TCIFA'S National Goalkeeping Coach, Aaron Lawrence, Joined By GGI'S Rasih Pala
On the evening of Monday, February 12, Coach Rasih Pala from Global Goalkeeping Innovations (GGI) visited the TCIFA National Academy. During his visit, he engaged with aspiring goalkeepers across various age groups, from U11 to senior levels, providing training sessions tailored to enhance their goalkeeping skills.
Coach Rasih Pala serves as the Executive Vice President and co-founder of Global Goalkeeping Innovations. GGI specializes in coach education, elite training, and university identification programs in the United States and Canada. Additionally, Coach Rasih holds the position of head goalkeeper coach at York University, a prestigious program in Canada. Beyond his university commitments, he manages goalkeeping at North Toronto Soccer, the largest community club in Toronto. He also contributed his expertise as the lead goalkeeper coach for the Guyana Women's Senior National Team.
As a former professional goalkeeper who competed in the Turkish second division and as a NCAA Division 1 athlete at Northern Illinois University for four years, Coach Rasih brings a wealth of experience to his coaching role. He also represented the Canadian U17 Men's National Team during World Cup qualifying matches.
Coach Rasih holds a Canadian Youth National Goalkeeper license and is in the process of acquiring his Canadian National B License. His involvement as a learning facilitator for Canada Soccer includes assisting in the delivery of the National Youth Goalkeeper license program.
Coach Rasih's reflections encapsulate his dedication to elevating goalkeeping standards and nurturing the next generation of goalkeepers through his expertise, experience, and ongoing educational pursuits.
Coach Rasih expressed his contentment with his visit, stating, “I was fortunate enough to visit Turks and Caicos back in February 2022 and had the opportunity to visit TCIFA's beautiful facility and coach during a World Cup qualifying event against the Turks and Caicos Islands women’s senior national team. I am very excited to re-visit and work with the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association. This is a great opportunity to work closely with local goalkeepers and provide a great experience for all players & coaches involved. Goalkeeping is a passion and being able to share knowledge and experiences is a great gift. Thank you to Dane (Technical Director) and the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association for allowing me to attend and share.``
