At 6-foot-8, this YAIAA goalie doesn't give opposing soccer teams many easy openings

Christopher Meakin touches the top of the soccer goal before the start of each half. He does it again when there is a penalty kick.

The frame of a regulation soccer goal is 24 feet wide and 8 feet tall. Meakin stands flat-footed to touch the top of the frame.

And because the senior is 6-foot-8 with a wingspan reaching closer to 7 feet, he can do that. Sometimes, he said he puts his hands on the top bar and holds on just for fun when the team is taking a break during practice.

He knows his height and reach can alter the way a team plays against him.

“A lot of times they try to trick me, so they shoot from further out and try to catch me off guard,” Meakin said after Littlestown defeated Delone Catholic 2-1 in a Division III game. “I know that, so I’m always prepared for that in every game.”

York Catholic coach Joe Nattans uses a different game plan when Meakin is in goal.

“We focused on low-driven crosses from the wings,” he said. “We told our guys that no balls could be lofted into the box.”

The plan worked for the Division III-leading Irish, who defeated the Bolts 4-0 and 1-0 this season.

Because of his height, it’s natural to assume Meakin has a tough time getting to low balls. Nattans used that idea in his plan, saying “it’s harder to get low than to get to the high shots.”

That assumption makes Meakin work harder on his footwork, to give the opposition one less spot to aim for.

“I love diving,” Meakin said. “Honestly, I just love being on the grass. We have to get on the ground really fast, so that’s something in my game that I’ve had to work hard on for the last four years.”

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Footwork is the key

Meakin’s height gives him a huge advantage because he can cover so much of the goal.

But if he is “wrong-footed” – his feet are moving one way and he needs to move in another – Meakin's height and wingspan won’t help. So, he worked hard in the offseason to improve his footwork.

“My dad pushed me to do ladders, footwork drills and then jump up,” Meakin said. “I don’t like those drills, but I know I have to do them to improve my footwork. That’s the biggest thing I’ve done to help my game.”

Matthew Meakin is teaching from experience. The 6-10 Nottingham, England, native played Division I basketball at Mount St. Mary’s.

He might not have played soccer, but footwork was just as important in the sports Matthew Meakin did play – basketball and cricket.

Christopher Meakin has another big, well, huge, disadvantage when it comes to footwork ... he wears a size-16 shoe.

That is not only a lot of foot to move around, it’s also tough to find proper shoes.

“We couldn’t find a size-16 soccer shoe,” Meakin said. “So, we took a football cleat and ground down the top cleat to make it legal for soccer.”

‘A 6-8 what?’

Meakin’s height alone was enough to pique the interest of a former semi-pro soccer goalie who spent the bulk of his career covering high school sports.

Add that Meakin was last year’s YAIAA Division III goalkeeper of the year, and holds the school record for shutouts (clean sheets in soccer-speak), and Andy Shay was in.

The former reporter at The Sentinel (Carlisle) and The Patriot-News (Harrisburg) kept his eyes on Meakin as the Bolts defeated the Squires. Shay knew what to look for after playing goalie in high school, the Army and semi-pro in Europe.

“I was shocked, in a way, how much less of the goal is available to players with a 6-8 frame and a 6-11 wingspan facing you,” Shay said. “It’s an intimidating look from a distance, in my opinion.”

Shay, who stands nearly a foot shorter than Meakin, was interested to see what the senior did on low shots. He didn’t have to wait long to find out.

“I’ve been around the game for 45 years, and I’ve never seen somebody taller than 6-4, 6-5 in goal,” Shay said to Meakin after the game. “How’s the ball going to drop? That first save was your best. It was quick, and you had to get down fast and it was low.”

Shay noticed that on the few corner kicks taken by Delone, the Squires were 10-12 yards out. He didn’t see one ball played outside with the intention to cross into the box.

“He forces teams, at 6-8, to approach the game a little differently, I believe,” Shay said. “That’s kinda crazy to me, but I saw it play out. They weren’t huge, just very subtle things.”

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Basketball or soccer?

If Meakin has to make a decision about what to play in college, he said the choice will be easy.

“Basketball, no doubt,” Meakin said when asked what sport he likes better. “Basketball is definitely my go-to sport. I’m itching right now to get to the season.”

He was a YAIAA Division III first-team all-star last year for a Littlestown team that shared the division title with York Catholic. The Bolts were the fourth seed in the District 3 Class 4A tournament, losing to district champion Berks Catholic in the semifinals and Trinity in the third-place game.

Meakin averaged 18 points per game last year, but believes all of the work he did to improve his footwork for soccer will pay big dividends during the basketball season.

“My footwork has gotten so much better,” he said. “I really put in the plyometrics and other work this year, so I can’t wait to show everyone what I have on the court this year.”

The Bolts are on the District 3 bubble with their final game coming on Oct. 12. That might be the last chance to see Meakin in goal.

Unless he lands at a college that will let him play soccer and basketball. And have the shoes to fit him.

Shelly Stallsmith covers York-Adams high school sports for GameTimePA and the USAToday Network. Connect with her by email mstallsmith@ydr.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter @ShelStallsmith. 

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: YAIAA soccer: 6-8 goalie can still stop the shots, even the low ones