LGR 262: Laughs, Socks, and Saves - Bringing Fun to the Crease with HS goalie Lindsay Stubenvoll

Lindsey Steubenball on Confidence, Leadership, and Thriving as a Shorter Goalie

In this episode of the Lax Goalie Rat Podcast, Coach Damon speaks with high school goalie Lindsey Steubenball about her journey into the cage, the mental challenges of the position, and how she uses her personality, faith, and work ethic to become a better player.

Lindsey first experienced lacrosse goalie in her backyard after her father and brother asked her to put on hockey equipment and face shots. Having already played hockey goalie and softball catcher, she was comfortable being in a position where the ball came directly toward her. She quickly fell in love with the adrenaline, responsibility, and leadership that come with playing goalie.

Her older brother has played an important role in her development, teaching her the fundamentals of stance, positioning, movement, and communication. Lindsey explains how her stance has evolved into a wide, athletic base that allows her to generate explosive lateral movement.

At four feet eleven inches tall, Lindsey frequently faces questions about whether shorter athletes can succeed in goal. Rather than viewing her height as a disadvantage, she uses it to anticipate where shooters will aim. Because many players expect to score over her head, she focuses on keeping her hands high, punching strongly toward high shots, and exploding upward when necessary.

Lindsey also discusses how young goalies can overcome fear of the ball. She encourages players to wear additional protection when it helps them feel confident and recommends taking large numbers of tennis-ball shots before progressing to harder lacrosse balls.

A major theme of the conversation is Lindsey’s approach to the mental game. She describes herself as her own toughest critic and admits that she has previously blamed herself for losses or focused heavily on saves she believed she should have made. Her family, brother, and coaches help her separate what she can control from what she cannot.

Lindsey also uses humor to remain confident and relaxed. Whether she is singing during warmups, wearing Spider-Man or holiday socks, decorating her throat guard, or laughing after a difficult play, she believes having fun prevents her from becoming trapped in negative thoughts.

The episode also explores Lindsey’s leadership and communication with her defense. She explains why goalies must be loud, calm, assertive, and patient. Rather than yelling at defenders after mistakes, she prefers to discuss what happened, listen to their perspective, and help the unit improve together.

Lindsey shares how her faith gives her strength and perspective during difficult games. She also discusses her decision to decommit from Warner University and choose Columbia College, where she found an academic, athletic, and spiritual environment that felt more aligned with her beliefs.

Throughout the conversation, Lindsey demonstrates that success in goal is not determined by height. It comes from preparation, movement, confidence, communication, and the willingness to continue learning.