The Goalkeeping Path

With the England U21 Women's team securing the European Championships bronze medal on the back of a Goalkeeper of the Tournament performance from Molly Smith (above), we sat down with the teams goalkeeper coach, Tom Millington to find out a little bit about his coaching journey and approach to working with goalkeepers. You can join Tom for the online Elite Goalkeeper Development workshop series at the end of the month (29-31 July, 9-10:30am).

Tom, thanks for taking the time to chat. Let's start at the top, can you tell us a little about yourself and your coaching journey?

Following my years competing I have been coaching professionally for 10 years in England and currently maintain roles with Great Britain’s Elite Development Program as well as Senior Wales Squads GK Coach. My coaching journey was fast tracked in the earlier years, spending time under the mentorship of John Hurst leading into the Rio Olympic Games, working with senior GB Goalkeepers. I spend most of my time working with developing talented and high performance goalkeepers in different age groups. One of the most influential people on my coaching journey has been Steve Bayer who coached me as a player and is the current Belgium men’s goalkeeper coach. Steve and I co-founded a coaching company (Fortitude) which provided professional goalkeeper services. This was a fantastic avenue to develop a coaching philosophy which is robust and flexible depending on the person or goalkeeper on the pitch. Needless to say my philosophy has developed over time with experience and I am looking forward to discussing this element within the series of webinars.

What’s been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

I have had a few highlights so far - one was watching the Rio Olympics and knowing the work which had gone into certain saves Maddie Hinch made in training actually translated to saves on the pitch especially versus Holland in the final was incredibly pleasing. The ongoing highlights are within the development sphere experiencing a journey with goalkeepers to achieve their ambition of being the best they can be, making it towards a senior international environment. 

The Great Britain Women's National Team goalkeeping crew - (from left to right) Miriam Pritchard, Maddie Hinch, Amy Tennant & Sabbie Heesh

How would you describe your coaching philosophy and approach to working with the goalkeepers?

My philosophy is not complicated and it does have a certain amount of flexibility. I need to be flexible depending on the goalkeeper in front of me; how they learn, what their strengths are, how do we want to play as a team etc. It is a very person-first philosophy before getting into the nitty gritty of goalkeeping. I like goalkeepers to be robust in the understanding of their job description and also have the freedom to be creative. In regard to any skill acquisition models, like most things it is useful to have more than one tool for a variety of problems - some are more linear than others. 

Wales Women's National Team goalkeeper, Rose Thomas

What’s been the biggest change in your coaching approach over the last decade?

Very simply - it is often what you don’t say which is just as important as what you do say. New coaches tend to see value in the quantity of information, through experience and self-reflection I have learned to provide clarity. Positivity is also a great tool - what can you do? As opposed to what can’t you do? Goalkeepers tend to enjoy that and respond to pressure far better than when we are too often checking in on mistakes. 

Great Britain Men's National Team goalkeeper, Ollie Payne

You’ve worked with some top goalkeepers, what separates the great ones from the good ones in your experience?

This is a great question and not an easy one to answer. The biggest thing which comes to mind apart from talent, experience and physical attributes is the desire to be better, to find the improvements, to be vulnerable enough in training environments to make mistakes and grow. The great goalkeepers tread a fine line with the sublime and the insane, if I can call it that. We all know goalkeepers can be unhinged at times, it’s what makes them (us) goalkeepers. 

Great Britain Elite Development Program & England U21 goalkeepers, Evie Wood & Mila Welch

What do you think is next for the goalkeeping position? How do you see it evolving over the next ten years?

I get asked this a lot. Will there be a sweeper keeper? What rule changes will there be? Why do we play with 18 for Pro-League and only 16 for Olympics meaning we can’t rotate GKs as much in hockey’s biggest competition? How does the aerial affect our defense in the circle? What changes in kit will there be to compliment goalkeeping? I don’t have the answers to these questions however it only takes one person to become the next Manuel Neuer. Goalkeeping has changed in the last decade, you see different techniques and positional preferences in penalty corners and baseline attack. You see an increasing amount of taller goalkeepers too, this says a lot about how quickly the game can adapt. Who knows what the future looks like. Kit advancements have certainly played a part in providing higher performance, more mobility and protection.

Thanks, Tom. We are looking forward to hosting you for the Elite Goalkeeper Development workshop series when alongside the curious coaches in attendance we will have the opportunity to pick your brains further!