Ten Years of BIG CAT GOALKEEPING

  

Big Cat is also a program that loves to keep the culture and network intact - Big Cat truly is a family. I was lucky enough to have Neil invite me back while I was in college to help out with Camp React as a coach. I had no idea what I was in for! My first time out as a coach was very rough, but the years after I made it a priority to improve, and with the guidance of people like Neil and inspiration from others like Miguel Miranda I soon grew into the coaching role and am absolutely in love with it now. It has opened doors up to new people and experiences I would have never imagined, and I am grateful and honored to be a part of it. I highly recommend that if you are a Big Cat keeper, current or retired, and you want to get involved with Big Cat in some way that you do it! It makes it that much more special.

BRIAN SCHWAKE (BCG ATTENDEE / TURNED PRO): I had been talking with my parents about pursuing a professional career as a goalkeeper since I was four.  By early 2017, it was time for me to start thinking about universities and career paths. But I only ever wanted to be a professional goalkeeper.  My parents, Neil and I talked and developed a game plan for me.  Neil has always been realistic about clubs and our expectations. He understands what is important to me and what environments are best for me.  Neil introduced me to coaches and arranged trials in other countries so I could be prepared for the future.  Ultimately, he helped me get a trial at Livingston FC in the Scottish Premier League, now my professional club.  He’s also given me great advice as a young goalkeeper navigating the professional environment.

WHAT SPECIAL MEMORIES DO YOU HAVE NEIL AND BIG CAT GOALKEEPING?

IAN JINDRICH :  Probably the late night sessions and banter back when I was still playing. We trained in some of the dodgiest facilities you could imagine, but we didn't care - we got our work in and we had a great time doing it. Something that was especially memorable were the small talks we would have while he had me carry gear back to his car after training. It seems like a small thing, but those conversations help develop meaningful relationships with the players outside of the standard training environment. It was once again something that a coach had never done for me before.

 

BRIAN SCHWAKE : In early 2016, Neil’s friend from England, Ben Benson, at that time the Blackburn Rovers’ head academy goalkeeping coach, invited Neil to bring ten keepers to training with Blackburn on our spring break in 2017.  It was eye opening to see how the club system in England works, and I felt like I had a shot. During that trip, Ben invited me to return to Blackburn. I traveled there three more times, which was instrumental in preparing me for my future pro career.

The other special memory is visiting Sporting Lisbon.  I learned an unbelievable amount and it just fueled my ambitions to keep pushing for a pro career.

 

 

 

UPON REFLECTION, WHAT JOYS DO YOU HAVE OF BEING PART OF BIG CAT GOALKEEPING?

IAN JINDRICH :  The people. Players, staff, presenters, everyone. Anyone who helps make it a special environment are the same ones that make it a joy to be a part of. I think we have a special group of individuals who not only want to be a part of the game and position but want to constantly improve themselves and push themselves to their maximum.

 

BRIAN SCHWAKE : In terms of the joys of Big Cat, I love being around players and coaches who love goalkeeping as much as I do.  We all want to push ourselves to see how much we can achieve.  We all try our hardest and support each other through the intense highs and lows. 

I met Neil Thompson in May of 2014, when I was 12 years old and trying out for a local club.  I learned several new GK techniques just in that first try out.  At training and at Camp React, I noticed that when the sessions wound down, I’d feel a bit sad that it was ending. I was learning a ton and making what I now know are lifelong friendships.  

Also, meeting so many intelligent and helpful coaches - like Miguel, Hugo, Ben Benson, Tony Caig and so many others - was very important to me.

 

 

 

IS THERE ONE STORY THAT STANDS OUT TO YOU OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS?

IAN JINDRICH :  There are too many to count to be honest, but I would say the trip to Lisbon, Portugal was something that had a huge impact on me as both a person and a coach. I had the pleasure of traveling with Neil and a select group of Big Cat keepers to the Sporting Lisbon Academy to be a part of some seminars and sessions that were run by Miguel Miranda. Seeing a foreign country and how they handled themselves with professional and youth development was so eye-opening in many different ways: how the players and coaches conduct themselves, how they interact, what the facilities look like, how they prepare. There are so many things that seem like small parts but truly contribute to a meaningful development of players, and it also reaffirmed how important my job was as a coach to getting our players at Big Cat to that standard.

 

BRIAN SCHWAKE :  I’d say a story that stands out is when we took the Big Cat trip to Portugal.   When we all landed we were super jet lagged but instead of getting time to nap or relax, we were all up going out on trials and training with different teams. It was tough at the time but it is also part of an athlete’s lifestyle.  Looking back, it was a very eye opening experience and I got a great sleep that night.

 

    

 

WHAT WOULD YOU TELL SOMEONE WHO HASN'T PARTICIPATED A BIG CAT GOALKEEPING EVENT OR PURCHASED ONE OF OUR GLOVES?