Adelaide Gay: Chapter 15 - The Art of Goalkeeping

I really think when you're a goalkeeper, you're just trying to keep your team in a position to win. And that was especially true at UNC because I knew we were going to score a goal at some point. So at any point in time, if I could just keep it at zero or keep it at one, or keep it at two, even you know, you're keeping your team in a position to win. And so I really don't remember too much about it in particular while it was happening, but looking back on it, that was pretty awesome.

You're listening to the Vision of a Champion podcast with Anson Dorrance, eight time coach of the year, 22 time national champion coach of the 1991 Women's World Cup, Team hall of Famer, leader and mentor to so many in the soccer community. On this podcast, Anson brings on players and coaches to discuss what it means to be a champion. The drive, the passion, the desire, and yes, the stories.

Here's your host, Voice of the North Carolina Courage and North Carolina FC Dean Linke.

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Vision of a Champion podcast. I'm your host, Dean Linke, longtime soccer broadcaster and the voice of the North Carolina Courage of the nwsl. We have a former UNC national champion calling in from Denmark to talk about Chapter 15 of the Vision of a Champion podcast. And today we get a chance to talk about the art of goalkeeping. Our special guest today is Adelaide Gay, who is a former goalkeeper for the Portland Thorns of the NWSL and the current keeper for FC Nordschlein in the Denmark Elite Division. While at uncle, Adelaide was named a first Team Capital One Academic All America by College Sports Information Directors of America. Adelaide also earned Academic All District honors, all ACC Academic team selection. Named to the Dean's List both semesters of 2011 and 12 seasons. She was tapped for the 2012 ACC Academic Honor Roll and started the last 18 games of the season after Hannah Daly went down with a shoulder surgery. During her senior year with the Tar Heels, Adelaide helped UNC win their 21st national championship title. A pleasure to be with you, Adelaide. Thanks for being on Vision of a Champion.

I am really excited to be here. I miss all of you guys. I miss Anson. I miss unc. So it is great to have a little bit of a check in with you guys.

Yeah, all the way from Denmark. We absolutely love it. And Anson, before we get started, tell us about the first time you laid eyes on Adelaide and why you wanted her to transfer from Yale to to UNC after her freshman year.

Actually, we didn't want her to transfer. So this is a part of the great story. Addie came to our camps, and of course, we loved her, but, you know, we're trying to be honest with everyone that we recruit. We just didn't think she could get on the field for us. And so we encouraged her to go to a place where she could step in and play, because obviously, you know, the reason you jump onto a college sports team is to get on the field. And so we don't encourage kids that we think would struggle to get on the field to come. So actually, we told her to find a place where she could play. And we love these kids, you know, that come into camp that work hard, and Addie was certainly one of them. And so Addie could choose any school in the country to go to. She was a scholar. She's smart as can be. So she decided to go Ivy. So she, you know, she decided to go to Yale, and I thought, you know, that would be a great spot for her to go. And all of a sudden, she's not, you know, getting on the field at Yale. And she will obviously fill in the holes on this story because we were joking earlier that, you know, when I tell a story, and Melissa's always correcting my stories because she thinks the truth is really important in a story. Of course it's not. The story's more important than the truth, so you'll all embellish any story to make it entertaining. So here's a story I tell about Addie, and I still tell it. It's one of my favorite stories. I mean, so Addie calls us up and she wants to transfer to unc, And I'm saying, you know, no, we've got, you know, all these national youth team goalkeepers here, and, you know, you're never going to get on the field, and so, you know, please don't come. I don't want you to be unhappy. You know, fight your way onto the field there. And we're encouraging her not to come. She didn't have to listen to me. She was a scholar, so she didn't need a crowbar to help her get into UNC from Yale. She could do that on her own. So what did she do? Ye. So she decides to transfer in, despite my advice not to. So she transfers in, and bless her frigging heart, she comes in, and obviously, you can see just looking at her, she is a wonderful kid. You know, she trains with a smile on her face. She is just great for chemistry. And of course, we were going to embrace her. So she comes in. We try to carry four goalkeepers, but that year, Addie, correct me if I am wrong, I think we had five. Did we have five?

It.

It was a large number.

And we had five.

Yeah, yeah, we ended up with five. So, you know, we've got, you know, five goalkeepers. We've got national youth team goalkeepers. And Addie's in the mix with some of the greatest goalkeepers in the country that have come out of the youth ranks. And, you know, she just starts grinding and grinding and grinding, and then all of a sudden, she fights her way through a goalkeeper that is a reigning world champion at a U20 level that was the starter for the United States. She beats aside all of her competitors, fights her way onto the field and is a part of an incredible national championship in 2012. I mean, this was an incredible collection of people that she beat out and then helps us win a national championship. And she's absolutely legit. She plays a high line. Her height isn't a factor, which, of course, a lot of people will say, oh, you know, of course I teased her the whole time she was there with us. You know, Addy, can you actually touch the crossbar? And she would jump up and touch it for me just to prove to me she could touch the crossbar. But she was a joy. She was a joy on the field in practice. She was a joy off the field because obviously you could sense from the way you introduced her, her accolades academically were off the charts. I mean, here was a kid that could pick any school in the country to attend, and she tried an Ivy League route and didn't like it. So she returned to us and then just fought her way through a collection of elite goalkeepers to get on the field as the starter for me and win a national championship. And obviously, I absolutely love the kid. I love her family. And now she's actually a part of our core values. By the way.

And I'll let you know, Addie, correct this story first, because I have other stories about Addie. But please correct me where I was exaggerating at. Addie, please.

I mean, I think from my perspective.

It'S weird to think back to before you're going into college and how different your mentality is. And obviously, the way I grew up was so.

Academic oriented and I was always pushing to get the best grades possible. So, yes, when I got to that point, I wasn't being recruited by all the top schools like you mentioned. I am on the smaller end, so I wasn't in with the youth national teams. I wasn't getting, you know, chased down by any big schools. And I, you know, it kind of was one of those things where I was like, well, Yale wants me. Why wouldn't I go there? Right? I've been working all, all these years getting good grades and. And then like with so many things in life, you show up and you realize this thing that you really wanted and that everybody really wants isn't what you want. So, yeah, I got there and the school was exactly like you would expect it to be. But, you know, soccer has always been my first true love, so it just wasn't the same. And at that point, there really wasn't a. It was kind of unclear if there was going to be a pro league. So for me, that was it. I was like, these may be the last three years I ever get to play soccer. And I wanted to do it in the kind of environment that I knew UNC was because, you know, I had been to camp and worked with two CAR before and actually spent that summer with a bunch of Tar Heels out in California on a W League team. So to me, I was like, the environment is so much more important than whether I'm going to start and play games. And I just wanted to be happy on a day to day basis. So obviously, I think there's some embellishment in terms of how much you guys dissuaded me from coming.

But, you know, I think one of the greatest things about UNC and about you, Anson, is, you know, you're always like, you know.

You know, prove it, you know, you know, you can come, you can play if you want to come, that's fine. If you, if you want to train with us, you can train with us. Let's see what you got. You know, sell it to me. I feel like Anson always has that mentality of, okay, if that's what you want, sell it to me. And so I always felt like a valued member at UNC from day one. You walk in and it's just the best training environment in the entire world. I just don't think that there's ever going to be an environment that I'm in that's going to compare to that on a day to day basis. And it was intense and competitive. And yeah, even when I stepped in and I was the third string or whatever, I enjoyed it just as much as when, you know, people started going down with injuries and I ended up in a game. And I just remember everyone was like, are you nervous? Are you nervous? And I was like, I'm the third string goalkeeper. I can't make it any worse, you know.

But, you know, there really is something about UNC that just makes you a little bit fearless being in that environment. So obviously it was the best decision I've ever made. And as Anson always jokes, he graduated from the University of North Carolina and he's at the top of his field, so definitely don't go to Yale.

No, no, Addie, Addie. We can't say that's a joke that I graduated from UNC and I'm at the top of my field. That is not a joke. So, you know, I take that very seriously, obviously. And you're absolutely right. It is a joke. I use that in recruiting, you know. You know, I'm at the top of my field. Where'd I go to school? I went to the University of North Carolina. So obviously I brag about my school. And Addie, thank you because that was the truth. I mean, Addie told the truth. Obviously. I embellished it by pretending like we didn't want her. We loved her as a human being. And as she knows and as anyone knows, it comes to uncle, we love our kids. We absolutely love our kids and.

They will be valued here because we want an incredible training environment and every player participates in that. So Addie came in like she was shot out of a cannon. But I'm so proud. She won the start and then wins the national championship. And what was really cool about that team, there were four, what you would call, you know, non scholarship walk ons on that starting team. And Addie was one of them. So four walk ons, non scholarship players helped us as starters win the national championship in 2012. Because Adi's right. Just because you're on scholarship doesn't mean I got to play you. You got to fight your way onto the field. And it's a meritocracy. It's not the size of your scholarship, it's the size of your heart. And Addie's heart was frigging huge. She pinned the edges of her heart up around the corners of that 8 foot by 8 yard goal. And you know what? The ball didn't go in. She played a high line. She was good with her feet. She was commanding back there. I freaking loved her in gold. I went into that national championship weekend confident as hell. And who do we take out early? Did we take out Stanford and the semi? Yeah, they were they undefeated and number, you know, the number one. Number one seed. We took those mothers out. Thank you very much. And then we went after Penn State who got through FSU to the final. Then we took those mothers out. So yeah, Addie was in goal. So. Yep. I don't know what how you feel, Dean, or how Addie feels. I really enjoyed that weekend. Did you, Addie?

I very much enjoyed that weekend, yes.

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Foreign.

Let's get the conversation started about Chapter 15, the Art of Goalkeeping. And we'll start with you, Anson, and before I get into the official questions, you know, a lot of head coaches don't even like goalkeepers. They don't even want to deal with goalkeepers. Do you like goalkeepers, Anson? What's your story there?

Yes, and let me tell you one reason I do. I love intelligent.

Players. Women, I guess. My goalkeepers in general had the highest GPAs on all the teams I ever coached. And I don't know whether it's the nature of that position, but through the history here, if you look at the average GPA of a field player and you look at the average GPA of my goalkeepers, my goalkeepers are all up around 37 fives or above. And then the field players, I wanted them to clear three Ls. And obviously this past year's team was incredible. We were the best academic team on campus where our GPA as a team was over a 3 5. But I love my goalkeepers because I could have conversations with them because, you know, they had read the paper the day before they knew what was going on in the world, they understood, you know, the pre Socratics and, you know, fundamental issues that were going on in the world. So, yeah, my goalkeepers were just an incredibly bright group. I loved hanging out with them, talking to them. So for me, yes, I like them. They're smart. It's sort of like the joke with, you know, when you approach a football team, who are the brightest people on those rosters? They're the offensive linemen. If you want a discussion of philosophy, do you grab the quarterback or, you know, the middle linebacker? No, you grab one of the O linemen. And then you can talk about the pre Socratics and Aristotle and Socrates and Nietzsche and, you know, Kierkegaard. You can't speak, you know, to the quarterback or the middle linebacker about those guys. So my goalkeepers, yeah, they were wonderful, wonderful. And Addie's a great example.

So besides being smart, Anson, what are the key skill sets you look for in a goalkeeper, particularly in today's game, where they have to be able to use their feet a bit more?

Well, obviously, the first box you got to check is they have to be brave. They're in a suicidal position. There are moments in a game where they've got to decide whether making the save is worth, you know, going into the life or death moment. And if they have any hesitation, if they have any issues with, you know, basically pain or, you know, physical risk, you can't play in goal. So that's the first box you have to check. You've got to be brave. It's a collision position. And so that's the first box you've got to check. And then there are all these other pieces that make all the difference in the world. I mean, obviously most people say they've got to be great shot stoppers, and certainly that's. That's equality. But the thing I loved about Addie was she would solve the problem before it got to her. She would play a high line keeper, sweeper. And these days, if you want a pressing team, which is what we have, a pressing team, you've got to play with compaction, which means your backs are going over the mid stripe. With all that space is now over the top. You need a goalkeeper playing, you know, 10 to 15 yards outside her own penalty box. And she's got to have the guts to play that high, which means, yes, play with her feet, but also read the game. She's got to be able to cut out balls that are not thrown over the top. If you're playing With a compact team, if the distance between your center back and your center forward is, you know, 20 to 30 yards, which is incredible compaction, your goalkeeper's carrying all, covering all that space over the top. So starting positions are critical. Ability, use of their feet is critical. Leadership is absolutely vital. If you've got a, you know, a deaf mute in the goal, it's not going to work. They've got to have command of their defense. They've got to have a voice their defenders listen to, They've got to be respected, they've got to be field leaders, and they've got to have all these different skills now in the modern game. And I haven't even gotten to hands yet. One of the many things I love about Chris Dukar is he emphasizes, even with someone like Addie, who doesn't have the height to sort of make it an easy opportunity for her to grab a ball off the tops of their heads, she'll do it because her hands are good and her timing is good, and she organizes her feet so she gets a run on the ball and can out jump even the tallest front runner to catch the ball, not just punch it. And so all these different elements work into being an elite goalkeeper. And Addie checked every box, and I'm unbelievably proud of her. But also what we do with our goalkeepers and what they've achieved, we have so many right now playing across the world in these leagues all over the place, and they're all doing very well and they're playing long careers. Addie's a great example. I mean, how many years, Addie, is this for you as a pro?

This is my ninth season as a pro, and that's.

That's pretty good. So hopefully she gets up there with a Tom Brady. She's playing into her mid-40s.

Well, Addie, that means that you've mastered the art of goalkeeping. So can you share with our listeners some of the things you do habitually to prepare for playing goalkeeper at the highest level of women's football?

Yeah, I think it's interesting. The higher you go up, the more, you know, everybody's talented, everybody is working hard. And I do think that the off field stuff starts to really add up if you can focus on that a lot, which is obviously like nutrition, fueling properly. I think for women and especially goalkeepers, it's very difficult because you do have to, you know, fuel properly, but you're not burning the same calories that field players are. You have different demands on your body. You have different Lifting power requirements. So, you know, you. You don't want to do a ton of cardio. You want to be exposed explosive. And then obviously sleep. That's my white whale. I have a problem with that. Just trying to get a consistent sleep pattern can really be a superpower. And then it's interesting. I've actually been working on this a lot recently, but screen time has become an issue with younger this generation. I mean, we really didn't even have that much social media back in my day, even though that's not that long ago. But there's been a lot of studies in terms of what it does for your peripheral vision if you're staring at a screen for long periods of time. And I think as a goalkeeper, you need to have good peripheral vision. So for me, I also run a company, so I have to look at a screen, but I try to limit that. And then I think watching the game is huge. Like Anson was saying, goalkeeping is such a tactical position, and if you can solve problems before they begin, that's the ideal scenario. You know, if I'm on my line and pulling a ball out of the top corner, you know, that's been shot from 12 yards out, something's gone wrong. It might not be my fault, but something has gone wrong. And ideally you want to sort that out for next time so you're not having to do that, those kinds of things. So I think watching a ton of soccer is huge at all levels. And then I also think the mental part of the game, especially at the pro level, is huge because sometimes you're in a fantastic environment and sometimes you're not in a fantastic environment, and you really have to stay mentally tough because as a goalkeeper, if your confidence goes, everything goes. So I think all those little pieces are things that are not on the field, but if you can focus on them consistently, I think they prepare you well for doing well on the field.

Anson, you've already talked about the fact that you've always liked having super smart goalkeepers, and you also broke down the physical set. But what are some of the personality characteristics, field mannerisms that you look for in your starting goalkeeper?

Well, first of all, let me address what you and I were both listening to. Do you understand now why I love the goalkeepers? I mean, she didn't write that speech, she just gave. But holy cow, was she spot on with everything. I mean, you could, you know, feel her intelligence through every sentence, through every well constructed sentence. And so, yeah, that's why I love my goalkeepers. But, yeah, I think the Elements that are absolutely critical in goal are certainly everything that Addie has touched upon right now. And one of the most, I guess, things that are talked about all the time, but they're not really addressed, I think, in enough detail is she's got to command her team. She certainly has to command her back line. And what's really interesting in goal is if the ball is coming down your left flank, they're going to score from the right. So interestingly enough, while you're watching the ball coming down the right wing, here's what you know as an experienced goalkeeper. When that ball comes across, it's actually the person behind you that's going to finish it. Not the girl that everyone's looking at. It's the girl in the back post that's going to cause problems. So you've got to have this leadership quality that not only tries to solve problems in front of you, but also organize the space behind you. And so there's a leadership requirement and goal. And I love the thing she said about peripheral vision. She's got to be able to see the whole field while the ball's coming down one side because she's got to be organizing the backside and the near post runner and all the other elements, because that's in her experience because she's played for so long at such a high level. If you've played a long time at a high level in goal, you're going to get better even as your physical qualities diminish, because you are going to cut off the problems early. But the other thing you're going to be able to do much better is because that particular run has scored a goal on you in the past, you're going to remember this and you're going to make sure that that near post runner is closed down early even before that girl starts her run. So now you're instructing your center back. She's about to make the run, she's about to come across you, and you're organizing everything in advance. And so there's so many different pieces. Goal. And I love the sleep piece because sort of interesting right now. When you're young, you think you're immortal. It's incredible. You don't really think you need sleep, you don't think you need nutrition, you don't think you need anything. You basically think you're a young God or a young goddess. And then what you realize eventually is, holy cow, do I feel like garbage right now. And then you start to do the math and, yeah, you know those four and a half Hours, sleep. It's just not working for me right now. And Addie touched on it. Something else that is very critical right now. So much of our time for the kids I am coaching right now are wasted on screens. Absolutely wasted on screens. And the other thing, and Addie is so right. One of the things I try to get into my culture, and by the way, I fail on this consistently. I am trying to get better, but I haven't succeeded yet, is getting these young women to watch the game at the highest level. And it is so hard. So here's what I'm doing right now to trick them into watching the game. I'm telling them, you know, what you guys are so into. You know, equal pay and all this radical stuff, or, you know, social justice. Let me tell you one of the problems with your sort of hypocrisy and social justice here. You want to get, you know, equal pay, and none of you guys watch the frigging game. Let me tell you how you get paid more. You get paid more if more people are watching the game. You get paid more if we sell stadiums out. And yet you guys don't go to watch the game. You guys don't buy tickets. You guys don't watch every televised game that's going to get you equal pay. So get off your frigging soapboxes and scream about, you know, social injustice and get your ass in seats, turn the frigging television on, watch the women's game. And that's the way, by the time you get there, maybe you will start to pay more than, you know, survival wages. And I've tried everything I can. So now I'm trying, you know, social humiliation with the hypocrisy of being a social justice warrior and not going to one women's event in your life, but you want to get paid as much as men. So, anyway, I'm trying everything under the sun, but that's where I am now with all that Adelaide.

He's just getting going. I kind of want to circle back to our first question as we tried to figure out why you left Yale. We kind of have two different stories on that, but I would like to know what your family said about leaving Yale for unc and then along those lines. When you did leave, what were your thoughts about how long it would take for you to become the starting goalkeeper? Did you think you could be a starting goalkeeper right away, leaving Yale and going to North Carolina, the perennial power?

Yeah, you know, it's funny. I've had people ask me that, and I honestly think, and I don't know if this relationship is normal, but I honestly think, like, I never really asked my parents. I mean, I asked them for advice, obviously, but I remember I took my dad to brunch and I was like, I think I'm gonna leave Yale. And, you know, my dad is very.

Practical, but I mean, he's very supportive at the same time. And he loves soccer, maybe even more than I love soccer. So he seemed okay with it. And my mom, you know, the whole time I was looking at schools to go to, my mom was like, are you sure you want to go to Yale? Like, are you, are you sure that's the place for you? Because she had her big book of universities and she's reading about Yale and she's like, it just doesn't seem like your personality. So I don't really remember much about what they said, but it was, it was fine with them, I guess they let me do it.

So actually, I gotta jump in here. Addie. Addie's in our.

Core values. She and her dad made it in here. And this will give you some insights into her family because first of all, her dad and mom, they're extraordinary. Her mom, by the way, former professional dancer, and of course, I married a dancer. My eldest daughter is a professional dancer. So I love everything about the dance world. And so that's her mom and her dad is this big time consultant. So let me share this. This is our 12th core value. The first part of it is something I took from the Progress Paradox by Greg Easterbrook about being grateful. But this is what my leadership council added a couple years ago, and it's really, really good. So I'm going to read it to you. Following the 2012 National Championship Weekend in San Diego, California, John Gay is chatting with Brittany Bartok, the social media director for UNC Women's Soccer. He is sharing a conversation he had with his daughter, Addie, the undaunted 56 national champion starting goalkeeper, about how her life following graduation was about to change. So now I'm quoting her dad, John Gay. Congratulations. You just graduated from paradise. It is never going to be as good as this ever again. It is rare indeed when you are doing exactly what you want to do with exactly the people you want to do it with in exactly the place you want to be in life. Most people are happy when they get just one right, and two is like heaven. And getting all three could only happen in Chapel Hill. John Gay, management consultant to Wall street banks and securities companies. A BA from Wesleyan in 72, an MBA from Harvard in 75. And that sort of captures her obviously extraordinary father, but also captures Addie's love for the place. And I love that story, Addy. I'm going to throw that into my Addie Gay stories. Yeah. She didn't consult with her parents. She basically said, by the way, you know, I'm going to unc. And, you know, I love that, because what do we like here at unc? We want strong, confident, powerful women. Because, of course, while she's playing professionally, she's running her own company. So, anyway, I love Addie Gay story. So you've given me another one, Addie, so thank you.

Yeah, I know.

That really made me emotional when you were reading that. I haven't thought about UNC in so long, I feel like, in that way. So it really was paradise.

Yeah. Fantastic. Add on, particularly coming from your dad and his words. And read by Anson. All right, Anson, you're famous for a lot of things, but you're also famous for alternating goalkeepers. So I want both of you to talk about why you do that, Anson, how you make those choices and why you've consistently done that.

Well, first of all, I think it's ridiculous that you bring in two really good goalkeepers, say, and then all of a sudden, because of, let's say, a minor difference between the starter and the reserve, you decide to bench one poor young woman the entire season, and she's sitting there on the bench hoping that the starter gets hit by a truck so she can get on the field. I mean, this is ridiculous. And yet, with field players, we sub them regularly so everyone has a chance to play. And I've always thought this was absolutely a name. And the other thing I thought was ridiculous is you're not really preparing a backup if they never get to play. I mean, heck, even in the epl, what happens is your starter plays in the EPL games, and what does your reserve do? He plays in the frigging Champions League or something, or the FA Cup. So the pros have figured out a way to play both their goalkeepers, and yet at a collegiate level, we relegate everyone but one to the bench because there are so many quality goalkeepers across the country, and yet they never get to play. And so I've always thought that was absolutely ridiculous. So we make it a competition. It's a serious competition, and it helps them get better. They compete like hell in practice, and we're going to play them. We're going to play, you know, one for half and the other for a half. Now, Are they competing for something? Yes, they are. They're competing to see who plays in the ACC tournament and in the NCAA tournament. And so it's like a season tryout process with them going after each other in practice, which is the way I think you develop an elite athlete is not by promising them something. But as she mentioned earlier, this is what she knew coming into unc. She knew it was a meritocracy, so she didn't care about the fact she wasn't coming on scholarship. Her dad was frigging loaded, so he could afford to send her anywhere. In fact, when she decided not to go to Yale, it was like he was given a $40,000 a year raise because Yale was about 10 times the cost of coming to UNC. So he made that choice to allow her to go anywhere she wanted. She picked a great one for him. And basically she knew she could fight her way on the field, and she did. So for me, it's all about competition. It's all about, you know, competing in practice. And this benefits us. I mean, there's no better example than. Than last year at the University of Virginia. They had a wonderful goalkeeper, and tragically, Brianna Pinto collided with her in the ACC final. And we ended up beating Virginia when their reserve was in and their starter was out. And all of a sudden this goalkeeper that hasn't played all season is now with a phenomenal Virginia team, by the way. Heck, nine of their starters I recruited to come join me here at unc. And Swanee is a great recruiter in Virginia, is a great school. And obviously he's got two world championships as an assistant under his belt, so he's recruiting very well. But he didn't invest in his backup the way we invest in ours. And all of a sudden they go into the tournament, they're knocked out early by Washington State. That's the team we had to eliminate in the semis. Well, I promise you this. If he had an alternating goalkeeper substitution pattern, I think Virginia would have gone really deep. They had a phenomenal team. So I'm just pointing to one example. But there are more than just that example. You need to have a quality backup that's trained and blooded. And so for us, that's our philosophy. They compete like hell in practice, and then they are competing to play in the ACC tournament and the national tournament. And your goalkeeping morale is high because they all know that they're competing to play. If they end up in the top two, they're going to get on the field at least during the regular season.

So, Adelaide, you shared time with Anna. I mean, did you like it? Be honest with me. Your thoughts on splitting time, end goal?

You know, to me, it was very.

Natural, almost. I didn't really think about it. And maybe it's because of the position I was coming from. You know, to me, I was just trying to, again, prove myself every day and stay on the field. And the biggest thing is I feel like everything was about winning games and having been on other teams where starting is so, so crucial, or where people are really concerned with their own personal career and whether they're starting is really important to whether they get somewhere at the next level and all this kind of stuff. I actually think that's pretty rare, that everybody is just thinking about winning games. And to me, that was the most important thing. I wanted to win a national championship. I wanted to win the acc. I wanted to win every single game. And so, for me, it was always like, how can I contribute to that versus how can I beat Ana or, you know, somebody else out to play? So, to me, it was. It was very natural. I actually think it is healthy. And, you know, that's actually something that I take with me. I think Anson, to all the teams that I play on, is that sort of belief in individuals, even if they're coming off the bench. Because I think a lot of times, you know, these kids will come in. When you play overseas, you get some young players, and people are like, oh, are you nervous that you have the center back? And I'm like, no, I'm not nervous at all. Like, she's going to do a great job. And that's something I take with me from you, because I feel like that's how you support every single person that steps on the field, even if they were a walk on. And I think that's huge and really important, and I think it creates a really, really good, positive culture.

I'm going to start with you this time, Adelaide. I'm going to flip the order, and then I'll let Anson put the exclamation point on it, like he always does, so eloquently. But in the art of goalkeeping, one of the things that Anson preaches is attacking goalkeeping and what that attitude looks like of attacking goalkeeping. I'm going to let you go first, Adelaide. What does attacking goalkeeping mean to you?

So, to me, it's really about being proactive. I think we've touched on it a little bit in terms of shutting down problems before they begin.

Obviously, playing high off your line. I always probably will feel more comfortable with the back three. But I also think you can play a back four pretty high as well.

So I think it's being high off your line. It's also being an 11th field player as well. And especially even since I've graduated, the level of skill that a goalkeeper needs to have with their feet has just grown and grown and grown. So now you really are. You're breaking lines yourself and I think that's part of being an attacking goalkeeper because you're a part of the team and it's really not just 10 field players and then you're just sitting back there by yourself. You're constantly involved and constantly communicating with your backs. I think that's a huge part of killing attacks early, is communicating not just on the field, but off the field as well. Because there isn't time sometimes in the game to really address the way that you want to collectively make a save, I guess you could say so. I always say that the 2012 back line was a perfect example of how if you know your players, you can play with them better. So, for example, Tara Murray, she would pass me the ball back. If she was inside the six yard box and it was bouncing and she would drive it at my kneecaps, I knew it was coming to me. And on the other side, Hannah Gardner would turn out of any situation. I mean, she could have four players running down her back and she's like, I'm going to turn out and dribble myself. And then, you know, Caitlin ball in the middle, she would, you know, try to.

Hold the defenders off and let me pick it up with my hands. But just knowing people's tendencies, I think really helps you. And if you know that one of your defenders is going to dive in, you know, you can kind of take a step up to win the second ball. Or if you know they're probably going to force them outside, you can cover your near post more so than your far post. So I think that's having conversations with them, but it's also just knowing your players and really just being proactive about how you save the ball. It doesn't necessarily have to be just, like I said, pulling them out of the top corner. So that's kind of what attacking goalkeeping means to me.

Anson?

Yeah, no, first of all, she expressed it so well. There's nothing I can add to that. But what she is bringing back is terrifying memories of that back line because, you know, we're all a bunch of misfit toys. No one's perfect. No one plays every position perfectly. And what you're trying to do when you're constructing an elite team is to have all these toys fit together. And just listening to her understand.

The issues with each of the three defenders that played in front of her is huge for me. Again, gets back to what I was saying earlier about, yeah, I love the goalkeepers. Why? Because they were all bright as could be. They all had, you know, 3.75s or above, and just like this articulation on the issues with each one of the three. And so I'm wondering, how the hell did that team win a national championship? But we all fit together perfectly. And part of it was Addie's understanding of the, I guess, quirks of each of her unique defenders. And trust me, they also had extraordinary strengths. But I love what she's saying, and she expressed it perfectly, so there's nothing I can add to what she just shared.

All right, Anson, I'm going to have you get ready for the four pillars of goalkeeping. So if you don't have them in front of you, you need to go find them. Before we get to those, I definitely want to ask you, Adelaide, during your time where you were splitting time with Anna, you ran off 450 minutes of blank sheets, which is an incredible statement for a goalkeeper. You're always looking for goose eggs, right? You're looking for zeros. What do you remember about that incredible shutout streak?

You know, it's. I mean, the main thing that I remember is that I didn't really know about it until after. I think it was probably Losi said something about it, but.

I think what. What I was kind of saying beforehand about winning, I really think when you're a goalkeeper, you're just trying to keep your team in a position to win. And that was especially true at UNC because I knew we were going to score a goal at some point. So at any point in time, if I could just keep it at zero or keep it at one, or keep it at two, even, you know, you're keeping your team in a position to win. And so I really don't remember too much about it in particular while it was happening, but looking back on it, that was. That was pretty awesome.

It was indeed. It was part of your great run there as well. All right, Anson, the four pillars of goalkeeping, you ready to break them down?

Yes, I am, because I have the book right in front of me, so fortunately for me, I actually was given a copy of my own book. So thank God it's sitting here in front of Me. And by the way, I look at this stuff and you know this Dean, because I've talked about this before. Holy cow. You know, I'm so glad we picked this book to do the podcast from because I went through it again. It is an excellent book and so much of the stuff in this book still applies. In fact, I'm looking through the four pillars and Addie and I have addressed every single pillar indirectly in our conversations. And the articulation is similar to the way we've described them. So the first one is the physical and she mentioned that. And it's different than a field players. And she's right. You don't need the fuel for a cardiovascular platforming goal, but you do need this. And it says, you know, power, strength, speed, agility. Find a local strength and conditioning coach if possible. Focus on your agility, but power, quickness and reaction time. So Addie was addressing that earlier. The technical thing would be the second thing. How do you position your body? How do you hold your hands to make a save? Work on handling, play 10 catches. Crystal does that with the goalkeepers. Basically they're drop kicking it back and forth. If you have two goalkeepers and they've got to catch 10 in a row, otherwise they continue. It's sort of like a golfer, you know, hitting putts from four feet out. He's got to make 10 in a row before he can leave the course. And if he misses the ninth one, he's got to go back to ground zero and start over. So, yeah, this is about, you know, developing soft hands that can catch anything tactical. And the way she articulated this early is, is exactly the way it's described here. Play attacking soccer. Attack the ball before it attacks you. Don't be afraid to take risks. Don't be self conscious when the ball is played in the 18 yard box, come out and win it. So this is about attacking. And this is exactly what Addie just chatted about. And then psychological. Our biggest battle when training female goalkeepers is confidence. Addie addressed that. She said, if you don't have confidence, everything collapses. And she's absolutely right. So you spend half your time building your own self belief. And how do you build self belief? You build it by working your rear end off in every aspect that will contribute to your effectiveness and goal. And it goes back to what she started with when we started this conversation. Sleep nine hours. Sleep every night. The right pattern. Go to bed at the same time, get up at the same time. Nutrition. Are you eating as much as those field players that you're dining with that night. No, because you have a different sort of physiology and you're not burning the same number of calories. So you're not gorging like that defensive midfielder that's running 14 kilometers a game. No. But you've got a different demand. So all these different elements are critical. So, yeah, physical, technical, tactical, psychological. And the words that Addie was sharing are words that are still in the book. And she articulated it absolutely perfectly. So, Addie, thank you. That's again, why we brought on a bright goalkeeper to do this chapter. Dean.

Yeah, Addie, you broke down those four pillars. Outstanding. So let's end with this and we'll start with you, Adelaide, and we'll again let Anson put the capper on what has been a fascinating discussion about the art of goalkeeping with not only a great goalkeeper, but a superhuman being, a super smart human being, and you, Adelaide Gay. But throughout this podcast, we've talked about how it's what you do when no one is watching that decides if you will reach your potential. And of course, that's no different for goalkeepers. And it's important for goalkeepers to work on their own. Can you share, Adelaide, what you do on your own to become a better goalkeeper? And then we'll let Anson add on why that's also important. It's not just a goal scorer. Mia Hamm bent over sweating when no one's looking. Goalkeepers have to get better when no one's looking as well.

Yeah, absolutely. And I actually think this is kind of a hot topic. When everybody went into quarantine, people are like, what are some goalkeeper exercises that I can do in my house, you know, with a roll of toilet paper or whatever, you know, and it's, it's tough to do goalkeeper exercises when you don't have another person and you don't have space. I think it, you know, you, timing is huge in goalkeeping. So for me, I was basically like, work on your feet and work on your physical platform, because the timing, catching the ball, that will come back to you. And I don't necessarily think it's super productive to do a ton of individual goalkeeper drills, even though that's important. I think, again, working on that physical platform and your foot skills and watching the game, reading the game is stuff that you can do away from the field that will have a big impact. And then just going back to what Anson said about sleeping and nutrition and all that kind of stuff, because, you know you're going to be on the field maybe two hours a day and the other 22 hours, you can either get significantly better or you can, you know, get worse. So I think the sleeping. The sleeping well, eating well, which, again, ties into mental health, I don't think people realize how much it does. Just sleeping well, eating well, having something else to occupy your mind, not staring at your screen a ton. I really, really try to read instead of, you know, staring at my computer or the. My phone, if I can help it. And I just think that those things add up over time in huge, huge ways. More so than anything you do on the field, probably.

Anson, I don't know how many goalkeepers you saw running sprints while you were driving your bike around Chapel Hill. Like you saw me at ham, but it's important for goalkeepers to train on their own. We'll end with your thoughts on that sentiment.

Yeah, I have to share this because it's another Adi Gay story. So I was on our grass practice complex, which is a new thing they built on the 18th fairway down at Finley, and I was pulling out, and I could look across at the turf, and I could see this person. It looked like working on striking drills against two small goals. And it sort of looked like Addie, but she wasn't doing goalkeeper stuff. She was doing basically the stuff that you would train your center forward with. And so I drove over there because it sure looked like Addie, but she wasn't doing it. You know, no one was crossing balls into the, you know, box, and she wasn't catching them. And sure enough, I got closer and closer, and it was Addie. And I was kind of shocked. And I sat there and I watched for a while, sort of like, you know, the famous Mia Hamm story about the vision of a champion. Basically the title of this book. And she was doing, basically, drills for the nine, drills for the center forward. And so I actually walked up to the fence. I said, addie, what are you doing? And I said, do you like your starting goal? And if you're down a goal, they put you up in the nine, because everything you're doing right now is what a center forward would be working on. And she gave me the best answer. She says, you know, Anson, I just love this game. I love everything about this game. And, yeah, I'm working on my skillset. And she was basically taking a collection a bag of balls, and she was smacking them with her instep into one small goal and then turning and smacking them into another on the opposite side. And it looked pretty damn good. And so if someone was coming by they would have recruited her to play the nine because her skill set as a field player during the session I was watching was extraordinary. So. And let me finish with this, Dean. As you can tell, I absolutely love the kid. Her dad and mom live here. Her dad sends me something at least two or three days a week, and I love it. And he sends me stuff out of the norm. He's not sending me stuff about soccer and football. He's sending me stuff about life, about history, about things that I love reading. And everything he sends me, I click on. And I absolutely love it. Because what he understands is your life isn't just the game. There's so many other pieces to it. And that's what I really appreciate about Addie, because she's not only has a 9 year pro career, but also she runs this company. So what I wanted to do right now is at least shill it a bit. Addie, just tell everyone what you're selling. It's incredible. Addie sends me stuff all the time. My staff uses it. So tell everyone about this company that you've started. That's extraordinary because I think you deserve this opportunity to. To shill your own business. So tell us all about it.

Yeah, I mean, it really combines all the things I love, which is soccer business and being a nerd, because it's a soccer notebook company. I was playing in Sweden at the time with another pro player, Tiffany Weimer, and we were kind of talking about how there was no soccer notebook that was nice, like a nicely bound moleskin kind of notebook that had the field already drawn in. And as you can probably tell from this entire interview, I do have some OCD issues with, you know, drawing the field in nicely and, you know, it's always messed up. And I always take notes on film and on drills I want to remember. That's been a habit of mine since I was young. And so we kind of talked about it for a while, and then I started emailing notebook companies. And I was like, would you make something like this? And most of them didn't answer. But one answered and was like, no, but we'll sell it to you. And so we were like, oh, you know what? Let's just make 500 and see if other people want them as well. And I actually remember Anson, I asked you, I was like, what would you want in a soccer notebook? And you were like, I use a legal pad. And I was like, but if you had a soccer notebook, what would you want? You're like, I use a legal pad. And I was like, oh good. Okay, thanks.

But I. Yeah, so we came up with one. It's like hardcover and then people wanted them and bought them and so we started making some soft cover ones. We have pocket sized ones, large ones. They all have the field drawn in with dot grid note paper and they are all now waterproof. They're made with stone paper. So for coaches who coach outside, they are pretty soccer proof. You know people, coaches really bang their notebook around so they hold up pretty well. And yeah, we have goalkeeper specific ones, we have ones for players and I guess this is our fourth year of business. Now we have about 10 different notebooks. So it's.

Let's really show it though. What website can they go to buy these notebooks we got. If we're gonna shill, we gotta go shill all the way here.

So it's duk digbrand. It's a Swedish word. D U K t I g brand.com. and you know they can always look at me on social media and it's in all of my bios and everything.

So just for your information, Addie, I don't use a legal pad anymore. I use your incredible product. So thanks for converting me into this century. So yeah, the legal pad is history. Your stuff is what I use now.

Nothing wrong with a good legal pad.

Nothing wrong at all. I'm so glad that Anson told the story about you striking those balls and Utown. Anson, I just love this game. Guess what, Adelaide Gay, we love your game. We're so glad that you're continuing to play the game. Thank you so much for joining us to talk about the art of goalkeeping on the Vision of a Champion podcast. Thank you so much, Adelaide.

Thank you guys so much. It was fun.

And of course, the legend that is Anson Dorrance. If you like this show, one way you can support our work is to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and leave us a rating and review as well. This show was edited and produced by Creative Allies. If you're looking for information on full service podcast production, head on over to creativeallies.com for the great Ants, Endurance and Adelaide Gay. I'm Dean Linke and we'll see you next time on the Vision of a Champion Podcast.

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