LGR 188: Fixing Bad Habits with Goalie Coach Pat Wallace

The Mental Edge Every Lacrosse Goalie Needs with Coach Pat Wallace | Goalie Gurus

What separates great lacrosse goalies from good ones? According to Goalie Gurus founder Coach Pat Wallace, it's not just technique—it's mindset.

In this episode of the LAX Goalie Rat Podcast, Coach Damon sits down with Pat Wallace to discuss his journey from growing up in a family of goalies to coaching elite youth and college players. Pat shares the lessons he's learned from overcoming injuries, building confidence, studying film, and helping goalies develop both physically and mentally.

Whether you're a youth goalie, high school athlete chasing college lacrosse, or a coach looking for better ways to train your goalies, this episode is packed with actionable advice.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• How Pat first fell in love with the goalie position
• Why playing other positions can help young goalies improve
• The pros and cons of playing box lacrosse as a field goalie
• The biggest technical mistakes youth goalies make
• How to review game film to improve faster
• Why goalie-specific coaching accelerates development
• The importance of footwork, recovery steps, and efficient movement
• Mental preparation techniques used before games
• How visualization and meditation can improve performance
• Tips for breaking out of a goalie slump
• Why confidence is one of the most important goalie skills
• Lessons Pat learned from returning to lacrosse after a concussion
• Building Goalie Gurus and creating high-repetition training clinics

Key Takeaways

Every Save Starts Before the Game

Pat believes elite performance begins with quality preparation. Visualization, breathing exercises, stretching, proper nutrition, and even meditation can dramatically improve a goalie's mindset before stepping onto the field.

Review Your Film

Watching game film helps identify repeated habits—both good and bad. Look for consistent patterns in your positioning, stepping, recovery, and where you're making or missing saves.

Play to Your Strengths

Not every goalie should copy professional goalies. Your size, athleticism, and style should determine your technique. Learn from the pros, but build a game that fits you.

Confidence Is a Skill

Goalies must develop the ability to move on from goals allowed and attack every new shot with confidence. As Pat says:

"It's about the next shot, not the last shot."

Favorite Quotes

"It's always about the next shot. It's never about the last shot."

"Even if you're not naturally confident, you have to become a different version of yourself when you step into the crease."

"Visualization can be just as valuable as physical reps."

Resources Mentioned

• Goalie Gurus
• LAX Goalie Summit
• LAX Goalie Rat
• Coach Matt Jewers
• Coach John Galloway
• GoalieSmith

Connect with Coach Pat Wallace

Coach Pat Wallace is the founder of Goalie Gurus, where he provides private lessons, elite goalie clinics, and film breakdowns to help lacrosse goalies reach the next level.

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