Character: A child asking a teammate for a chance in goal.
Suggested playing age: 9–12.
Tone: Dramatic · courage and practice.
Length: 114 spoken words; approximately 45–90 seconds.
Casting: any gender; one child speaking to a silent listener.
The age range is a starting point for choosing material. Read the whole piece together and time the actor’s own delivery, including pauses.
I Want to Be the Goalkeeper: full monologue
Can I be in goal tomorrow? I know what happened last time. You don't have to show me with your hands. I was there when the ball went through them.
I've been practicing against the wall. The soft ball, not the one that makes Mum come outside. I can catch it when it comes straight. It's the sideways ones I miss.
Could you kick a few of those to me before we pick teams? Not easy ones just to make me feel better. Real ones. But maybe don't start with your hardest.
I'm not asking you to say I'm good already. I'm asking for enough turns to find out if I can get good.
Who are you talking to?
The friend who chooses the positions for a playground soccer game.
What you want: Arrange a practice turn in goal before the next game.
What changes: Defending a missed catch becomes asking for a specific way to improve.
Three acting questions
- What does your friend remember about the last game?
- Are you embarrassed to describe practicing at home?
- How does asking for practice differ from demanding the position?
Try it two ways
Try the first beat as a calm question, then as a question you nearly did not ask. Keep whichever beginning gives you more reason to explain the practice. Avoid turning the entire speech into one long complaint.
A parent, teacher or rehearsal partner can be the silent listener. They do not need to supply extra lines. Imagine their answer before moving to the next thought.
Rehearse I Want to Be the Goalkeeper free
Open the real CueRoom rehearsal room with this exact monologue divided into four thought beats. Practice my lines lets you try the words from memory. Use Prompt when you need the current beat, or choose Listen to the recording to hear the prepared reading.
No account, purchase or replay credits required. The demo has fixed text and a saved voice. You can repeat the same section as often as you need.
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A simple way to learn the words
Move from yesterday's miss to practice at home, sideways kicks, and the final request for more turns. Check the small qualification about the hardest kick; it reveals both courage and nerves.
Try one beat before revealing it. Check the wording, correct one small section, then join it to the next beat. The recorded voice offers a reading to practice with; the young actor can use their own natural voice and choices.
For a class or audition
Ask what kind of material is accepted before learning the speech. This is a complete CueRoom original, not an extract from a published play. If the brief requires a named play, choose qualifying material instead. Time the performance yourself for any strict limit; the demo’s waiting time is not an audition timer.
Content: A missed catch, embarrassment and asking for a fair chance; no injury or bullying language.
For a younger reader, explain unfamiliar words before working from memory. Keep the first rehearsal focused on the listener and the request rather than asking for a particular facial expression.
You may use this original for personal rehearsal, classes and auditions that permit original material. Do not republish or sell it as your own. A teacher’s or audition’s specific requirements still apply.
Try another situation
Compare The Map Is Mostly Correct with My Job Is to Hold the Sun. Read both and choose the situation the actor most wants to explore.
Browse all 12 monologues for kids · Explore monologues for older performers · Plan a monologue rehearsal
Parents and teachers: rehearse your own material
These prepared demos stay free. If you want to import your own scripts, choose reader voices and organize a personal rehearsal library, explore the full CueRoom app.
Explore this piece alongside the other dramatic monologue selections, with guidance on the listener, the request and the change you can rehearse.
Compare this original with the other contemporary monologue selections, with comic and dramatic situations and guidance on audition source requirements.