Standing between the posts, the goalkeeper is a soccer team’s last line of defence. He is the general. His leadership and play can inspire or deflate the 10 other men he leads in the battle for soccer supremacy played over 90 minutes. His role is a key to the team’s success.
The Montreal Impact has famously employed some of the top keepers in their league over the years; including the likes of Matt Jordan, Greg Sutton and Evan Bush (the latter two currently don the Impact uniform in MLS), who were all recognized with various awards while playing in Montreal.
COMMENTS from Frenck GK Jérémie Janot
That tradition of excellence in goal now continues locally as the likes of U21 goalkeepers Samuel Dufort, Jason Beaulieu and Canadian U18 National Team goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau are all knocking on the locker room door of the big club.
And these young Impact goalkeepers have all made the jump to the Academy clubs, following a stint in the Montreal Impact Soccer Schools (SoSc) Advanced Centre for Goalkeepers.
“This program offers a goalkeeper optimal conditions for development with a more structured, rigorous and continuous method in order to rapidly improve their skills,” said Youssef Dahha, goalkeeper coach of the Academy. “Keepers will improve tactically, technically and mentally at a quicker rate in order to progress more rapidly.”
Dahha, who coached the likes of Sutton, Bush and Jordan, as well as Canadian Women’s National Team goaltending coach, Owen Braun, lead the advanced goalkeepers program, and push each of its highly motivated participants to reach their full potential.
French goalkeeper Jeremie Janot, a member of AS St-Etienne of France’s Ligue 1, visited the Impact Soccer Schools earlier last month as a guest speaker, and he was thoroughly impressed with the program.
“The 30 sessions of this particular program is equivalent to 120 sessions with someone else,” said Janot. “Here, you can do in one year what other goalkeepers get in three or four years, which puts them ahead of the game. A pro soccer player’s career is short, so if you can compress the amount of time you spend developing; it’s a benefit for you.”
The program is open to AA and AAA goalkeepers, starting at the U13 level, and begins today, July 10, from 6-7:30pm, and is held every Tuesday and Thursday through to the end of October for a total of 30 sessions. The program has only three spots remain. The deadline for registration is this Friday, July 17, at 5pm, and costs $1,200.
For more information call 514-328-3668, ext. 250 or email ecoledesoccer@impactmontreal.com.
Location and Schedule
- Marie-Victorin Sports Complex
- 30 sessions (2 per week)
- Starting July 10 and ending October 30, 2012
- Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm to 7:30pm
Training Calendar
- July 10, 12, 17, 19, 26
- August 2, 9, 14, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30
- September 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27
- October 2, 4, 9, 11, 26, 18, 23, 25, 30
