Written by Lilla Réty
Goalie Gala a’la Susu
Let’s take a determined and creative goalkeeper coach, two dozen handball goalies, helpful friends, a pro photographer, a sport hall and you can see how goalkeepers are realising that they can play in one of the greatest positions.
It’s been the 4th time that Timea Sugár is oragnising the Goalkeepers Gathering, which was hosted this year on 30th of May in Tököl town’s sportshall. Susu honored me with an invite as her former pupil, which I happily accepted and was waiting for the day with such excitement.
I could tell from all the names of the people attending that it was going to be a great day. You could sense it in the air when the goalkeepers started to arrive at 11. am. The group looked very mixed: there were local goalies from Tököl, also from Székesfehérvár, from 16th district in Budapest, Switzerland, as well as players from this year champion’s team, and also the goalkeepers whom are not playing anymore.
Susu didn’t leave anything to chance. She did her best to make the day happen with a great atmosphere. Even in the warm up focus was on FUN. When do you see 18 boys and 18 girls hitting balloons all over the place as a warm up? And then continue in spider walk? Even with my 25 years I was laughing like a school kid. After the ball game we tried to memorize each other’s names, by the end of the game with more or less success. mistakes made us laugh so much. Obviously goalkeeper’s warm up is nothing without the saving movements, so it also came to the pinch with the Susu’s leadership. For me that was the most exciting and energising excercises. We had signs given by Susu and made the movement out of it. Imagine nearly 20 people moving in the same direction at the same time. We made the same movement, with the same intensity, our legs scuffled right in the same time on the parquet, clapped together and jumped. When we made a mistake we laughed just as we had during the warm-up and qucikly corrected the mistake. It was a huge kick of adrenalin, with such energy. I hope that Susu felt the same as we did. That so many of her pupils were moving together and she could see the result of her work, could see the combination and everyone's own style. It was a very clever and energetic excercise.
Susu during the session suprised us with a little present. We all got a t-shirt with Goalkeepers Gathering written on it. From the time we were not only moving nice, but we were also looking nice together.
The next exercise was a little competition. We had been seperated into teams and the creative and funny mental and normal excercises began. we had to bounce the ball into a circle, or had to shoot at the post, these little excercises just toom all the stress from everybody. We were supporting each other, checked what the other teams where doing, are they better etc. during some of the excersices it was like being back at school we had to concentrate hard with the questions such as “How many animals Moses carried on his boat?” these excercises gave us very funny moments.
we had a photographer, who took pictures of us as a group and we could also ask him to take picture of us saving the ball, with friends and teammates. He took group pictures in creative settings and we could also give our ideas. The photographer was very open to our ideas and also documented our session.
Susu also suprised us with lunch together, I’ve never seen that many pizzas delievered in my life, we ate, chatted, told stories and laughed a lot. The different age groups told very different type of stories, it was so much fun to listen to them. It’s been years since I stood in goal, but on that day all my handball years and memories became alive like I was still playing. I was not the only one who felt that way.
That day was all about goalkeepers. About the post, which means the most for those present, because being a goalkeeper is a privilege. With all the advantages and disadvantages it is one of the most complex and most special handball posts. And Susu made sure, that we could celebrate it. She brought together so many special people, to show them while on the field we stand on our own, we are never alone. We are together by the joy of moving, the joy of the game, and the joy of the competition. And who brings everyone together the one and only Tímea Sugár.
Golie Gala a’la SUSU can be downloaded from HERE!