Christian Carson Bannister on Goalie Fundamentals, Mental Focus, and Improving Your Game

Episode Overview

In Episode 56 of the Lax Goalie Rat Podcast, Coach Damon Wilson sits down with Christian Carson Bannister, also known as CB, a Boston University lacrosse alum and goalie for the Dallas Rattlers in Major League Lacrosse (MLL). Christian shares valuable lessons from his journey as a goalie, including the fundamentals, training methods, and mental strategies that have helped him develop his game.

Christian explains why a strong stance and proper stepping technique are essential to consistent saves. He also breaks down one of the areas he had to improve most when moving from high school to college: arc and angle play. He shares a simple but effective drill for developing better positioning in the crease, along with practical ways to improve hand accuracy, reaction speed, and footwork.

Beyond the physical side of the position, Christian discusses how to overcome slumps, manage pressure, and maintain a next-play mentality. He also shares his approach to leadership, supporting teammates, and staying motivated when you're not the starting goalie.

Whether you're a young goalie learning the fundamentals or an experienced player looking to sharpen your technique and mindset, this episode offers practical advice you can apply to your training.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• How Christian discovered the goalie position and developed his skills

• Why stance, stepping technique, and repetition are essential to goalie development

• How to maintain your fundamentals during games

• Why arc and angle play become increasingly important at higher levels

• How to practice the one-through-five arc drill

• How to improve hand accuracy by focusing on catching the ball in the middle of your pocket

• Why jump rope and juggling can support hand speed and coordination

• How to work through a slump by focusing on the stick head and tracking the ball

• How to develop a next-play mentality and avoid dwelling on mistakes

• Why visualization, breathing, and pregame routines can improve mental preparation

• How to stay motivated and continue improving as a backup goalie

• What it means to be a supportive teammate and an effective leader

• How to teach young goalies proper stance and stepping mechanics

• Why enjoying the position is essential to long-term development

Key Takeaways

1. Master the Fundamentals First

Christian credits much of his development to coaches who emphasized the basics, particularly his stance and stepping technique. He believes goalies need a strong foundation before moving on to more advanced aspects of the position.

Being in the correct stance when a shot comes is not always as simple as it sounds. The chaos of a game can cause goalies to move out of position or abandon the techniques they've practiced.

Consistent repetition helps develop muscle memory, making it easier to rely on sound fundamentals when the pressure rises.

2. Stay True to Your Training During Games

Christian and Coach Damon discuss the importance of practicing the techniques you want to use in games. For example, if you consistently train to stay on your feet and make controlled movements, suddenly dropping to your knees during games can become a habit that takes you away from your preparation.

Although some situations require unconventional saves, Christian believes goalies should avoid relying on movements they haven't practiced simply because they worked once.

The goal is to build confidence in your training and allow your fundamentals to guide your reactions.

3. Improve Your Arc and Angle Play

Christian identifies arc play as one of the biggest weaknesses he had to address when transitioning from high school to college. At higher levels, shooters move the ball faster and shoot harder, making even small positioning mistakes costly.

He shares a simple drill called One Through Five:

• Start at one pipe and establish your preferred arc.

• Move through five positions across the crease, from one pipe through the middle to the opposite pipe.

• Focus on reaching each position accurately and staying balanced.

• Repeat the movement in both directions until it becomes natural.

• Progress to moving between positions two and four to practice covering cross-field passes.

• Have a coach call out positions to make the drill more challenging.

Christian also emphasizes maintaining consistent shoulder height, or pad level, while moving along the arc. Staying balanced and ready to react is essential because a goalie who rises or dips during movement may not be prepared when the shot arrives.

4. Focus on the Middle of Your Stick Pocket

Christian highlights hand accuracy as an important but often overlooked part of goalie training. His goal is to catch shots in the middle of the pocket rather than allowing the ball to strike the edges of the head.

He recommends practicing saves without stepping, allowing you to focus entirely on hand movement and accuracy. Once that becomes comfortable, you can incorporate footwork and more realistic movements.

This approach helps goalies become more aware of where the ball meets the stick and can improve rebound control over time.

5. Use Jump Rope and Juggling to Develop Coordination

Christian includes jump rope in his regular training and believes it helps his hands feel quicker and more precise. He also recommends juggling as a way to develop hand-eye coordination.

For beginners, he suggests breaking juggling into smaller steps rather than trying to master the full skill immediately. Starting with two balls in one hand and practicing the movement between throwing and catching can make the process more manageable.

Both exercises offer accessible ways to work on coordination outside regular team practice.

6. Get Through Slumps by Returning to What You Can Control

Christian recalls struggling during his junior year at Boston University when he wasn't tracking the ball well and wasn't making saves consistently.

His coach advised him to focus on the stick head rather than looking directly at the shooter. That adjustment helped him track the ball more effectively.

He also stresses the importance of relaxing and avoiding frustration. When goalies become angry or tense, their focus can suffer. Instead, Christian recommends taking a deep breath, returning to a familiar fundamental, and focusing on something specific that you can control.

As small improvements begin to appear, build on those positive moments rather than dwelling on mistakes.

7. Adopt a Next-Play Mentality

Christian believes goalies need to develop the ability to move on quickly from whatever has just happened. Whether you've allowed a goal, missed a save, or are feeling fatigued, your attention needs to return to the next shot or clearing opportunity.

He explains that preparation plays a major role in this mindset. When you have put in the necessary work before a game, you can trust your preparation and focus on performing rather than worrying about what might happen.

A goalie doesn't always need to make a high number of saves to influence the result. A timely save at a critical moment can change the momentum of a game.

8. Create a Mental Reset Routine

Christian shares a simple technique he learned from his father, who played collegiate tennis. After allowing a goal, he would tap himself three times as a physical reminder to let the mistake go.

He also describes a shared routine with his friend and former teammate Dan Morris, inspired by Harry Potter. They would make a gesture as though removing the unwanted memory from their heads, helping each other move on.

These examples demonstrate how a small physical action can reinforce a mental habit. The specific gesture isn't important. What matters is choosing a reset routine that helps you acknowledge the mistake, release it, and focus on the next play.

9. Prepare Mentally Before Games

Christian takes his pregame preparation seriously. He uses visualization to imagine different shots and the movements required to make saves. He also incorporates breathing techniques to help himself relax and arrive at warm-ups feeling prepared.

His routine is structured around eliminating distractions and mentally rehearsing the situations he may face.

He recognizes that every goalie is different, so a routine doesn't need to look the same for everyone. The key is finding an approach that helps you feel comfortable, focused, and ready to compete.

10. Be a Good Teammate, Even When You're Not Starting

Christian spent his high school career behind Dan Morris, which made the recruiting process more challenging. Rather than giving up, he focused on improving in practice, making the most of summer lacrosse, and preparing for opportunities when they arrived.

He encourages backup goalies to stay committed, hold themselves accountable, and remember that they still play an important role in preparing the team.

Christian also believes strong teammate relationships are built through friendship, trust, and communication. When an issue needs to be addressed, he prefers speaking to teammates individually and understanding what's going on rather than calling them out in front of a group.

11. Teach Young Goalies Step by Step

When coaching young goalies, Christian begins with stance and foot placement before progressing to stepping mechanics.

His approach includes:

• Establishing a comfortable stance with balanced foot placement

• Keeping weight on the balls of the feet

• Maintaining a forward lean while keeping the chest up

• Learning to explode off the back foot and land on the ball of the lead foot

• Practicing the first step without bringing the trailing foot

• Gradually adding the trailing foot and progressing to more complete movements

Christian believes the first step deserves particular attention. By isolating the movement before introducing a ball or a full save, young goalies can concentrate on developing the mechanics correctly.

12. Remember Why You Love Playing Goalie

Christian's final advice is to enjoy the position. Goalie can be demanding, and pressure from coaches, teammates, parents, and recruiting can make it easy to become frustrated.

He encourages players to remember what drew them to the position in the first place. The excitement of making a save, the adrenaline of competition, and the friendships built through lacrosse are all important parts of the experience.

Improving your game matters, but enjoying the journey is just as important.

About Christian Carson Bannister

Christian Carson Bannister, known as CB, is a Boston University lacrosse alum who played professionally as a goalie for the Dallas Rattlers in Major League Lacrosse (MLL).

In this episode, Christian shares lessons from his playing career, including the importance of strong fundamentals, precise arc play, hand accuracy, mental preparation, and leadership. He also discusses his experience as a backup goalie and the training methods he uses both for himself and when coaching younger players.

Resources Mentioned

• Lax Goalie Rat Online Camp: https://laxgoalierat.com/goal

• Coach Christopher Saran: Christian's early goalie coach who emphasized stance, stepping, and the cue “See the ball.”

• Coach Noah Fosner: Helped Christian improve his arc and angle play at Boston University.

• Dan Morris: Christian's friend and former teammate, also featured on Episode 24 of the Lax Goalie Rat Podcast.

Listen to the Episode

Listen to Episode 56 of the Lax Goalie Rat Podcast to hear Christian Carson Bannister's full conversation with Coach Damon Wilson about developing better goalie fundamentals, improving arc play, building mental resilience, and becoming a stronger teammate.

Choose one lesson from this episode and put it into practice at your next training session. Work on your stance, refine your movement along the arc, or develop a simple routine to help you reset after a goal.

For more goalie training resources, visit Lax Goalie Rat.