Founded by former Division 1 and Professional Goalkeeper, Brett Petricek.
Au Goalkeeping Academy is designed with the purpose of developing the entirety of the goalkeepers skill set, from mentality to technique, tactical understanding, decision making, leadership, and athleticism.
Beginning with a strong, unbreakable mindset, Coach Brett has endured it all during his playing career.
After being cut from Illinois ODP at 12 years of age, he went on to become the starting goalkeeper for Illinois ODP, winning 2 Region II Championships, and 1 ODP National Championship, while being named the ODP National Championship’s Golden Glove winner. He was also named to Region II Team and travelled to Germany and Austria and competed against top European competition at 16 years of age (ODP was the highest level of youth soccer at that time)
Despite being considered an undersized goalkeeper, he went on to be named 1st Team All-State for high school soccer his senior year, while also being named to the Chicago Fire u-18 Academy (now MLS Next).
He then went on to play 4 years as a Division 1 starting goalkeeper at Mercer University and then Niagara University. He was named to the Atlantic Sun All Tournament Team his freshman year, and Goalkeeper of the year for his senior season while also being named to the MAAC conference team across 4 decades. He also played 2 seasons in USL 2 during the off season with Chicago Inferno.
Gold Standard Goalkeeper Training
After several stints in England, Spain, and with domestic USL clubs, he signed his first professional contract in the MASL for the now defunct Cedar Rapids Rampage and went on to play 6 seasons in th e league.
During that time, he also played 8 seasons for the historic RWB Adria Chicago.
While doing all this, he gained his Goalkeeper Coaching license. On top of that, he became a NASM certified personal trainer, to further his knowledge in the body, and studied human psychology.
He has been a Goalkeeper Coach at the Collegiate Division 1 level with Niagara U, and Division 2 level with Lewis U, while also training youth goalkeepers ages 8-18 for 10+ years.