Spotting a Young Goalkeeper Prodigy: Early Signs That Investing in Training Will Pay Off

Becoming a great goalkeeper is a journey that mixes natural instinct, coaching, mindset, and years of small habits. For parents and coaches, one of the hardest early decisions is determining whether a young goalkeeper truly has the potential worth investing real time, money, and structured training. Specialized goalkeeper coaching is not cheap, and the road is long. But recognizing genuine talent in the early years can save families unnecessary spending and open real opportunities later—scholarships, academy trials, paid coaching work, or even brand partnerships with companies like Pinco.

This article explores the clearest early indicators of goalkeeping talent and how those indicators connect to long-term financial benefits. Whether you're a parent trying to make smart decisions, a youth coach wanting to support development, or a young keeper wondering if you're on the right path, these signs help highlight when investment in training will genuinely pay off.

1. Natural Fearlessness: The Foundation of Elite Goalkeeping

Fearlessness is one trait you cannot teach easily. While diving at an attacker’s feet or throwing yourself into a crowded penalty area can be learned over time, true instinctive bravery stands out immediately in young keepers.

A child who:

• dives without hesitation

• attacks loose balls

• doesn’t flinch during shots

• stays aggressive in 1v1 situations

…is displaying one of the rarest goalkeeper qualities.

Why it matters financially:
A fearless kid accelerates through training milestones faster. That means fewer expensive basic sessions and a higher ceiling for future development. Investing in their training early is far more likely to produce long-term results, including opportunities such as academy placements or scholarship offers—saving families thousands down the road.

2. Sharp Hand–Eye Coordination and Ball Tracking

Some kids just “see” the ball better. It’s obvious in small details: they catch cleanly, react quickly, and position their hands naturally.

Signs of elite coordination include:

• soft, controlled catches

• fast reactions

• accurate punching and parrying

• ability to read the ball’s trajectory early

For a young keeper, strong natural coordination is a cheat code for training. Coaches can spend less time fixing fundamentals and more time building advanced technique.

Financial impact:
Parents get more return per coaching session. Progress becomes visible quickly, which is a strong indicator that money spent on goalkeeper development is being maximized.

3. Rapid Decision-Making Under Pressure

The best goalkeepers aren’t just athletic—they’re fast thinkers. Even at 8 or 10 years old, some kids show an unusual ability to choose correctly in chaotic moments.

You might notice:

• rushing at the perfect moment

• staying deep when needed

• reading attackers’ intentions

• distributing the ball strategically

This is goalkeeper IQ, and it’s hard to teach from scratch.

When a young keeper shows these instincts early, it suggests a high future ceiling. These players are often the ones who stand out to scouts and academy coaches—opening future opportunities for funded development or scholarships.

4. Naturally Vocal Leadership

A child shouting instructions to defenders, calling “keeper!” confidently, and taking charge of situations is showing leadership qualities far beyond their age.

Most youth players stay quiet.
Goalkeepers can’t afford to.

If your child is vocal naturally, it signals something special. Coaches love vocal keepers, and leadership becomes a major advantage as they progress through competitive levels.

Financial relevance:
Leadership makes them more appealing for elite teams, which often reduces training costs through better coaching environments and sometimes subsidized programs. It also boosts long-term opportunities, including coaching roles or paid training work when they’re older.

5. Emotional Resilience: The Make-or-Break Trait

Young keepers who bounce back quickly after conceding a goal show elite-level mentality.

Resilient kids:

• avoid blaming others

• reset immediately

• stay confident after mistakes

• maintain focus through pressure

This trait is priceless. Without emotional resilience, talent can crumble under stress—making early investment less valuable. But with it, money spent on training becomes long-term growth, not short-term frustration.

6. Obsession: The Strongest Predictor of Future Success

If a young goalkeeper:

• watches goalkeeper videos

• wants extra training

• practices dives in the backyard

• imitates pro keepers

• carries their gloves everywhere

…this is a huge sign.

Talent matters, but obsession creates champions.

You can invest money into training, but you cannot force a child to love the game. A keeper who genuinely wants to improve will make the most of every coaching session and grow without constant pressure. This intrinsic motivation also attracts attention from coaches and programs, sometimes even earning sponsorship from youth-friendly companies like Pinco.

7. Physical Attributes That Enhance Goalkeeping

You don’t need to be tall to start as a youth goalkeeper, but certain physical traits give natural advantages:

• long arms

• strong leg spring

• unusual flexibility

• good balance

• fast reflexes
  
  

These traits amplify training. If you spot them early, structured coaching becomes significantly more valuable, because the player already has a natural foundation that multiplies growth.

Why Investing Early Can Pay Off Financially

If a child shows three or more of the traits above, early goalkeeper training becomes a smart financial decision rather than a gamble.

Clear financial benefits include:

• scholarship potential for academies, high schools, or universities

• increased chances of making elite teams that offer subsidized training

• better coaching earlier, reducing wasted spending later

• opportunities for earning income as a teen, such as helping at camps or running small training sessions

• social media opportunities, where many young keepers now build followings and earn income through content, sponsorships, or affiliate deals (sometimes even collaborating with companies similar to Pinco

Goalkeeper training becomes an investment, not just an expense.

Conclusion

Spotting natural goalkeeper talent early helps parents and coaches avoid unnecessary costs, focus training at the right time, and give young players a meaningful advantage. Fearlessness, coordination, fast decision-making, leadership, resilience, and a natural love for the position are the biggest indicators that training will produce real rewards—both on the field and financially.

When these signs appear together, the path ahead becomes clearer: structured training is not only worthwhile, it can become the gateway to future opportunities, stability, and success in the world of soccer.

Gloves Off Interviews

Starting in 2024, the now revamped version of Inside the 18’s Gloves Off features interviews with retired goalkeepers. Highlighting the forgotten moments, standards of the times, and highs/lows with the goalkeeper’s career, Gloves Off aims to be a historical documentation of top goalkeepers from eras that came and went before the advent of social media.

Gloves Off Interviews

Lori Kats - First All-American Goalkeeper (1980)

Joan Schockow - 4x All-American Goalkeeper (1980-1983)

Heather Taggart - 2x All-American Goalkeeper (90-91), ‘91 GOTY

Jen Renola - 3x All-American Goalkeeper (94-96), 25th Anniversary Team

Quentin Westberg Interview

This interview was originally posted on SoccerOverThere on October 18, 2014

Quentin Westberg is a French-American goalkeeper who represented the US with the U17, U20 and U23 youth national teams. Last season his club Luzenac earned promotion into Ligue 2 but were awkwardly rejected admittance into the second division. Westberg talks about his ties to both America and France, what was happening behind the scenes at Luzenac, and where he is now in the search for a new club. For more about how Westberg ended up in a city with a population of just 650, read Michael Yokihn’s fantastic piece on Westberg.

Why move to France to play? From a US national team fan’s perspective, there’s the worry that you’ll fall off the radar going overseas. You could have stayed close here in the US, near the National Team coaches, and work your way to MLS.

I was born and raised in France. So France is where I discovered soccer, really. I always played there apart from the US youth national teams, although I always felt more American as an athlete. Early on in my career, I had the opportunity to come to MLS but I chose to stay in Europe, despite being really interested, because I felt Europe was where the best soccer was played at the time. I know from an American standpoint France L1 is a lower league compared to the EPL, for example, but the league is very tough and usually players who stands out there does very well in England or Spain, such as Benzema, Ribery, Drogba, and Hazard.

Can you expand on feeling more “American as an athlete”? I assume you mean you wanted to play for America but still rooted for both them and France in the last World Cup?

I grew up in France with an American dad and a French mom. I am very proud of both my cultures. I have been and still often asked here in France why I chose to play for the U.S. at such a young age, instead of taking a shot at French national youth teams like I could have when I was 16. It was clear to me, even before I had to make a choice, that I wanted to play for the U.S. because playing sports in America is way different than it is here. Or anywhere else I know. I was lucky to experience four promotions with professional clubs here in France but my best soccer memories were with the US national team.

Luzenac’s situation was confusing to say the least. Luzenac earned promotion, then it was denied, it went to hearings and courts but continued to hit a wall again and again. So without beating a dead horse, what’s an aspect about this that isn’t getting out to the public? Surely it wasn’t just that Luzenac didn’t have the financial stability and appropriate stadium to move up, right?

Confusing for sure… A complete joke, if you ask me. The club was denied access to Ligue 2 for a lot of reason but no particular one in the end except being a small and ambitious club that represented a whole region and not one big town. First it was money problems, then a stadium problem but it turned out there were no big enough problems to deny our promotion. It just took until September 10th to prove all of that and that’s when a judge considered it was too late to place us in any league.

It’s a huge disappointment for everybody that followed the club. And it’s a wrong message to send to people that love promotion/relegation, proving it’s not as simple as it seems. From a player’s point of view, it’s kind of hard to accept that even after a great year filled with success, you can still be left out of a League you deserved to play in.

What are Luzenac’s plans moving forward? I saw they released all the first team players but I haven’t seen anything about where, or if, they club will be placed for next season.

The club now only exists at the level its reserve team used to play, in French 7th division. That level, not being professional. All the player’s contracts where annulled in early September, when all the leagues had been playing for at least five weeks. Luzenac went from being a professional club, whose general manager was Fabien Barthez (a former World Cup winner and a couple of times best goalkeeper in the world) to a random club team like one of the hundreds in France.

You’re one of the few players left that hasn’t signed with another club. Are you talking with any clubs at the moment?

I have been in contact with a few clubs since being officially out of contract on September 10th. Even when our promotion got denied, Fabien Barthez asked me to stay with them to fight for promotion all over again, but the club didn’t even stay in that division and its professional side was dissolved. I had an offer from a Portuguese 1st division club early in August, but at the time the club [Luzenac] was really confident everything would fall into place. Since September 10th I’ve had quite a few contacts, mostly with French sides, but since it’s so late into the season, all the clubs had already all of their roster’s need for goalkeepers. We are not like forwards where you can afford having five or six. Most professional clubs have three, and in 95% of cases, all 3 goalkeepers are signed by pre-season.

I have always wanted to play in MLS at some point in my career. Over these past 8-10 years, I have had the opportunity a few times but it never worked out, mostly for calendar reasons. I would love to have this opportunity again sooner or later. Maybe now is the time, maybe I will discover another European league. Regardless, I still practice six times a week with my goalkeeper coach so I am ready for whatever challenge comes up for me next.

Quentin recently posted highlights, covering games over the past four years.

Patrick McLain Interview

The interview was originally posted on SoccerOverThere on October 29, 2024

At what point did you aspire to play goalkeeper professionally?

When I was younger I wanted to play professional American football because my grandfather had played professionally. While I was fairly talented, I had a very serious head injury when I was twelve years old. I had to sit out from all sports for over a year and was no longer allowed to play American football. I started playing baseball at two but soccer always captivated my attention.

I didn’t take the idea of being a professional player seriously until I was about sixteen. The quality of soccer offered where I grew up (Eau Claire, Wisconsin) was quite low, as were the opportunities for Division I exposure. So I made the decision to play for a premier-level club team in Minnesota, a two hour commute each way for practices and games. By the grace of God and the receptive heart of my coach Pepe Jon Chavez I found a place to play, and was playing at the Disney showcase weeks later. The time I put in paid off, and despite arriving late to the recruiting process, I landed several D1 offers.

How’d you end up at Cal Poly? Were you looking at any other schools?

I actually had visited Creighton the week before Cal Poly and was 98% sure that’s where I wanted to be. Then I visited Cal Poly, and my mind was changed almost instantaneously. Something about Cal Poly just told me, “this is where you have to go to become a pro”. As someone who loves to train, I recognized the unique opportunity Californians have to train outside all year-round. I was confident that with my work ethic, the opportunity to train outside all year, and with coach Paul Holocher and Brian Reed’s soccer intelligence, I would become a well-developed professional player.

There’s an ongoing debate about the usefulness of college soccer in developing players. However, college has done really well in developing American goalkeepers. So from someone who’s been there, do goalkeepers develop better in college versus field players?

I don’t think goalkeepers get anything different from going through the college process, but I do think they have the tendency to stay more focused on their goals. I think the reason our country produces good goalkeepers in the first place can be easily traced back to the first sports we learn, as Americans, are typically baseball and football; two sports that rely heavily on hand-eye coordination. For this reason, I think the overall transition of most American athletes into a goalkeeper role is a little more seamless.

But really it all depends on the player, and I think MLS franchises are beginning to realize that. We see many more home-grown players signed each year and many skipping the college process. For a player coming out of high school knowing he wants to be a professional player, going to college might not be the best thing. In fact, it might be the wrong thing. The are a number of mandatory and cultural distractions presented from being in a college environment. But the successful players, goalkeeper or not, are often the ones not getting caught-up in the “college life”. The guys that are going to make it coming out of college are the ones who know where their priorities lie.

You went undrafted out of college yet ended up with Chivas in 2012. What was that experience like? How early were you in talks with Chivas? Were you confident you’d end up with an MLS team before the draft? After you went undrafted?

I had been in talks with Chivas as well as other teams prior to the draft. I trained with Chivas for a summer before my junior year of college, and knew a few people at the club. Personally, I was surprised to go undrafted but wasn’t surprised that Chivas drafted Brian Rowe.

At the beginning of the Chivas’ preseason in 2012, the message was that Brian and I would be competing for the third spot. Brian is a very talented goalkeeper, and an exceptional individual off the field, so I was honored to compete against him. After two months of us duking-it-out, fortunately, I was able to win the job, and Brian obviously found a home with the LA Galaxy. But through the entire process I was confident that despite whatever circumstances I encountered God would show me the path and shoulder the pressure. He’s given me talent and I knew it would eventually show through.

Chivas was in and out of the news for various things during your time there. What was the locker room vibe like during this time? Did any of you feel external pressure on the team because of it?

During the 2012 season everything was pretty clear-cut, and despite our results I had a lot of faith in our leaders. Robin Fraser, Greg Vanney, Carlos Llamosa, Daniel Gonzalez and everyone on staff were very respectful people and great coaches. I was more than happy to work for our team and for them. They gave me my first professional contract and I am so thankful for that. However, there were definitely moments during the 2013 season in particular that got a little questionable. The allegations against Chivas USA, and the reason they were in the news, were racism and discrimination related issues, and I wish I could say those things didn’t occur.

During the bulk of that season, after many of the non-Latino players were transferred out, I was one of three or four non-Hispanic players who remained. El Chelis was the first coach of that season and he was very respectful of American culture. I would play for him again in a heartbeat. He made an effort to learn English, and communicate with every player. What Chelis could not communicate in English was always translated for the non-Spanish speaking players, such as myself.

Unfortunately, the next coaching staff to come in midway through the 2013 season was very different. The coaching staff was unable to communicate in English and were not good about translating for those of us who didn’t speak Spanish. I was punished by this coaching staff towards the end of the season for not understanding something that was said to me in Spanish, because it was not translated for me, therefore I did not respond to it. I was called into the coach’s office and helplessly tried to plead my ignorance of my apparent disrespect. There was no interpreter present and my message was not received. As punishment, I was demoted from second on the depth chart to third.

After the incident I was more vocal about the flagrant discrimination taking place and as a result I found myself without a job in MLS at the end of the 2013 season. I decided it was in my best interest to not pursue legal action because I just wanted to find another club in MLS and put this whole experience behind me. Turns out, it’s difficult to find an MLS club who is interested when you are released from the worst team in the league.

I’m a very proud American, I have had family in nearly every war this country has fought in. My family has laid down their lives in the protection of our freedoms and what this country stands for. To be walked on, and treated with such disrespect was a very dissolving feeling. I stood up for what I believed, and, knowing the outcome, I would do it again.

Were there any whispers of Chivas folding or taking a hiatus in the next coming years?

There were always whispers at Chivas. Whispers of rebranding, moving the team, selling the team, etc. Since nothing ever came to fruition during the time I was there, I never invested too much in those rumors.

Playing behind Dan Kennedy, what was the aspect of Kennedy’s game that really stood out to you?

Dan is a fantastic professional. The way communicates with players on and off the field shows how much of a competitor he is. He’s a smart pro, helps the other goalkeepers, but knows how to keep himself in the number one spot. Dan is someone I deeply respect because he’s been through it. All of it. He’s had to battle for his opportunity and when it arrived he took it.

On the field specifically, the one thing I hoped to emulate from Dan’s game was his ability to stand players up in the correct position [on a 1v1 situation] rather than try to make anticipations. I believe him and Stefan Frei do this better than anyone else in MLS. Dan and Stefan are always putting themselves in the best position to get hit by the ball. As cliché as that might sound, it’s truly an art when done correctly.

You weren’t re-signed by Chivas after the 2013 season but you signed with the OC Blues, who you had played with on loan that season. What was that transition like? Did you have some sense that you’d end up with OC in the long run?

After my time spent on loan with the Blues I did not foresee a return to that team in any format. When I had been released from Chivas I was being encouraged to go to the LA Blues by certain people but I wanted to look for another opportunity in the MLS. However, when the end of January rolled around the Blues was the only place I had an offer from. Looking back, I should have been more hands-on with my career and not to leave my destiny in the hands of someone else. No one cares about my career as much as I do, so if I want a job, I need to guarantee it myself.

In February of 2014 I ultimately made the decision to go to the OC Blues because the goalkeeper coach they had in place, Mike Oseguera. Mike was supposed to be on for the 2014 season and was a game-changer in my mind. Mike is a very talented young goalkeeper coach. His perspective on the game and ability to psychologically build and maintain confident goalkeepers is very special. In addition to playing every week, and gaining the experience I was lacking, I knew Mike would be a great person to help develop my game, and help me get back into MLS swiftly. Unfortunately, he was fired without explanation two weeks after the start of the season. He deserves a shot as a goalkeeper coach in the professional game, and I know it’s just a matter of time before he gets it again. I don’t believe in being a victim of circumstance, so despite the abrupt release of Mike Oseguera I tried to make the most out of the things outside of my control. I knew I still had to make the most out of my time spent at the Blues, and did everything in my power to make sure the club was successful while I was in net.

You played 15 games with OC but were released midway through the season. OC ended up using five different goalkeepers that season and really struggled to have some consistency back there. What happened there?

Using five separate goalkeepers on any team will result in a problem with consistency. Benching goalkeepers when they have success, and benching them if they make one mistake will also create problems with consistency. Playing a different backline each game will also cause inconsistency.

With that being said, my departure from the Blues was an unfortunate one. My parents raised me to have high self-worth, to show respect in order to be respected. I don’t settle to be treated with anything less than the respect and fairness I show others. Without getting into the details too much, I’ll say that before the beginning of August I felt the time had arrived, after very close and tedious deliberation, that I no longer desired a future with the OC Blues. I thought in the best interest of my career to no longer be a part of the Blues organization. I will add, though, that I would do anything for my teammates there. They are an amazing group of guys and I’m so thankful they have supported me through this decision.

The Blues refused to release my contract for over a month after my first request for them to do so. In doing so many transfer windows abroad closed. Since the Blues had my option for another year, and I did not trust the people in control of the club, I made the decision to offer to buy out my contract with my own money. I did this so I could be free to pursue other avenues freely. It ended up costing me every penny I had saved. I know this was a huge risk and I’ve taken a financial hit but I’m a fierce competitor and I know I have what it takes to be a starter in MLS, if not somewhere else. I believe in my abilities, and know I will find the right place.

What clubs are you in talks with now?

I can’t say specifically what teams I’ve been talking to, but I will tell you there has been a lot of interest from Sweden, as well as the US and a few other countries. I will do whatever it takes to be successful in this business. I plan on making it my career for the next twenty years and will play until my muscles stop working. I love the game. I’m willing to fight for what I love and to compete every day for the right to call this my profession.

I know some of the things I’ve said are controversial but I think it’s important for people to know the truth about me, instead of making assumptions based on rumors of what may or may not have taken place. I’ve been deeply blessed and I’ve learned much from my experiences so far. I know I have the strength to fight for and endure whatever comes next. I try not to cling too much to the past and I’m confident in the path that has been placed in front of me. I’m excited for what the future has in store.