What I Think About Goalkeeping

My name made it into the newspapers the other day.

Not like the headline news or anything, but nonetheless, my name, Joshua Kuperus, has found its way onto the printed page of West Hawaii Today. Twice actually. It’s also in the Sports Section for cross country. My one friend, Bronston Kosso, makes it in the papers like every three weeks, but we’re not talking about that.

So how, exactly, did my name attract enough attention to achieve newspaper-worthy status?

One word. Goalkeeping.

So far, I haven’t been scored on at all during game-time. Shutout. Sure, I’ve got a killer defense, and sure, I haven’t had a serious shot on me yet, and sure, maybe I’ve only played in the second half (unless it’s a team that’s truly horrendous), but this shall join Bronston Kosso in the list of untalked about subjects.

I started soccer reluctantly enough, and goalkeeping even more so.

Yet, enough pressure can change a coal into a diamond, and enough pressure was applied to me from the team captain and the coach and the school and my mom, that I decided (insert coughing fit here) to join soccer.

taken from: http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/apttone/apttone1010/apttone101000002/7924781-diamond-on-black-background.jpg

I still remember that fateful day I walked into the office and announced that I was going to join soccer, and that fateful moment when I signed my name beside slot number ten.

I still remember both the principle and the secretary thanking me profusely and assuring me that, I was now “the most popular guy in school”.

Since it was early in the morning, and there were like three kids at school, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.

Anyway, what do I think about being goalie? Stressful. Very stressful.

At least at first.

When you’re a player on the field, you make dozens of small mistakes. But when you’re in net, every mistake is scarily public. And if you make that one tragic mistake, the mistake all goalies fear, the mistake all good goalies have nightmares about, there isn’t anyway to redeem yourself.

It didn’t help my paranoia to learn that in order for the black-and-white patched ball to be barreling down the field towards me, it had to have gone through ten other players. Not a mote.

My fears endured until one day, about two weeks into the season, the coach pulled me from the net and told me to relax. Chill out. Have fun being in net.

That changed my whole outlook.

I’ve learned to enjoy diving and not worry about hurting my sides (I think the black-and-blue splotches on my hips are permanent now. They’re kind of like weird tattoos).

I’ve learned to enjoy blocking hard shots, make some sweet saves, catch a toe-poke shot to the upper-left corner like it was a two-year old baby girl’s kick.

It’s helped me to think of myself as being a mother with a baby in my net, and all those players bolting down the field at me as trying to kill my baby. That, to me, mirrors the desperation I need to have to save the ball.

One quick word of advice to all the aspiring goalies out there: make sure that you invest in some decent goalie gloves. In the past, I used my friend’s old ones and they looked like this:

Right now I use Nike GK JR. Grip Size 7 (I have kind of small hands. Here’s a link to learn more about them:  Nike GK Junior Grip White/Yellow/Black Goalkeeping Gloves) They’re pretty cheap (for gloves) and are working out really well for me.

So, to sum up: what do I think about goalkeeping? Now that I’ve been training awhile, have the rudiments rudimentarily learned, gained more confidence in net, I’ve begun enjoying the position.

I like it. Quite a bit.

Everything except for the bruised hips.

P.S. Three of my cousins, my sister and my mom have all played goalie. Talk about genetics.