at CSKA Moscow where he works with Russian internationalist Igor Akinfeev.
Hans Leitert – World class goalkeeper coach who has worked in the Premiership, La Liga and the Greek Superleague. Hans is currently Head of Goalkeeping at the Red Bull clubs worldwide.
Luis Llopis – One of the best goalkeeper coaches in Spain and across Europe. Luis has coached at Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Athletic de Bilboa and currently works at RCD Mallorca.
NACsport – one of the most advanced video analysis software in the market. Used by several top clubs in Europe such as Valencia, Seville and Real Betis.
Roberto Navajas – An advanced Spanish goalkeeper coach at Real Sociedad in La Liga. Roberto is very focused on the performance during competition, the control of emotions and time management.
Alicia Vallespi – Alicia is a professional Certified Coach with over 1500 hours of experience. Alicia is currently working on a project with the goalkeepers of Real Sociedad, applying mental coaching to the position.
Inaki Samaniego – Young Spanish goalkeeping coach who has already coached at Espanyol and ADO Den Hagg.
Jan Splinter – Dutch coach with a long experience of working in the Ajax Amsterdam Academy where he helped develop top goalkeeper. Jan also works for the Foletti Goalkeeping Academy.
Eric Steele – regarded as one of the best goalkeeping coaches in Europe. Head of Goalkeeping at Manchester United where he has worked with world class goalkeepers in Peter Schmeichel, Edwin van der Sar and David de Gea.
What makes the conference all the more surprising is that it has been brought about by sheer hard work on Ballantyne’s part as opposed to being the spin-off from a career at a senior level in Scotland or England.
Ballantyne said: “I played at an amateur level and had one game for a Junior side aged 16 and then I had a knee injury and that cut short my career. However even at that age I actually preferred coaching to playing.”
“After my injury I had to go out and work away from football but I took an amateur side for a few years and started taking my coaching badges in 2007.”
The next step was focusing only on goalkeepers as Ballantyne explained: “I started off just goalkeeping coaching by creating Savehands and at that time it was just one day courses for that were offered. In 2009 I started the weekly Academy and I now have 35 goalkeepers coming along from age 10 and 14 of them are with clubs on a Pro-Youth programme.”
Ballantyne also had a spell as the Goalkeeping coach at Clyde when Stuart Millar was the manager at Broadwood before moving to Queen’s Park when Millar left and he said: “I work with their Youth goalkeepers one night a week. I was delighted that their under-19 side won the SFL League recently as I have worked with the two guys that play in goal there.”
As for stepping back up to the SFL Ballantyne said: “If it happens it happens but at the moment I have enough going on with organising the conference and the Savehands Academy. I have invested a lot of time in studying goalkeeping coaching methods so you never know.”
That study has all been about self-development at Ballantyne explained: “I wanted to develop my knowledge of what coaching was available for goalkeepers and attended the International Goalkeeping Congress in Germany that was run from 2008 by their former international goalkeeper Andreas Köpke.”
“After a great start interest in the Congress faded and no 2012 event was planned and that gave me the opening I had been looking for.”
Ballantyne decided to launch his own event saying: “I decided to plug the gap with the first ever Goalkeeping Conference in the UK last summer. It was the first of its kind in Britain and as far as I know it was the only event like it in Europe.”
It had a British and a European feel with Ballantyne explaining: “Through courses over a number of years I had developed a friendship with Inaki Samaniego and he agreed to come over and support the conference.”
“We also had a session from Eric Steele who is the head goalkeeping coach at Manchester United as well as Simon Smith who works for the FA in England after being the coach to Newcastle’s first team goalkeepers for over 300 games.”
It was Smith that discovered Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster with Ballantyne saying: “Simon used to hold one day goalkeeping courses and Fraser turned up at one of these aged 15. Based on what he had seen Simon on that one day he took him into the Newcastle Youth Programme and now he is starring in the Champions League.”
“I had got to know Simon through e-mail and discussion around training DVD’s and again he was delighted to pop up and take a session last year.”
As for getting Steele involved it was a mixture of persistence and being bold on Ballantyne’s part as he explained: “It was just a case of keeping knocking on his door and basically having the gumption to contact him to talk about goalkeeping. I had written to him about attending a Manchester United training session but that was turned down as all available spaces had been used up for the season. On his letter back to me there was an e-mail address so I just e-mailed Eric from there on in.”
“We had a chat back in 2009 and we have now been in regular contact ever since. I was invited to join Manchester United towards the end of last season when they trained at St Andrews for a few days. It was incredible to see David de Gea and Ben Amos getting put through routines by Eric. I also got to meet Sir Alex Ferguson so it was a really special day.”
Steele is booked in for this year, European football allowing with Ballantyne adding: “Eric came along and did a great stint at Petershill. The only thing that will stop him being there this year is if Manchester United make the Champions League which is being held on the same weekend.”
Last year’s event attracted 50 coaches and goalkeepers from Scotland, England and beyond however Ballantyne is making this year’s event bigger and better saying, “This year things have moved up a gear and Wokefield is a tremendous location. Not only does it provide top accommodation it has terrific football facilities. It was where the FA carried out their A and B Licence training before the recently opened St Georges Park.”
“I have also been fortunate to bring Reusch on board as the main sponsor as they really like the idea of the Conference.”
Ballantyne is keen to hear plenty of Scottish voices come May saying: “The Conference is open to all goalkeeping coaches regardless of the type of club that they work at. It will give everyone an insight into what goalkeeping coaching can be and whilst it is aimed at coaches we have already had enquiries from a number of goalkeepers about coming along as well.”
“We have asked people to pre-register and a lot of people have done that but the actual tickets go on sale this weekend. This is the only event of its kind in the UK this year so it would be great if there is a large Scottish representation there.”
Any Scottish representation will be mixing with coaches from some of the biggest clubs in Europe with Ballantyne saying: “Some of the clubs that pre-registered an interest are Panathinaikos, Benfica and Vitória de Setúbal from Portugal as well as Celta Vigo from Spain and Manchester City. Barcelona have asked for more details which is probably due to the high input we have from Spanish presenters.”
Tickets are priced at the Reusch Core Package of £220 of the Reusch Keon Package for the 2 day course or the Reusch Argos Package of £350 with accommodation and a special joint price of £300 each should two representatives from the same club wish to go along.
More details can be found at http://www.thegoalkeepingconference.com/
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