Gaul brother-sister act a distinct success

Bryan excels scoring for Bradley while Alexa thrives blocking shots for Texas

By Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune reporter

9:09 p.m. CDT, September 7, 2011

Bryan Gaul and his sister, Alexa, are home wreckers.

They dented the furnace, shredded the insulation and broke so many light bulbs with soccer shootouts in the basement of the family's Naperville home that their parents bought metal protectors for the bulbs, replaced the furnace and left the basement unfinished.

And Alexa's attempts to punt the ball over the roof of the three-story home loosened shingles and dinged the gutters to the point the Gauls finally had a new roof put on this year.

"My parents are paying the price for letting us do all that," Alexa Gaul said, laughing.

It actually saved money because each Neuqua Valley grad became an exceptional player attending college on a full scholarship.

Bryan is a senior forward at Bradley, where he has become a lights-out scorer after being moved from defense last season.

Alexa is a junior goalie at Texas, where she is back in the net after major shoulder surgery in January.

All those days of Bryan slamming the ball at Alexa in the basement paid off, even if his trash talking after some shots would get his sister so angry she frequently kicked him.

"We have talked a lot lately about how all that helped us both get better," Bryan said.

"My brother made me more competitive and made me try to be the best player I could be," Alexa said, "He's my soccer idol."

Bryan helped Alexa learn to handle shots chipped over her head. She insisted — partly out of self-preservation — Bryan work on shooting more with his weaker right foot.

Following his position switch last year, Bryan led Bradley to its first NCAA tourney appearance since 2007 with 12 goals and four assists to become the Braves' career scoring leader. He scored the game-winner in the first three games this year and assisted on the lone goal as No. 23 Bradley (3-0-1) tied the fourth, becoming the first Bradley player in 13 years to be named national player of the week.

Alexa was so concerned about her recovery from a torn labrum and left biceps tendon — her throwing arm — she advised her mother, Berna, not to come to the early games this season.

That reticence may have owed to another injury experience. Berna Gaul was on her way to New Zealand to watch her daughter start for Team USA in the 2008 Under-17 World Cupwhen Alexa hurt her foot in practice and missed the entire tournament.

She hasn't missed any action this season, recording four shutouts in the first six games for Texas (5-1).

"I had a lot of pain this summer, and I was a little nervous coming into this season," Alexa said. "I'm OK diving to my left now but I'm still a little scared throwing the ball."



phersh@tribune.com

Twitter @olyphil

I know I have been absent in updating this page but hope to be on task here and for the future.  My first post back will address communication.  We all hear coaches yelling at their keepers to talk more but what do they mean.

Your communication does a few things while standing back in your goal.  The first thing and main thing it does is create a presence, this presence as multiple effects.  It shows your own team that you have confidence and should instill confidence in their play.  It shows the other team that confidence and should deflate them a bit knowing they may have a long day with your in the goal. 

The second thing it does it help your defense stay organized which means less work for you physically.  The more you can act as a coach on the field, letting you team know when to shift, when to step, when to drop, and so on allows for them to play freer and you will see your team play better.

The third thing it does is keep you in the game.  As a goalkeeper we have a lot of time on our hands if we want it and can get distracted while the ball is on the other side of the field.  If you are staying connected with play and communicating with your defense, it keeps your mental focus and allows you to play shaper and cleaner.

Now you ask, what do I say?  Well, I will keep it simple for you.  First, listen to your coach, what is he saying to your team, what does he want from them.  These are all things you can say to them on the field.  “Force inside”, “Keep the ball”.  Also, what do you not want the other team to do?  Do you want them to shoot?  “Step ball!”  “No shot!”  Do you want your defense to drop?  “Drop!”  These are just a few ideas.

When communicating you want to remember a couple things.  Command, never ask.  Always make sure you are telling players what to do, not asking them questions.  The biggest area I see this is on corner kicks.  Keepers ask “who is marking 9?”  NO, never ask, tell them.  “Eric, mark 9”.  Being a goalkeeper is not about being someone’s friend.  Your job is to lead the team through the battle not worry about their feelings or what they think of you at that moment.  When a zero is on the board at the end of the game is where they will have respect for your job and that is what matters. 

Be short and concise with your communication.  You are not speaking to them remember, short words, get them out quick and BE LOUD!!!  Think about how you react to someone asking you to do something compared to someone yelling at you to do something, you will get something done quicker when you are yelled at as you want them to stop.  Treat your players the same way.  Make sure you are heard.

At the end of the day, this is one area that can separate you from another goalkeeper you are competing against or get the attention of a college coach who happens to be around your field.  In all, communication is a big part of what makes you a goalkeeper and more than just a shot-stopper.  

Goalkeeper gloves are a highly important part of a goalkeeper's world. What to buy is always hard unless you know. Gloves take punishment throughout the year and get dirty. Without proper care, you cut the life of the gloves. Here are some buying tips and proper care needed to prolong the life and quality of your gloves.

Buying:

1. Always have 2 pairs of gloves, one for training (backup for games), and one for games.
2. You should only have a ¼ to a 1/3 of an inch at the end of your gloves of room. Anything bigger gives you a false sense of the size of your hand and is usually to bulky to deal with catching properly. Anything smaller when you catch will put to much stress on the seams.
3. Thickness and surface: The thickness of the palm is what will cause it to be softer when you catch. Manufacturers will give you 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm. For a game glove you should look at the 4mm and 5mm. For training 3mm is sufficient. As far as the palm, a soft palm is going to give you better grip and tear easier. A rougher palm is going to give you less grip and last longer. Do not worry about the small tearing of the glove for they will do that and improve the grip as it does. Big holes into the surface, is where you should be looking for a new pair.
4. For the younger players, spending more than $50 is too much for they will grow out of them. You should be able to find a decent pair for around $30. Look for the thickness in the palm, 3mm is a good thickness for this age.
5. For the older keeper, you still should be looking at spending no more than $80 dollars on your game gloves and around $30-$50 on your training gloves.
6. They are called gloves for a reason - they should fit like one. Gloves should feel like an extension of your hand. You should be able to move freely with them on and control them as you would without them on.

Glove Care:

1. Rinse gloves thoroughly in the sink using warm water.
2. Squeeze out the excess dirt and place the gloves in the sink with the palms facing you. With the water still running, rub your thumb along the foam palm pushing the dirt out of the glove. You should start to see the original color of the foam returning as you push the dirt out.
3. While rubbing them, now work shampoo into the glove. Continue to use the shampoo until the original color of the palm completely returns. Note: Cheap shampoo works best.
4. Rinse glove of any remaining dirt. Clean the Velcro now as well. Pick out any lint or dirt that will prevent the Velcro from holding itself closed during use.
5. Allow the gloves to sit at room temperature and away from direct light until they are as dry as you want them. I usually hang them on my towel rack in the bathroom. Finally, put your gloves in a "glove bag." Most companies who make keeper gloves also make glove bags to keep your gloves in good condition.
6. Final note: When out at the field, never leave your gloves facing up on the ground. Sunlight dries the gloves and does damage to them. Always have them facing down when not in use.

As we wind down the fall season this year and get into some downtime for some of us, it's a great time to recharge the batteries as well as reflect on the past season and what it brought. Self-analyzing is an important part of any goalkeeper's development. To analyze, criticize, and evaluate what you did well and what you did poorly. This is also a time to think about what you need to improve on in this off-season. With that said I have a few ideas for you.

First off, READ!!! Understand what has happened before you and study the history so the same mistakes to do not repeat them. Challenge your mind and learn how to let your mind become an asset in the game.  This position is more about what goes on in between your ears more than in between the post.  Here are a few ideas:

Mind Gym – Gary Mack – David Casstevens
Body, Mind, Mastery – Dan Millman
In Pursuit Of Excellence – Terry Orlick
Playing Out Of Your Mind – Dan Goldberg
Any of the John C. Maxwell Books

HAPPY and SAFE HOLIDAY!!!! I will see you again after the first of the year!

Set pieces can be some of the hardest things to deal with as a goalkeeper and one of the most important plays in a game. Around 40% of all goals scored are set pieces whether it be a dead ball or a corner kick. Here are some things to remember while defending either.

SETTING WALLS

• Pictured is a zonal marking system of defending a corner
• Player in white is on defensive team and should be a ball winner (best player in the air)
• Keeper should start in the back 1/3 of the goal
• Keeper should be at least 1 yard off of his/her goaline
• Keeper should be upright and on toes
• Keeper should have front and back post covered with smaller players
• Keeper should have trees defending trees in the middle
• Keeper should always start with a crossover as first step
• Keeper should find line of flight of ball when attacking
• Keeper should always bring outside knee up for protection and to help body square up to ball
• Keeper should always catch ball at highest point
• Keeper should leave ball up till clear of traffic
• Keeper should always call keeper or away on every serve early!

Kristen Keane – University of Michigan - 1	Matt Pyzdrowski – Marquette University - 2
Molly Williams – Villanova University - 3	Jaime Lieberman – University of Wisconsin-Parkside - 4
Steve Purdy – University of Illinois-Chicago - 5	Natalie Kulla - Marquette University - 6

1.  What was the best piece of advice you got throughout your college playing career?

- KK Control what you can control. You can't control how much your coach plays you; you can't control what the other keepers are doing or how well they are playing. You can control how much effort you put into practices and games and extra workouts that you volunteer to do. You can control your positive attitude

- MP The best advice that I got was, young roosters learn, old rooster’s crow...also don’t be afraid to ruffle your feathers and spread your wings.

- MW One of my coaches told me to never stop pushing myself.  I wasn't seeing any playing time at first, while all my friends seemed to be getting a chance, and this really frustrated me.  But I'm a goalkeeper, and obviously, we're different.  For me, I had to be patient to get my chance (two years later), but all that hard work finally paid off, and I realized that goalkeepers have to earn their playing time - sometimes that means couple of years. 

- JL Play every game like it's your last.

-  SP The best piece of advice I have received throughout my college career so far is to have confidence and play within yourself. And this does not just go for goalkeepers either. Without confidence, especially as a goalkeeper there is absolutely no way you can perform to the best of your abilities and it will show through to your teammates.

-  NK I think the best advice I have gotten so far would be to have extreme confidence. Goalkeeping is a different position where you can live or die by your decisions. Have confidence in every decision even if it ends up being the wrong one, adjust but don't lose confidence.

2.  What was the one thing you've learned that you wish you knew before entering your college playing career?

- KK I guess I wish that I knew how much faster the play was. I don't know if there was a good way of anticipating the speed besides jumping right into it and just playing.

- MP How much of a force you really need to be in the goal, not just physically but vocally as well, and you’re not with a team to make friends, you are there to make teammates.

- MW Go to the bathroom before you run the beep test.  Trust me on this one.

- JL High school successes do not necessarily follow you to the college game. Those unique experiences are in the past. College is an entirely new beginning and should be approached as such. Control what you can control, and hopefully your positive and driven attitudes will influence the rest of the team to greatness! 

- SP As a collegiate athlete you set your priorities straight in order to make it to the next level. Once you have them set straight it is easier to accomplish the goals you set. For me it was School, then Soccer, then Friends.

- NK Upon entering college I wish that I would have made sure I was training at the highest level possible. Going in I thought I challenged myself well. Turns out you can challenge yourself much better than your mind allows you or others around you allow you. Don't settle for a training session where players are going easy on each other so that they don't offend one another. You should get scored on in practice. That is what makes you better.

3.  What aspect of the game do you see as being the most important for a goalkeeper to possess in the college game today?

- KK Poise, I think that a successful college goalkeeper needs to be able to deal with all the different situations that come out during the course of the game and do all of it with a level head. This is important if you want to be able to play at your best.

- MP Most keepers have the general tools to succeed at the college level, but it is those who separate themselves from the pack that get noticed and you do that with distribution and communication-character.

- MW Confidence - Growing up, this is the biggest thing I struggled with.  But here's what I've learned - your team DOES trust you, and once you realize that they want you behind them, you become confident, and then you play out of your mind.  Seriously why couldn't someone have just told me this like ten years ago? 

- JL Composure, Confidence, and Consistency.

- SP For me the most important thing to have is confidence and leadership because skill and technique are things you can work on physically but the mental challenges are what separate the good from the great.

- NK For females, crossing. It is something most female keepers struggle with. And if you are confident and excel at it you have a pretty good chance of playing.

4.  What one piece of advice would you give to young goalkeepers about the recruiting process?

- KK Pick a school that you would be happy at even if you were not playing soccer.

- MP Be patient and you have to do all the work...very few players will have the coaches come and find them, it is important for you to sell yourself and get yourself seen as much as possible. 

- MW Don't stress about it!  I mean, yeah, make sure you are emailing coaches (and don't be afraid to be persistent) telling them your game schedules and taking campus visits, but seriously don't stress about it, especially if you think you had a bad game in front of like 100 coaches.  Trust me, I probably had about 50 bad games in front of coaches, but I turned out ok :)  And you can't make a bad decision on where to go (but if you do, you can always just transfer!)

- JL Keep an open mind, and always explore your options. Continue sending letters and emails to your prospected schools, so that they are familiar with your athletic achievements and begin to learn who you are as a person. 

- SP The most important thing to do during the recruiting process is start as early as you can. Get your name out there so that you can take your time and visit all the schools you can to find the best fit. Who offers you the most aid may not be the best fit for you. 

- NK Don't commit until you are absolutely ready, if they really want you they'll wait. Get honest opinions about coaches and team chemistry.

5.  If there was one thing in your pre-game routine that you could not do without, what would it be?

- KK I listen to a playlist that I made for pregame.

- MP My iPod.

- MW I might be the most superstitious person I know.  I am convinced I will play terrible UNLESS I am wearing my lucky sports bra, put my right shoe on before my left, have completely straightened my hair... but I think the one thing that I have to do before a game is do the whole dance of the Cha Cha Slide. 

- JL I need time to look good... I need to honor the uniform! (Those who wore the #1 before me and the UW-Parkside program in general)........I brush the dirt off my body from the warm up. I re-tie my boots. Pull the socks up above my knees and tape the guards up. Take the training top off, kiss my match-jersey and throw that on. Wet my hair. Tuck in my jersey. Left glove on first, then my right glove. Then after all that... it's GO time! 

- SP There are three things that I do before a game that let my teammates know I am ready to play. I walk my 18 yard box to check for bad spots, I talk to my back line to make sure they are ready to go, and I shuffle post to post and do a few pull-ups on the bar just before kickoff. That's my ritual.

- NK In my pre-game, I could not do without live shots. I always need to gage how quick I am reacting, and knowing that I am prepared.