040-041: Mastering Technique with Paul Blodgett

After dedicating nearly four decades of his life to teaching and training the best goalkeepers in New Jersey, Paul Blodgett has tremendous experience and plenty of insight on the position. The head of the Paul Blodgett Goalkeeper Training School brings that expertise to bear in a special two-part interview on the best ways to help keepers develop – and understand – proper technique.

After leading the Rutgers men’s goalkeeping corps during their heyday in the 1980s and ’90s, Paul moved on to the women’s professional game and now to the women’s collegiate game at The College of New Jersey, in addition to starting his own goalkeeping school.

In Part I of the interview, Paul addresses the importance of tactical development, even as it relates to training technique. He emphasizes the role of goalkeeper coach as teacher more than trainer, and also talks about his methods for encouraging risk-taking in his students.

In Part II, we dig into more of the nuts and bolts of Paul’s methodology, and some of the systems he uses to make sure keepers understand why they’re using the techniques they’re using. He also outlines ways in which he helps that technique become automatic.

Along the way, Paul also talks through his extensive coaching career, including some of the lessons – and many of the benefits – that he drew from the thousands of goalkeepers that he’s worked with.

We cover a lot of ground in the two episodes, and there’s even more in the Outtakes segment below. I hope you enjoy it!

Special thanks to Paul Blodgett for joining me!