With the new season underway, Northern League veteran Jamie Bogle was invited to Sunderland’s Academy of Light to experience a professional goalkeeping coaching session and get tips on how to save energy when playing.
The session included, how to effectively communicate with a defence, how to distribute the ball under pressure, and proper positioning, in an effort to show how top class goalkeepers preserve their energy over 90 minutes, as well as learning about simple changes he could make to control energy off the pitch such as getting a smart meter installed in his home.
“It’s important to get your head in the game as quickly as possible to focus on what you’re doing in the moment,” said Hoffmann. “You need to have full control over your game and your energy levels and you have to be switched on and you can’t take a second off.
“We went through why it’s important to focus on your energy as a keeper in the session. You need to be able to focus on what you can influence and on what you’re needed to do.
The training session was organised as part of Smart Energy GB and EFL’s ‘Save Like a Pro’ campaign, which highlights how getting a smart meter installed can help people make small changes at home to save energy and be more in control of their energy bills.
The in-home display that comes with smart meter shows in near-real time the amount of energy you use in pounds and pence give better control over energy usage, so users can see where they can be more efficient, budget more easily and be more in control of their bills.
Jamie, a lifelong Sunderland fan certainly enjoyed the experience.
“I’ve taken a lot away from the session both on and off the pitch in terms of saving energy.
“I have a smart meter installed at home, much to my wife and kids frustration and there are loads of benefits to having one – it makes you realise how much you’re spending.
“It’s opened my eyes to a lot of new ideas when it comes to saving energy”
Bogle also admitted that seeing Hoffmann in action has given him a new found respect for how intense and difficult it is to be a professional shot stopper.
He added: “You see these young lads on a match day and they might make a mistake and get jeered by the crowd.
“But seeing them at this level, and seeing their quality was amazing – you don’t realise how hard it is until you’re in and amongst it.”