Who is Eser Elmalı?
My name is Eser Elmalı I'm 30 years old. I was born in Deventer (the Netherlands) and have Turkish roots. I'm currently working as a goalkeeping coach at PSV Women, where I've been for three seasons. Before that, I worked as a goalkeeping coach at PEC Zwolle for eight years. I also spent my football career at PEC Zwolle as a youth player and a first-team player. After that, I played for three seasons in the FC Emmen squad.
Women’s football has gained significant momentum in Europe in recent years.How has this affected goalkeeper development ?
More girls have started playing football and goalkeeping at a younger age. Consequently, more female goalkeepers have entered the market. Girls have also started playing goalkeepers at a younger age, which has led to the new generation of girls honing their skills at a young age. If you compare the goalkeepers of today's age to 10 years ago, they are generally better and more advanced in skill than those of 10 years ago. In short, this development has positively impacted the quality and quantity of female goalkeepers in Europe.
What do you consider the most critical factors in developing young female goalkeepers ?
1.Personal development. This is the starting point for every elite athlete. Who are you as a person and who are you as an athlete?
2.Physical development. In my view, athletes are athletes, and so are goalkeepers. Developing this is crucial, because when you look at the elite, you only see elite athletes.
3.Game insight. In addition to physical skills, it's essential to have knowledge of the game. As a goalkeeper, you must be able to understand where the spaces are when you have the ball. If an opponent interferes in a certain way, it's useful to have a solution: a pass to the open man. This also applies to defending. If the opponent plays a ball into space, it's important to be able to read that pass.
4.Football technical development. Think about your skills as a goalkeeper. Some examples include: kicking, passing, catching, diving, and/or stopping a one-on-one.
At PSV, do you apply any specific methods to enhance the technical and mental growth of female goolkeepers?
Youth players in the PSV academy receive guidance and training in these areas from a young age. Within PSV, experts and scientists work to develop these methods and, in collaboration with coaches, offer them to every player, including goalkeepers.
How do you utilize technology and analytical tools to improve female goolkeeper performance
We use our data analysts to reflect on and confirm how the player played or trained in this case. PSV also has a department specializing in data.
What advice would you give to young girls goolkeepers starting a professional career in women’s football?
Develop yourself as much as possible at a young age. This means spending as much time as possible on the pitch. Think of training, playing matches, or even taking up other sports. This ensures that you develop both your game and your physical abilities as an athlete. For aspiring goalkeepers between the ages of 17 and 21, who have just signed a new contract, I advise patience. This is a phase where you enter the real professional world of goalkeeping. Often, a goalkeeper isn't immediately the first-choice goalkeeper, because the A-team also has goalkeepers.
How do you keep female goolkeepers motivated when they face challanges on the field?
As a coach, I always strive to identify what's going well and what could be improved. I always reflect on this with visuals and by talking with the goalkeeper. Then, in collaboration with my goalkeeper, I always offer a follow-up plan to work on areas such as your development. Nevertheless, it's important that you, as an athlete, can always motivate yourself in any situation. Even in good times, you need to be able to focus. In my view, this shouldn't come solely from the coach.
How do you see the evolution of the women’s football in Netherlands and Europe?
I see a growing trend in women's football in Europe and the Netherlands. What I'm seeing in the Netherlands is that many more clubs are investing in women's football.This is reflected in the academies of these clubs. Clubs have many more girls teams. You're also seeing improvements in the facilities. I think the facilities in the Netherlands are excellent. Almost all clubs also play matches in their stadiums, which attract larger crowds and fans. When I see how the association is handling this, it's truly fantastic. Almost all matches in the Women's Eredivisie are also broadcast live on TV.
