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Title: Exercises for Field Hockey goalkeepers in the 11-

12 year old category, a proposal

Abstract

Hockey is defined as a sport where two teams face each other in a limited and

standardized field, where the performance of the goalkeeper is decisive, and it is essential

in Villa Clara, where an analysis and bibliographic review of various works on the field

hockey theme; b) phase of establishing the exercises, through methodological workshops

with 14 field hockey coaches from the province; c) assessment of the result obtained by

the criteria of specialists, all of which allowed validating the result obtained, constituting

an important element for the work of coaches in this sport.

Keywords: technical-tactical training, field hockey, goalkeepers, initiation

Introduction

His game is very dynamic and creative, with changing actions characterized by a lot of

personal contact that requires high tactical discipline, where periods of different

intensities and high neuromuscular demands alternate with periods of less intensity

(Taylor, Wright, Dischiavi, & Townsend, 2017). ; (Haro, Torres, Casamichana, Romero,

Morencos and Rodas, 2021).

At present, studies on the analysis of the game action in this sport have increased. Various

studies have been carried out regarding the goal action in this sport, however, the existing

scientific literature on field hockey is not as abundant as in other sports games. Both

get more than half of their goals from strategic actions, including penalty corners.

Although it is possible to find studies carried out on game actions, in which the figure of

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the goalkeeper implicitly intervenes, there are few works aimed at addressing exercises

for the training of this position in particular (Echevarría, Tamayo and Jeffers, 2020).

The field hockey goalkeeper is the base player of a team and enjoys a privileged position

due to the frequency of his interventions and the importance of them. Apart from his stick,

he is the only one who can touch the ball with kicks and gloves inside the goal area. His

behavior especially influences more than any other player in the performance of the team,

which in the final part can influence between 50-70% in the result.

defending against any attack on his team's goal and represents 50% security for himself.

As the last defender, his main concern is the player who has the ball and he has a great

impact on the failure or success of the team, since the main objective of this game is to

score the goal and its function is to avoid it. Therefore, they must have a good preparation

(theoretical, technical-tactical, physical and psychological) to be able to fulfill their

functions within the game (Estellano and Paniceres, 2017); (Vazquez, 2018).

Such characteristics make the goalkeeper the most important player who opposes the goal

action executed by the rivals. However, in the review of the documents issued for the

analysis of the results of the 11-12 year old Field Hockey team of Villa Clara, belonging

In another order of analysis, the Comprehensive Field Hockey Athlete Preparation

Program (PIPD) does not contain precise guidelines that enable coaches to develop

technical-tactical defensive actions within the process of preparing school goalkeepers.

Hence, it is so timely to address the issue of actions that lead to the improvement of

technical-tactical defensive actions of goalkeepers, since it is a need derived from the

characteristics of competitive activity to face current challenges (Jiménez, 2011);

Tamayo, Echevarria, and Jeffers, 2019).

As has been previously evidenced, research on the subject has been directed towards the

offensive performance of the game, with defensive actions being more relegated,

School sport creates the bases for the relay for national teams, to achieve this it is

necessary to develop a whole series of aspects that are implicit from the time the child

enters a sports facility for the first time, until his consolidation as a player (Calero , 2019).

In sports initiation, the assimilation of sports technique for its improvement must be

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worked very carefully (Castejón, 2002). Therefore, this brings with it the need to dedicate

more time within the annual preparation to the technical-tactical training of players,

especially field hockey goalkeepers (Echevarría, Tamayo and Jeffers, 2020b).

However, the methodology used by coaches when working with goalkeepers in the Villa

Clara province is insufficient (Estellano and Paniceres, 2017); (Tamayo and Echevarría,

2020). In the field hockey learning process, despite having the PIPD, there is no logical

order of the basic fundamentals of teaching according to this specific function, showing

characteristics of their performance in the game.

The importance of the research lies in the fact that exercises are proposed for the teaching-

learning of the technical-tactical actions of the Field Hockey goalkeeper 11-12 years old,

based on the real actions of the game that this player faces, to fulfill with his offensive

and defensive performance efficiently in the match.

Materials and methods

covered a period between September 2018 to February 2019.

An analysis and bibliographic review of studies that describe the theme of goalkeeper

training were carried out, and these actions have been addressed in a general way. In this

phase, an interview was also conducted with the coaches of the Villa Clara province, with

five open questions, which allowed determining the conception used in the technical-

tactical defensive training of goalkeepers. The analysis of the demands of the game and

the training protocols used by Beach Volleyball coaches at this level in the province was

deepened.

years. In addition to having experience as field hockey coaches between 4 and 28 years.

These trainers were used to structure the exercises.

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Two Methodological Workshops were held within the framework of provincial technical

updates developed by this sport. The first of them was held in the month of March, this

first work session aimed to update current trends in the game of field hockey and analyze

the studies that constitute background. Here the principal investigator served as moderator

and conductor. The purpose was to update the technical force on the subject and current

trends in sports training, so that they could later make accurate assessments for the

establishment of exercises.

antecedents.

In a second moment of the workshop, there is a discussion, debate and exchange with the

coaches on some important issues previously seen. As a result of the work sessions with

the coaches of the province and through the Brainstorming technique, exercises were

established for the defensive technical-tactical training of field hockey goalkeepers in the

11-12 year old category.

In the third phase of the process, a consultation meeting was held with specialists to assess

the result of the exercise proposal. For this, the characteristics or requirements that these

research related to the Theory and Methodology of Sports Training .

The group of specialists was made up of 11 members and they were used to obtain

their assessment of the work carried out, in terms of the following aspects:

✓ Formal quality, if the result is appropriate to the characteristics of technical-

tactical training in field hockey for beginners.

✓ Practical utility, its use allows defensive technical-tactical training for field

hockey goalkeepers in the 11-12 year old category in a contextualized manner and

make decisions or establish measures to improve training.

✓ Specificity, if the result is characteristic of the structural and functional actions of

Results and Discussion

As a result of the first phase of the investigation, it was possible to appreciate, in the

interview carried out with the 14 coaches of the province, that they present deficiencies

in relation to the treatment provided, from the methodological point of view, to the

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defensive technical-tactical exercises of the field hockey goalkeepers in the 11-12 year

old category.

The fundamental conception used by them lies in conceiving the actions of goalkeepers

in correspondence with the characteristics of competitive activity. On the other hand, with

the bibliographic review it was possible to verify that the works related to the subject do

not address the category of initiation 11-12 years.

(2020a).

In the second phase, technical-tactical defensive exercises were established for field

hockey goalkeepers in the 11-12 year old category, which are shown below.

Exercise 1.

Objectives: Clear a ball thrown by the attacker into free space.

Foundation: Based on a real game situation, the goalkeeper clears a ball thrown by the

attacker into free spaces, trying to keep it as far away as possible.

Methodology: The goalkeepers clear a ball thrown by the attacker to the free space distant

from the opponent, with displacement.

Aspects that are accentuated.

The goalkeeper who clears the ball must:

Materials: Ten balls, two teams of goalkeepers, terrain, six obstacles.

Variants: They can be 1 vs 1, 1 vs 2 or in a 3 vs 2 situation.

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Name: King goalkeeper.

Objectives: To develop displacement and anticipation skills.

Foundation: Based on a real game situation, it allows more time to react to the actions

of the opponent, allowing the goalkeeper to have more time to decide the action variable

in the game situation.

Methodology: Two goalkeepers are separated by a distance of 6 meters, a ball is placed

between them, both are placed in basic position at the voice of the coach, they run to take

the ball and the one who does not take it must touch the partner's back before he passes

the catcher's starting line. It is repeated several times.

Name: Varied clearance.

Objectives: To develop displacement and anticipation skills.

Foundation: Based on a real game situation, the goalkeeper clears a ball thrown by the

attacker into empty space or sidelines.

Methodology: A specialized obstacle is placed longitudinally behind the penalty-stroke

point, the goalkeeper is placed in the goal, the coach is placed on the opposite side

separated by one meter. When the goalkeeper is ready, the coach begins to throw balls

Name: Directed balls.

Objectives: To develop displacement and anticipation skills.

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Foundation: Based on a real game situation, the goalkeeper develops the ability to guide

clearances in different game situations, directing them in directions that do not complicate

the defensive tactical situation of the team.

Methodology: The goalkeeper stands at the goal, two mini goals are placed in the area

where the clearance should be directed, balls are hit slowly from the edge of the area and

as soon as it is hit, the goalkeeper is told where to direct the ball. , so you will have to

choose the right clearance technique. The number of goals scored by the goalkeeper is

counted and a competition between goalkeepers is established. Do not throw more than

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They valued that the result has specificity, since its structuring is based on the functional

analysis of the field hockey game in the school category, in addition to considering the

internal logic and the characteristics of the game in the 11-12 year old category. 100% of

the specialists also considered that this result fulfills the purposes for which it was

conceived and that it could contribute to the development of technical-tactical skills in

goalkeepers.

Finally they stated that, if it has great possibilities of generalization, because the

developing goalkeeping skills to play with the feet, the stick and support the ball carrier

near the 14.63 meter area.

It was taken into account for the structuring of the exercises, that in the action of the game

there is a high number of structural elements such as teammates, adversaries, mobile and

spatial goals to defend and/or attack. All of which demands that the players are subjected

to constant decision-making, to make their game actions effective, in an environment of

constant uncertainty, which may be regarding the information coming from the physical

medium, and/or regarding the interaction with teammates and/or opponents.

techniques used by the goalkeeper.

The exercises designed to treat the defensive actions of goalkeepers enrich the scarce

specialized bibliography that exists on the subject in question, which benefits not only the

level of knowledge of the coaches, but also, to a certain extent, allows them to the players,

prepare theoretically to better study the game that takes place in this area of the Field

Hockey field, so important and decisive in the victory or defeat of the match.

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The conception of the proposal of exercises for the treatment of the technical-tactical

actions of the defense in the goalkeepers, has a high practical utility and represents a

methodological contribution to the problem that is addressed, according to the criteria

expressed by the specialists.