Episode 302: Travis Wagner – Goalie Development, Mental Game, and Finding Your Style
Episode Overview
In this episode of the LAX Goalie Rat Podcast, Coach Damon Wilson sits down with Travis Wagner, college lacrosse goalie and coach, to discuss his journey through the position and the lessons he has learned both as a player and a coach.
Travis shares how he started playing goalie at just three years old and how watching indoor lacrosse helped inspire his love for the position. He discusses the coaches and goalies who influenced his development, his experience playing box lacrosse, and how he developed his own unique style in the cage.
The conversation also covers goalie mechanics, bottom-hand dominance, tracking shots, five-hole saves, footwork, positioning, athletic development, and training in the weight room. Travis explains how his experience with injuries and equipment led him to experiment with additional thumb protection.
Damon and Travis also dive into the mental side of goaltending, including pregame routines, staying present, dealing with slumps, building confidence, and learning how to stay loose during games. Travis also shares what he looks for as a college coach when evaluating goalies, including communication, clearing ability, body language, footwork, and how they respond to mistakes.
In This Episode
Travis explains how he became a goalie at a very young age after being inspired by indoor lacrosse goaltender Pat O'Toole and his famous "Tool Time" celebration.
He discusses how his grandfather helped him develop as a young goalie by shooting on him in the cold and teaching him to simply get in front of the ball and keep going.
Travis shares how coaches and goalies from the Rochester area, including Willie Clancy, Dennis Costanza, and Blaze Reardon, influenced his development and helped him create his own style.
The conversation explores how playing box lacrosse helped Travis improve his angles, presence in the cage, and ability to see different types of shots.
Travis explains his philosophy of being a bottom-hand dominant goalie and compares the bottom hand to a gas pedal and the top hand to a steering wheel.
He discusses five-hole saves, keeping the hips loaded back, preventing the knees from buckling, and how strengthening the glute medius helped improve his athletic position.
Travis also talks about his college experience, including transferring to Cortland, becoming a four-year starter, and learning how important team culture and being comfortable around his teammates were to his development.
After breaking his thumb multiple times, Travis explains how he experimented with equipment and developed additional thumb protection to help prevent further injuries.
The conversation also covers his pregame routine, eye exercises, tracking shots, studying shooters, and using conversations with teammates to understand where shooters are likely to place the ball.
Travis discusses going through a difficult slump during his junior year and how using short phrases such as "Be here now" helped him stay focused and avoid overthinking.
As a coach, Travis explains why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to goaltending and why coaches need to work with each goalie's individual body type, athleticism, strengths, and weaknesses.
Key Takeaways
Develop Your Own Style
There is no single correct way to play goalie. Travis emphasizes understanding your own strengths and building a style that works for your body, athleticism, and abilities.
Stay Present
Travis uses simple reminders and routines to keep himself focused on the moment instead of overthinking his movements or worrying about the next shot.
Keep Your Body Loose
Staying relaxed allows goalies to react more naturally. Travis discusses techniques such as keeping the armpits loose, moving between shots, and avoiding unnecessary tension.
Train Your Hips
Strong hips and glute medius muscles can help goalies maintain their athletic position and prevent their knees from collapsing inward.
Study the Shooter
Understanding shooting tendencies and having conversations with teammates can help goalies anticipate where shots are likely to go.
There Is No One-Size-Fits-All Goalie
Goalies come in different sizes, athletic abilities, and styles. Coaches should build on what each goalie does well instead of forcing everyone into the same technique.
Communication Matters
For goalies going through the recruiting process, Travis emphasizes loud and clear communication with defenders as one of the most important things college coaches look for.
Your Response Matters
College coaches pay attention not only to saves, but also to clearing ability, body language, footwork, communication, and how a goalie reacts after giving up a goal.
Topics Covered
Starting lacrosse and becoming a goalie at a young age
Being inspired by indoor lacrosse
Playing box lacrosse
Learning from experienced goalie mentors
Developing a unique goalie style
Bottom-hand dominant goaltending
Goalie hand mechanics
Five-hole saves
Hip positioning and athletic stance
Preventing the knees from buckling
Glute medius strength and training
Weight room training for goalies
Recovering from repeated thumb injuries
Goalie equipment and thumb protection
Transferring to Cortland
Becoming a college starter
Building confidence through preparation
Pregame routines
Eye exercises and visual tracking
Reading shooters and anticipating shots
Handling slumps and overthinking
Staying loose during games
Learning from hockey and baseball
Coaching different types of goalies
College recruiting
Communication and clearing
Body language after goals
Supporting teammates
Staying present and enjoying the game
Memorable Moments
Travis shares the story of being inspired by Pat O'Toole and wanting to hear the crowd yell "Tool Time" after making saves.
He explains how his grandfather would shoot on him outside during the freezing Upstate New York winters, teaching him to get in front of the ball and immediately move on to the next shot.
Travis describes his unique tradition of adding a piece of tape to his butt end after every win during his fifth year, eventually leading to a large tape donut by the end of the season.
He tells the story of breaking his thumb six times and how those injuries pushed him to experiment with his equipment and develop his own additional protection.
Travis also discusses a motivational message taped to a brick wall in his mother's gym: "You're tired right now. You're gonna be tired in the fourth quarter. Keep going."
One of the biggest lessons from the conversation comes at the end of the episode, when Travis encourages goalies to "be where your feet are," enjoy every moment, and appreciate the brotherhood that comes with playing lacrosse.
Guest
Travis Wagner
College lacrosse goalie and coach with experience playing at Cortland. Travis discusses his development as a goalie, his experiences competing at the college level, and his approach to coaching and developing goaltenders.
Resources Mentioned
LAX Goalie Rat Podcast
Cortland lacrosse
Upstate College Box League
Box lacrosse
Goalie training and development
Pregame routines
Eye-tracking exercises
Weight room training
Goalie equipment and thumb protection
College lacrosse recruiting
Goalie film study
Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by the LAX Goalie Rat Camp.
The online camp includes instructional videos and drills covering goalie technique, footwork, positioning, clearing, and the mental side of goaltending.
Learn more at laxgoalierat.com/goal
Closing
Travis Wagner's journey shows that becoming a better goalie is about more than simply making saves. Developing your own style, building athleticism, studying the game, staying mentally present, and constantly finding ways to improve are all important parts of the position.
For younger goalies, Travis emphasizes focusing on the things they can control, including communication, clearing, body language, preparation, and how they respond to mistakes.
Most importantly, his final message is simple: be where your feet are, enjoy the moment, and appreciate the brotherhood that comes with playing the game.
