Part II: Professional Coach Andy Reading discusses his methods and experiences working with goalies

This is the second half of a question and answer interview with Andy Reading, a professional futsal goalkeeping coach from England. The first half of the interview appeared in our November newsletter.

As mentioned in the earlier issue, Andy works with teams in his country, but also travels overseas to work on futsal-specific goalkeeper training. One of his recent trips was to New Zealand, where he worked with youth and NZ National Team goalies and participated in a series of friendly games between NZ and Australia, which used the games to prepare for the Futsal World Cup in Thailand.

Andy also discusses the development of futsal in England and the potential for a future professional league.

Those interested in his training methods can watch him in action on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLDeBsG1lF8&feature=g-crec-u

We suggest that you watch the video, but also make sure to read the instructional text that Andy adds below. Just click "read more" to access it.

Q: Tell us a little about how you approached your visit to New Zealand to train male and female goalies there and help prepare the top ones for that nation’s series of futsal friendly games with World Cup qualifier Australia.

Andy Reading (in red) helping New Zealand goalies prepare for their friendly series with Australia.

A: Bearing in mind that when I went to New Zealand the goalkeepers had no formal training, I conducted a two-day workshop and gave them a crash course in futsal goalkeeping, presenting each technique in stages. We would look at the basic movements of each technique step by step. For example, diving to save low shots on a hard futsal surface can be broken down into three movements. Working with the goalkeepers, I would ensure they could identify and understand the three movements and how the exercises relate to each movement in order to help reinforce this understanding.

Breaking the specific movements down is a useful reference for the goalkeepers – almost like a checklist ensuring that each movement is correctly executed before putting all of them together. Essentially, this provides a tool for reviewing and evaluating the technique on a continuing basis.  Once the basic principles were grasped, I would then progress the exercises to a more challenging level by moving the goalkeeper forward at a pace that works for them.

After the two-day crash course, the results were superb ­– 90 percent of the group of 26 took huge steps forward. Having previously asked what their expectations were for development, they left the course pleasantly surprised and motivated to continue learning.

Andy Reading, second from the right, back row, was a member of the coaching staff when New Zealand's national team  played Australia before the Futsal World Cup.

The following week, I worked with the four leading goalkeepers who were preparing for matches with World Cup-bound Australia. For five days of two two-hour sessions a day, we concentrated on each area of futsal goalkeeping and by day four and five, the goalkeepers were doing some advanced exercises to the point where we were incorporating scissor recovery when making the splits position, instant decision-making for using specific techniques in match-related situations and having the goalkeepers involved in open play. This was testament to their professional attitude and hard work that such progress was made so quickly. From a coach’s point of view, they had taken the first step successfully, which was rewarding and satisfying.

Q: You've brought your coaching techniques to many clubs in England, as well as to New Zealand, Scotland, Brazil, Holland, even tiny Guyana in the CONCACAF region. Futsal in nations such as Brazil, Spain and Portugal is far more advanced than in England, Ireland or the U.S. Talk a bit, if you would, about the development of the sport in the second and third tier of futsal nations. Interest in England appears to be growing quickly. Are you within reach of supporting a professional league – one where players make their living playing futsal? Would it involve teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, too?

A: I’ve been very fortunate to have experienced coaching in countries that are at different stages of their futsal development. This has helped me develop my coaching skills and the flexibility to work with goalkeepers of all levels and all ages. Working in such varied countries has given me plenty of food for thought as to where English futsal is concerned.

Futsal in England is a long way from turning professional and being played at a high level. The Football Association has recently been proactive in pushing futsal forward on several levels. First, there is a grass-roots program aimed at youth age to raise awareness of futsal and naturally enhance player standards for the future.  There is also an established national league that provides a competitive level of futsal, which has now expanded to a second division that demonstrates the expansion of futsal in this country.

England's National Futsal Team has improved, but the country isn't ready to support a professional league.

Although the results are mixed, at the elite level the English National Team is showing signs of improvement. Quality coaches from overseas  have been invited to join the effort to introduce advanced techniques. Having them lead sessions also is providing excellent opportunities for both coaches and players to learn from the best. The FA has also introduced coach-education programs to bring along the next generation of futsal coaches. There are signs of the game growing, but there is a long way to go before this great game of futsal becomes a professional sport.

For myself, that is why I have travel abroad, not only to build on things I learned during my playing career, but also because I want to work with the world’s best goalkeepers and coaches. From them, I can learn advanced futsal goalkeeping techniques that I can bring back to England and other countries to help raise the standards.

In terms of the other home nations, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, all are in their infancy where futsal is concerned. But knowing the people involved in each of the countries’ futsal programs, they are very passionate and enthusiastic about futsal and wanting to push it forward. It would be lovely to see a professional futsal league. It’s an aspiration I’m sure people in the UK futsal community will strive for, but it’s one step at a time! 

Q: Finally, from your CV, it would seem that you make your living coaching futsal. Is that true? What's your typical day like?

A: Sadly not, but I would love it to be my sole job and purpose in life as I am absolutely passionate about futsal! My “day job” is being a firefighter for Wiltshire County Fire Services, which keeps me very busy. I work four days continuously, then have four days off, which allows me to coach futsal. Essentially I have two jobs! 

A typical day working with a domestic Brazilian Club team entails a theory-based session based on goalkeeper techniques, followed by an hour’s session of practical goalkeeping. The goalkeepers will join in with team training for another hour and then the session breaks for lunch. On return, there will be a team meeting based on tactics that could involve looking at DVDs of opposition teams and also of the home club’s individual and collective performances. This provides targets for the goalkeepers/players to concentrate on that can be taken into practical training for the afternoon.

The goalkeepers again spend an hour working on goalkeeper-specific technical work, then join in again for the team training. At the end of the day, there would be an evaluation/review session to ensure both goalkeepers and coaches are moving in the right direction. The essential goal is to create targets for the goalkeepers to strive for to improve and develop. This would be a continual process.

Q: You mentioned last month that you’d be willing to organize futsal-goalkeeping clinics in North America. If someone’s interested in communicating with you about that or asking questions about goalie training in futsal, how do they contact you?

A: Yes, I would love to do clinics to spread the word of futsal and futsal goalkeeping. ,If I ever have the opportunity to work in North America, I would be very grateful for the opportunity. It would truly be an honor and privilege. Feel free to contact me at rewreading@yahoo.co.uk.