Today we’re here with Tim Kelly. Tim is a former MLS goalkeeper but more notably the Director of Goalkeeping for St. Louis Scott Gallagher. If you’ve ever looked at the list of clubs for a U17 or U20 US roster release, you’ve probably see Gallagher on there at some point. They’re a fairly prominent club, producing good field players and goalkeepers alike. Tim has developed or worked with a number of MLS goalkeepers at some stage in their career, as well having a number of young goalkeepers in the club that he’s really excited about.
The conversation Tim and I had was pretty free-flowing and it picks up right in the middle, as there wasn’t a proper starting spot to be honest. Tim discusses his take on his job as a goalkeeper coach and where he inserts himself but also talks about how he gets out of the way of a goalkeeper’s development. He hits on some intangible qualities and mentalities that contribute to a goalkeeper’s success, as well as touching briefly on the US youth national team setup as far as goalkeepers are concerned. And then towards the end he shares why he’s optimistic about the future of American goalkeeping, despite the current lull we’re in.
Tim has a ton of experience in developing goalkeepers and he’s been around a while to prove the quality of his craft. So it was really wonderful to hear some outside-the-box thinking and someone to reassure us that the future is bright. So here’s Tim Kelly on American goalkeeping development.