Usually, in Club level soccer, training is cancelled due to rain. The most likely reasons are that Clubs usually rent the fields of the local Parks and Rec Department and for liability and field preservation/maintenance reasons it is better to cancel training rather than risk a kid getting seriously injured, or the fields getting seriously torn-up. Fair enough. But if you are a serious GK, don't you--at some point--need to train in the rain, or at the very least, wet weather conditions so that when you play a match in the rain you are aware of the differences/challenges that wet weather can produce? The answer of course is -- YES.
So, when training in wet weather, what do you need? Well....
A. If you're on grass, a pair of 'studs'. The footwear you choose on a wet day may be the most important decision you make. It is far too easy to slip while going for a ball, and let in an easy goal. (Ask Steven Gerrard v Chelsea last year...) *If you are training on Turf, you can most likely wear your 'molded' boots.
B. A couple of pairs of gloves. Training in rain will get your gloves wet. Very wet. Obviously you will have a towel, to dry off your gloves, but you'll also want another pair of gloves to change in to about half way through the training session.
C. Base layer compression gear. You should ALWAYS wear this stuff--but for wet weather training it is imperative. Remember, water is going to increase the rate of body cooling substantially, and base-layer helps keep you warm. If you are in colder climes--try to get some base-layer gear with Merino wool woven in. (See prior Blogs regarding Cold Weather and Merino wool gear).
D. Long sleeve top, and 3/4 length pants. Lots of times, you can just wear a nylon wind-jacket type of top, but I highly recommend a 3/4 length pant instead of a full length pant. Full length GK trousers tend to collect water and become very heavy. 3/4 length "breezers" don't collect as much water, and make training in the rain a bit easier.
E. A beanie. Yup, a beanie. Doubtless you've hear the old hiking/mountaineering adage, "If your feet are cold, put on a hat". Well, it is 100% true. Most of your body heat is lost through your head. By wearing a beanie or knit hat when training, you can drastically reduce the loss of body heat (accelerated by wet weather training--remember?) and stay warmer. Sounds crazy--but it's TRUE.
Wet weather training should last NO MORE than 40-45 minutes. A good GK Coach can accomplish everything that's needed in that time frame. The key is to keep moving (again, helping to preserve body heat) and get through drills and GK topics quickly.
Always remember to get your hands and body behind the ball whenever possible in wet conditions, and of course realize that the flight characteristics of the ball will be different (skipping more than bouncing, and less deceleration on low balls) in wet weather. Also, catching in wet weather is not as important as on dry days. You need to develop the ability to parry and deflect balls in wet weather--and most importantly--develop the ability to make quick decisions about which balls to parry and which balls to catch. Which, of course, if WHY your GK Coach has you out training in the rain in the first place! To become accustomed to the differences that the weather can dictate come MATCH time. Good Luck, and Enjoy! Wet weather training can be fun!
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the opposing forwards always shoot right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
All the Best--EV