The Keeper Institute Podcast

As we approach the summer months, many athletes are gearing up for preseason training. But how do you ensure that you not only survive but thrive during this crucial time? On this episode, we'll cover essential strategies for preparing your body and mind for the upcoming season, so you can step onto the field confidently and ready to perform.

Welcome back to another episode of The Keeper Institute Podcast! Have you ever wondered what it takes to transition from coaching at a college level to working with a national team? Discover Morgan Ruhl's journey from college coaching to the Jamaican Women's National Team.  On this episode, we'll break down insights from Morgan Ruhl, who shares her unique experiences coaching the Jamaican Women's National Team, including the challenges and adaptations she faced along the way. 

Discover the inspiring journey of Jordyn Bloomer, a two-time Big Ten goalkeeper of the year. Learn her secrets to success, resilience, and teamwork in this exclusive interview. On this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Jordyn Bloomer, Racing Louisville's goalkeeper and a two-time Big Ten goalkeeper of the year. You might wonder, how does one navigate the challenges of being a goalkeeper, especially during the formative years in college? In this conversation, Jordyn shares her experiences, the lessons she learned, and how young goalkeepers can find their own paths to success.

In the world of professional sports, especially in women's soccer, resilience is not just a trait but a necessity. Kailen Sheridan, goalkeeper for North Carolina Courage, recently hit a remarkable milestone of 15,000 minutes in the NWSL. In this episode, we'll explore her journey, the lessons she's learned, and how her experiences can inspire others in their own paths. Sheridan's journey in the NWSL is filled with lessons that extend beyond the soccer field. Her story of resilience, adaptability, and joy serves as an inspiration for athletes and individuals alike. Remember, it's not just about the milestones you achieve but how you evolve along the way. 

Welcome back to another episode of the Keeper Institute Podcast! Today, we're diving deep into a topic that's close to our hearts: the journey of female coaches in sports. Why is it that women are often underrepresented in coaching roles? What hurdles do they face, and how can aspiring female coaches carve a pathway to success? On this episode, we'll explore these questions and provide actionable insights for anyone interested in coaching, regardless of gender.

Discover De'Aira Jackson's inspiring journey from collegiate soccer to becoming a professional goalkeeper in the NWSL. Learn about her challenges and triumphs along the way. In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of De'Aira Jackson, a professional goalkeeper currently playing for the Utah Royals in the NWSL. Her path to professional soccer is unique and filled with challenges, valuable lessons, and insights that aspiring athletes can learn from.

On this episode, pro goalkeeper Eric Dick shares the journey behind his 9-year MLS career — from growing up as a multi-sport athlete to betting on himself when it mattered most. We talk about investing in your development, embracing detours, staying ready when no one is watching, and what it really takes to last at the professional level. This one isn't just about goalkeeping. It's about resilience. Identity. And building a career you're proud of. 🎧 If you're chasing longevity — in sport or life — this episode is for you.

On this episode Tori is back with Jill! They discuss 3 ways you can advocate for yourself. Taking control of your journey and having conversations can help you be really intentional about training. And being intentional about training helps aid in your development. This episode is a great way to learn how you can take more control of your journey!  As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori is solo. She discusses ways that you can prep for preseason/Fall 2024. She gives a list of 3 main bullet point you can think over. One – take the time to rest. Two – train with a purpose both on and off the field. Three – enjoy the process. Summer is awesome because there is time to do all these things however we know it's important to be intentional about them so be sure to self-reflect and always ask for support! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill talk about try out season. At TKI, we know tryout season can be super stressful and it often comes with lots of questions. On this episode they go over 3 things to consider when trying out and deciding on what team to play for. The cool thing about this episode is these 3 tips extend beyond club tryout and can be useful when considering college and beyond! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori is joined by Kam Stablein to talk about coaching green flags. They cover 6 things that they consider green flags in coaches. They give these 6 points and examples as to why they believe that is important. TKI is always in your corner and they want to help you find your perfect fit! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!    

On this episode Tori and Jill are joined by Kam Stablein to talk about college recruiting. They know that this process is one of the harder and most exciting moments of a young athletes career. Thye discuss 4 pitfalls of recruiting as well as 3 MUSTS to consider during your process. TKI is always in your corner and they want to help you find your perfect fit! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill talk fostering health relationships with self. Disclaimer - we are NOT experts however we do have our own personal lived experiences. They discuss creating a health relationship with yourself when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and self-talk. If these are things you struggle with you are not alone. Be sure to listen to this episode to feel validated and supported! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill talk all about training objectives for goalkeepers 8 to 11. Thye go over 5 keys to training this age of goalkeepers. Often this age group is either overlooked OR overtrained but at TKI they believe that this age is part of the foundation to building a strong athlete/soccer player in general. Listen to the full episode to hear all about the 5 main objectives. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!    

WELCOME BACK TO A NEW SEASON OF THE KEEPER INSTITUTE PODCAST! On this episode Jill is solo! She discusses 3 solo non-traditional ways to improve your game. These 3 things can be done on your own and we believe will help you develop into the GK you want to be! As always please feel free to reach out with any questions of feedback! 

On this episode Tori is joined by both Jill and Kam Stablein. Coach Kam is discusses her upcoming 1v1 seminar and why it's important that as a coach and a player we continue to develop our knowledge around this element of the game. They discuss common mis conceptions, what success looks like, and how to get better at 1v1s. Make sure to head over to thekeeperinsitute.com today to sign up for one of the workshop dates!  As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori is joined by no one other than Erin McKinney. The two discuss internal validation and its importance in sport and in particular goalkeeping. Erin is coming off the Big 10 tournament and preparing for the NCAA tournament and gives us insight on how she builds her confidence and avoids using external validation to do so. They wrap up by giving some helpful advice and tools.  As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori is joined by 2 special guest, Christiana Ogunsami and Katie Cappelletti! The trio discusses managing pressure as an athlete. Katie, is a current D1 soccer player, and gives insight to what causes her to feel pressure, what it feels like and how she manages it. Christiana, is currently working on obtaining her doctorate in psychology, walks us through what causes pressure and gives feedback to Katie on her various answers. They wrap up by giving some helpful coping strategies and tools.  As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill are joined by a special guest, Zak Brahmbhatt. The crew discusses peaks and valleys and what you can do when things get hard. The 3 of them talk about how our journeys will always have ebbs and flows but there are things you can do to root yourself and focus on the process. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss the debrief. Debriefing is a massive part of session design and something that TKI uses to enhance sessions and overall learning. A good debrief not only recaps a session and what everyone learned. But also checks for understanding, creates awareness, and provides feedback for both player and coach. As always if you have any questions or feedback please reach out to us via social media or email! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss introspection! They go over 3 reasons why it is important to know who you are a as a goalkeeper and a person! They also give some practical tips on what this looks like and how you can prioritize this in your training and in life! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss in possession! They go over 3 reasons why it is important to prioritizes in possession as a goalkeeper! They also give some practical tips on what this looks like and how you can feel more confident with the ball at your feet. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

WELCOME TO SEASON 6!!! We are so excited to be on a brand new season, and that you have joined us on this journey! On this episode Tori and Jill discuss preseason! They cover different ways that you can rock preseason and give insight on what that looks like. They share experiences as both players and coaches on how you can get those most out of this time! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill celebrate the podcasts 100th EPISODE! They discuss what happened in the first 99 and where they are going in the next 100! Big shoutout to all of our listeners and thank you for taking all the time to listen and support TKI! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!  

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss being an in possession goalkeeper. They cover three reasons its important. They further break it down into what parents, coaches, and players can do to aid in this development. Listen to the episode to get all the details and be sure to check out the next one that will be all about scanning. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!   

On this episode Tori and Jill are joined by Chris Ogunsami. Chris discusses her upcoming mental health virtual series called Get Equipped. Get Equipped is meant to help players, coaches, and parents manage the chaos inside their minds. This will be a 4 part seminar that is highly interactive but also has the option to be done on your own. Beginning in April and ending in May, you will not want to miss this! Head over to thekeeperinstitute.com to sign up today! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss IDPs. They cover what they are, how they create them, and how you can uses them to help your goalkeepers. There are different ways to create IDPs and it's important to think about the needs of your team and the development of your goalkeepers. As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss why our exercises at TKI don't work.  This episode stemmed from thoughts after our presentations at United Soccer Coaches Convention. They gave 3 reasons as to why this might be the case for you. 1 – we tend to post only the "successful" attempts not the messiness that is 90% of a session. The messiness is the process and we, at TKI, have bought into that process. 2 – there are several things that go into what makes a session at TKI effective. Part one is session design but 2 is our teaching tools. 3 -  we have very special environment that we have intentionally curated that allows players the chance to fail and be supported. As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss the top 3 things they believe youth players need to keep improving on. The 3 things they agreed upon are being more athletic, getting comfortable overhead, and getting comfortable under pressure. They cover why they believe these are important and how you can start to work on them ASAP. If you want to know more and you want to get all the details make sure you listen to the full episode! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss 3 mistakes they've made. They dive(pun intended) into things related to both being a player and a coach. This episode is full of vulnerability and insight that they hope leaves you feeling like you are not alone and gives you ideas of things to think about. We're so happy you've joined us for 2023! As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss 3 ways you can control the game! One is control the space, whether that be the space behind the backline or the goal area. Two is control your tempo in possession. Three is controlling your self-talk.  This is arguable the most important because the way we talk to ourself will inform our decisions. If you want to know more and you want to get all the details make sure you listen to the full episode! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!   

On this episode Tori and Jill are joined by the one and only Christiana Ogunsami! Chris joins them to discuss healthy boundaries in sport. More specifically they talk about healthy boundaries with players and coaches and how players should be treated and how they can advocate for themselves. They also discuss how parents can help their athlete and give coaches some ways they can take accountability. As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss playing how youth players aren't pros. Thye discuss fours things that can help coaches and parent a like be there in the best way possible for their youth players! 1 is we need to acknowledge the pressure placed on these young players. Not asking to remove the pressure. Just acknowledge it. 2 is set players up for success. Do not expect a player to complete a task without working on it in training her the course of months. Progress isn't linear. 3 is let players make decisions- stop joysticking,. Your feedback on the sideline is critical. Ask players what they say, what was their intention. 4 is sideline behavior- are you creating an environment of psychological safety? Who is this about? As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss playing how to be a supportive soccer parent. They recognize the demands of parenting youth athletes and know it can be tricky finding the right things to say/do. They give a list of 5 helpful things you can do for you and your athlete! As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss playing the 3 c's. The 3 c's stand for clean coaches communication. They cover 3 things coaches(and anyone communicating) can do to help them be the best communicator they can be. 1 is set an intended outcome, 2 is you have to be aligned, 3 is consistent vocabulary. As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss playing a high line. Playing a high line requires bravery and support. The goal of this episode is to help goalkeepers and coaches understand how to effectively play a high line. The 3 things to focus when working on playing on a high line are: assume risk and be brave, instill principles in our decision making, and create this environment in training for goalkeepers to work on it. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss distribution. They cover different methods to delivering the ball to teammate, in particular after making saves. They discuss why at TKI we preach no punting, as well as give alternatives to punting. As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss sacrifice. Along the way of your journey you will need to make sacrifices but something that is important to consider is what is it that you are sacrificing?! While there is nothing inherently wrong with goals, aspirations, and sacrificing what is important is to remember why you are doing it and to live within your values. Remember the journey is the gift and you want to enjoy that all the time!  As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss the top 3 thing you need to develop. At The Keeper Institute we firmly believe your development, as a goalkeeper and as person, are of the utmost importance! Our top 3 are: play in as many games as possible, create an inner circle, and work your edges by being brave. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss communication. Communicating is a hot button phrase and can seem hard to implement so here Tori and Jill give 5 pieces of communication you can use and break down when to use them! As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill are joined by Christiana Ogunsami aka Big Dog. They come together to discuss athlete mental health and why it's so important. We all have mental health and its normal for it to ebb and flow. Christiana breaks down how you can care for your mental health and what techniques/resources there are to support you or a teammate in need! We are so grateful that you chose to give this a listen today and we believe that this is one of the most important messages we can share! As always feel free to reach out with any questions! 

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss how you can rock your next college showcase. The list focuses on 4 simple tips to set you up for success. Step 1 send out specific emails with detail. Step 2 get there early and showcase your skills in the warmup. Step 3 focus on your controllable – think communication and body language. Lastly follow up with an email to the schools that attended. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss 5 lessons they have learned from coaching some of the best goalkeepers in the world. They discuss different areas of the game that these players focus on and how their mentality and training habits set them apart. Working alongside these athletes is always a blast and teaches you more about developing as a coach every season/off-season.  As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss 3 things that your coach wants you to know. They give you a chance to peek inside their coaching brains. They believe that these 3 things are key to helping goalkeepers unlock there best selves! The 3 key things are risk is relative, it's okay to make mistakes, and you are more than your performance. As always feel free to reach out with any questions!

On this episode Tori and Jill discuss goals and aspirations. Setting goals and going after them is a part of sport but so often we consume ourselves with the result. Tori and Jill discuss the importance of finding peace in the process. We must in enjoy the steps along the way not just the finished product and Jill gives insight on how to do so. As always feel free to reach out with any questions or comments!