Lax Goalie Rat Podcast: Episode Summary

Guest: Emily Sterling (Starting Goalie, University of Maryland)

Host: Coach Damon Wilson

## Episode Highlights & Key Takeaways

1. Discovering a Passion for the Cage

• The 11-Year-Old Strategist: Emily fell into the goalie position at age 10 or 11 when an all-star travel team needed a volunteer. Despite her mother's sideline anxiety, Emily fell in love with it immediately.

• Advanced Mindset: Even at 11 years old, Emily told her parents that if she could hold the opposing team to under five goals, her team would have a great shot at winning—a mature competitive outlook that coaches preach to college athletes.

• The Spotlight: Emily embraces the uniqueness and responsibility of the position, taking pride in being one of the very few players on the field tasked with stopping shots.

2. Overcoming the Fear of the Ball

• The Flinch Phase: While she didn't start out afraid, the reality of getting hit by hard rubber balls caught up to her about three years into playing.

• The Solution: To overcome her hesitation and flinching, Emily used softer training balls (like pinkies or ECD white training balls) to rebuild her confidence and mechanics before transitioning back to standard lacrosse balls.

• Youth Protection: Emily strongly advocates for youth goalies wearing full protective gear (shin guards, pants, etc.) early on to ensure the sport remains fun and safe.

3. Emily's Style: A Traditional Happy Medium

• Stance: Plays a more traditional style with a narrower base and a straighter up-and-down posture (resembling a wall-sit) rather than the ultra-wide, heavily leaning stances common today.

• Arc and Steps: Prefers a medium arc—not too high, not too flat. Her stepping technique blends a lateral step and a 45-degree angle, adjusting dynamically depending on the scenario.

• The Evolving Offense: Notes that stick technology, rule changes, and increased athlete strength mean women's goalies are seeing faster shots, deceptive low-to-high releases, and a significant rise in outside shots.

4. Navigating an Early Recruiting Process

• The Old Rules: Under the previous NCAA rules, Emily committed to Maryland in October of her freshman year of high school, having started the process in the 8th grade.

• The Culture Fit: Maryland won her over through its welcoming, high-energy environment, authentic coaching staff (Head Coach Cathy Reese), and strong team camaraderie.

5. Battle Back From Injury

• The Injury: Emily tore her ACL during the final game of her high school senior year.

• D1 Transition: After sitting out her true freshman fall ball season for 8 months of rehab, she was cleared just two weeks before the 2020 season opener.

• The Mental Hurdle: Transitioning directly from rehab straight into a reigning National Championship Division 1 environment proved to be an immense mental and physical hurdle, adapting to ball movement and shot speeds far faster than high school play.

## Top Quotes from Emily

"There’s a certain pride you wear about that... you know that you're one of the very few people who are able to step in the goal and watch all these shots come at you."

"I don't think if I would have Googled [lacrosse goalie drills] ten years ago that this would have been here... Being able to hear from other goalies and actually have access to them is absolutely awesome."

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