Ipswich FC goalkeeping coach Jamie Adair likes helping talented players minimise mistakes and progress in higher level competition. Photos: LYLE RADFORD
BEING a goalkeeper coach provides plenty of challenges in delivering a specialist service for any football club.
But when your number one goalkeeper breaks his leg, it creates an even more important task to resolve.
Thagoona-based, Ipswich FC mentor Jamie Adair has shared in recent frustrations with matches being postponed and rescheduled in this year’s Football Queensland Premier League 1 competition.
Ipswich FC has endured mixed results, producing some positive results then letting winning situations get away.
Losing first-team keeper Jace Hudson at a crucial stage of the season provided another major challenge for club coaches like Jamie, based at the Briggs Road Sporting Complex.
“Just because it’s a stop-start to the season, it’s hard to get consistent form and rhythm because of the wet weather and that,” Jamie said, backing how Hudson was progressing before his setback.
“It’s been a tough season.”
However, the goalkeeping coach is keen to continue helping the club in the best way he can.
Jamie’s main role has been working with the club’s first team, under-23 and under-18 goalkeepers.
“Normally it’s developing keepers and watching them progress,” he said.
“These days with the first team, it’s just looking at minimising their mistakes and improve the keepers to work on their inefficiencies and better adapt to what they are good at.”
Jamie previously worked for Football Queensland and Western Pride before a short break and returning to Ipswich FC this season.
He grew up in Bathurst as a young goalkeeper progressing to state league level with Sydney club sides.
Jamie, 44, has been coaching on and off for more than 10 years, settling in the Thagoona area.
“It’s good. It’s quiet,” he said, enjoying the country lifestyle with his family.
Having a building company, Jamie also appreciates working in the Rosewood area which he said was a strong community with “good people”.
At Ipswich FC, Jamie is working with head coach Andrew Catton – who also lives in Thagoona – and his assistants Jason Ball and Andrew Sinclair.
“That’s one of the reasons I went back – the people that are there at the moment,” Jamie said.
