Join us as young lacrosse sensation Taylor Connolly, the 11-year-old goalie who's been guarding the net since she was just five, shares her inspiring journey. Learn how Taylor's initial inspiration came from an older goalie and hear about her unique experiences splitting game time and balancing field play with her goalie duties. Discover her learning journey through camps like Net Nation and guidance from coaches Joe Karpinski and Ted Glynn. Taylor also highlights her focus on mastering essential skills such as moving to the ball and effectively clearing it, along with improving her reaction time to tackle harder shots. Hear about her admiration for professional goalies Katie Glenn and Katie Dever and how their techniques have influenced her game.
Explore the mental strategies Taylor uses to stay calm and reset after mistakes, as well as the vital role of communication and leadership in lacrosse. She emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback, trust, and team familiarity, which are crucial for overall performance. The episode also touches on the significance of reviewing game footage for performance analysis. Finally, we celebrate Taylor's dedication and encourage you to follow her lacrosse journey on social media. Get insights into her club season, league schedule, and upcoming tournaments, and be inspired by this young athlete's unwavering commitment to the sport.
Join us as young lacrosse sensation Taylor Connolly, the 11-year-old goalie who's been guarding the net since she was just five, shares her inspiring journey. Learn how Taylor's initial inspiration came from an older goalie and hear about her unique experiences splitting game time and balancing field play with her goalie duties. Discover her learning journey through camps like Net Nation and guidance from coaches Joe Karpinski and Ted Glynn. Taylor also highlights her focus on mastering essential skills such as moving to the ball and effectively clearing it, along with improving her reaction time to tackle harder shots. Hear about her admiration for professional goalies Katie Glenn and Katie Dever and how their techniques have influenced her game.
Explore the mental strategies Taylor uses to stay calm and reset after mistakes, as well as the vital role of communication and leadership in lacrosse. She emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback, trust, and team familiarity, which are crucial for overall performance. The episode also touches on the significance of reviewing game footage for performance analysis. Finally, we celebrate Taylor's dedication and encourage you to follow her lacrosse journey on social media. Get insights into her club season, league schedule, and upcoming tournaments, and be inspired by this young athlete's unwavering commitment to the sport.
Awesome. Well, it is a pleasure to welcome to the podcast Taylor Connolly, 11 year old goalie. Taylor, how are you doing Good? All right, that's what I like to hear, taylor. I want to hear the story of when you first jumped into goal. Do you remember that?
Speaker 2:
Yes, so I was at rec practice when I was very young it was like my first year playing and I was five, I think and then I saw the older goalie playing and then I wanted to try it. It was me and another girl and then, once I tried it, I just kept with it and then I fell in love with it.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, what did you like about the position so much?
Speaker 2:
Just everything Like getting to save the ball, like if it's a hard shot and then make a big save, your team gets so happy for you and everything.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, I love that, I love. I love when your teammates get happy for you, right? That's a good feeling. Yeah, yeah, um, so you started what? Uh? At what age?
Speaker 2:
I think around like five or six.
Speaker 1:
So you're 11 and you already have five years of goalie experience. Yeah, all right. Now do you play both in the field and goalie, or are you 100% goalie?
Speaker 2:
For travel I have to split with another goalie, so I only play goalie. And then for rec I play goalie and field.
Speaker 1:
Nice. So when you split time with another goalie, taylor, do you? How do you do that? Do you play like the first half or do you play the second half? Or how do you do or do you play different games? How do you do that?
Speaker 2:
Oh, we split both the half.
Speaker 1:
So if I I'll play first half and then she'll play second half, oh, okay, all right, it's a little easier as the first half goalie, huh, because you just do your normal warm-up. It's kind of like you're the starter and then you play your part and then get to be a fan for the second half, right? Yeah, sometimes it can be harder when you're the second half goalie, because you kind of got to watch the entire game and get into the flow and maybe you get cold and all that, but sounds like you don't have to worry about that, huh, all right. Um, hang on one second. I need to bring up, uh, that list of questions here. We go all right, um, okay, so you like, you like the position of goalie.
Speaker 1:
You start playing about five, six years ago. Um, how did you go about learning how to make saves? Did you get the position of a goalie? You start playing about five, six years ago. How did you go about learning how to make saves? Did you get like a coach? Did you go to some camps? Talk to me about that.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I learned how to make saves by just like watching the older girls and definitely watching pro in college. And then I got a coach. I went to this camp called net nation that nation in Philadelphia yeah yeah, are you in the Philadelphia area.
Speaker 1:
I forgot to ask where you're from uh.
Speaker 2:
Jersey Jersey okay cool yeah so I played my first travel team. I planned, planned for Dulax. So then I basically I learned a lot of stuff there with the coach, and then I've done a few things with Joe Karpinski and then Ted Glynn, which I go to steps now, and I learn a lot from him. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:
Awesome. What are some of the things you've learned? And, by the way, I ted glenn his, his daughter katie's, in the play plays pros. Katie glenn, he's a great guy um, I've spoken with him before, but what are so like? What are some things that they taught you?
Speaker 2:
I'd love to, I'd love to hear, hear some of the things, if you remember they taught me basically everything I know now about the position, so like how to move to the ball, how to save the ball and then definitely clearing the ball which is one of the most important things.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that is one of the most important things, right? What would you say is like the number one thing that you're working on in your goalie game right now?
Speaker 2:
Probably making like how to get to the ball faster and everything so I can make the harder, saves Cause now that I'm getting older, the shots are getting harder. I know they can hit my corners now.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, well, unfortunately, uh, as you keep getting older, the the the shots get faster and the shooters get better. Right and so. But it's great, because we're just going to keep having to up our goalie game to match, to match them and not even match them to be better than them. Right? Which pro or college goalies do you like watching?
Speaker 2:
I watch Katie Glenn and Katie Dever.
Speaker 1:
I like watching Katie Dever. Yeah, from USC. Yeah, I sponsored her last year. I'll send you her college goalie training pack so you can watch those videos. Okay, if you remind me I might forget, but hopefully I won't. Anyway, she's great. Yeah, that's cool. Now, how do you stand, like them? Cause, like I know, kate likes to do that, debra likes to do that you know that sort of that wide stance. She's a lefty, do you? Do you incorporate that into your game, or or no? How?
Speaker 2:
do you? Yeah, I have. Oh, I have a wide stance, which is good.
Speaker 1:
That is good If it works right. I mean, you don't have to have it if it doesn't work, but yeah, if you can.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, when I go to, when I go to camps, they always tell me to like move my stance in a little bit, but then it's just so hard to get used to and then I always end up going wide.
Speaker 1:
Oh, yeah, that is. So what do you say? Cause a lot, of, a lot of young goalies might be in your situation where you go to a camp and then the coach says, no, play a little bit like this. So what did you say to that coach when he said that?
Speaker 2:
well, I definitely try it for a little bit and then if I'm if it works, then I'll try to keep doing it, but then if I'm not saving the ball or doing anything, then I'll probably go back to my old stamp that's I like that.
Speaker 1:
That's a great answer, right, that's a great answer because there's a lot of different ways to play the position and you know. Good on you for trying, for trying it out. Yeah, try it out and just see how you feel, right? Do I feel like I'm moving faster? Do I feel like I'm making more saves? And you might, and you are a, you might be. And if you're not, yeah, then go back to how Cool. What would you say is your favorite thing about being the lacrosse goalie? Taylor?
Speaker 2:
When I'm in a very close game and then I make a big save which wins us the game, and then your team runs up to you and then they smack your helmet and everything that's good, that's good, right.
Speaker 1:
Has that happened to you? Tell me that story.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, when I played for my old travel team, Dulax, we went into double overtime and then I made the save.
Speaker 1:
How was the save? Do you remember the save?
Speaker 2:
I think it was on an eight-meter shot.
Speaker 1:
Oh, okay, Now what goes through your head on the eight meters?
Speaker 2:
I'm definitely trying to stay calm and then I have a superstition where I have to tap my shin guards twice with the end of my stick good superstition.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, yeah, deep breath, tap those shin guards and and make the save, huh yeah all right, all right. So it's the game. Winning saves is your favorite thing. Let's go on the other, the other end of the spectrum. What's your least favorite thing about being the goalie?
Speaker 2:
um, probably least favorite when for my rec team we're just starting out, so they're people are still learning. But then when you like, tell them not like not to do something. Or you tell them like, crash and then the next play they don't do it oh, that's frustrating, right.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, that's frustrating, yeah, because you, as a goalie, have such a, um, a good angle right, and you can see that someone's getting beat, crash into the middle and sort of clog up the middle and help out, uh, and then they don't do it. Why don't they do it? And then they don't do it. Why don't?
Speaker 2:
they do it.
Speaker 1:
I don't know either right, I don't know either. I always encourage that you ask them. You know, sometimes they don't hear you, Sometimes they don't know. I mean especially when they're just starting out, right, yeah?
Speaker 2:
after a lot of plays, I will like do you know how to crash? And then, if they don't, then I'll explain to them.
Speaker 1:
So then we could do it next time, exactly, exactly yeah, because I'm sure they want to win as well, right? Yeah, um, you're all, you're all on the same team, you're all going for the same goal and, um, you know, a lot of times, like I said, they just might not have that experience and they don't, you know, they don't know what to do. So, cool, uh, what about goals?
Speaker 2:
you got goals with the sport of lacrosse um, yeah, I'm definitely trying up my clearing game so I can get like farther down the field and everything.
Speaker 1:
Ah, throw it further down the field, yeah yeah okay, um, well, let's go through the checklist. You got a. Really, you got a nice, well-strung stick yeah, you do all right who? Who strung it for you? Uh mr wonderful, you got a mr wonderful stick. Yeah, all right, let me do. You have it there yeah let me see it.
Speaker 1:
Oh, that's a beauty. Oh, you got that one. Huh, I, I saw that one and for those that are just listening to the audio, it's got the carolina blue on both sides and sort of a white racing stripe down the middle. Yeah, yeah, oh, that's, that's awesome. I love that stick. Yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:
Well, if you got a Mr Wonderful stick, you definitely have a good pocket and I'm sure that thing throws great. So now it's just a matter of, like the technique, you know, kind of doing that crow hop and just really getting your whole body into it Right. And as you watch film, that's kind of a goalies, college goalies play. That's an interesting thing to to watch as well. That I just thought of is not only are we watching the saves, but like, oh, look how she gets her whole body into those outlet passes, because you know, as a youth you don't got the strength. It can be hard to throw it far sometimes, right? Um, and I just posted on instagram a couple reels ago, a young, young goalie a male goalie, but he's nine years old making it, making a nice long outlet.
Speaker 2:
Did you see that one? Yeah, I did.
Speaker 1:
Okay, you follow me on instagram. Yeah, all right, that's what I like to hear. Okay, clearing any um any other, any other goals?
Speaker 2:
um, I want to definitely practice a lot, so then I can get better to keep up with my team and everything.
Speaker 1:
Practicing a lot. Okay, yeah, what is a lot for you?
Speaker 2:
I have school practice every day, so definitely putting in like 100% there. What do?
Speaker 1:
you mean, you have practice. You have it like, because I thought you played for the, for a club team, but you also play at age 11.
Speaker 2:
You also have it at your school yeah, so I'm in the middle school oh, gotcha okay yeah, so then we have a school team okay, cool.
Speaker 1:
Um, what do you like better, playing for the school or for the club? Why you like both.
Speaker 2:
Oh, club, sorry, club club club better, because everyone knows what they're doing. So then like yeah, I don't have to watch a specific person it's a yeah.
Speaker 1:
It's like a higher level of lacrosse, right yeah, I've trust in everyone there, so exactly, exactly, yeah, that's. That's a lot more fun, okay, um, so we're going to talk about what you're working on in your clearing game, but we already did. That's your goal, but the or? Sorry, we're going to talk about what you're working on in your goalie game in general, but we already did clearing any anything else in in particular, or just just the clearing game right now um, I'm definitely focused on a clearing game, but just everything in general to get yeah because the players are picking corners.
Speaker 2:
Now they're shooting way harder. They're always trying to wait to beat us, so just yeah yeah, what do you?
Speaker 1:
let's talk a little bit about the mental game taylor, because you know, as a lacrosse, so far we're just talking about all these physical things and how to make saves and how to clear, but you know, being very strong mentally, um, as a goalie, is very important. So when, when I say like mental toughness, what? What comes to mind for you?
Speaker 2:
Um, it comes when, like when you're in a tough game or like even not making a lot of saves in practice, just like you can get mad at yourself for like two seconds, maybe one second and then just get right back into, like, the moment and not what just happened. My coach told me to have a mind of a goldfish, so just forget what happened before and keep your head in there yeah, that's right's right, that's exactly right.
Speaker 1:
Um, so do you do that, like, when you give up a bunch of goals or you're not making a bunch of saves, do you take just a second or two and, and I don't know, feel okay to be mad and then, and then snap back into it.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, I'll like hit myself in the helmet once or twice and then I'll get right back into it. There you go.
Speaker 1:
There you go right, give yourself some sort of physical thing. I coached that a lot. I learned it during one of the goalie summits. It's called a reset routine where, like when something goes bad, you do this routine and part of that reset routine is something physical.
Speaker 1:
Like you, said you can tap on your helmet or hit your chest pad or tap your shin guards. And then the other thing is a deep breath. So the breath really helps. You know, a lot of times when you get nervous, start breathing really shallow and that just sort of compounds the mistake. So just that right Just really helps kind of calm you down. Do you do that in deep breath? Yeah, right, all right, I like it. Cool. Any other? So mind like a gold for anything else that you think about. When you think about you know sort of the mental game. I mean, the mind of a goldfish is like the number one thing, that's the most important. But I'm curious if, if there's anything else.
Speaker 2:
No, I don't think so.
Speaker 1:
All good, all good. Did you by chance what we we're filming, uh, recording this on april 5th? I was curious did you attend any of the goalie summit sessions?
Speaker 2:
no, I had uh traveled those days you had traveled those days.
Speaker 1:
okay, um, well, I'll send you the replays. You can check them out when, when you have time. There's some really good sessions in there and they're great. I've been rewatching them this week. They're really cool, so I'll send you that as well. Cool. So what, taylor? What advice would you give to all the other 11 year old girls out there Goalies?
Speaker 2:
If you're with like a newer team, you can yell at them, but then like, maybe after the game, explain, like what you did, like what they could do to get better, or like, explain how to crash, how to do all the things you were telling them how to do.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, so how do you yell at them? You mean like yell crash.
Speaker 2:
Well, I don't really yell at them, but like I'll bring them in after and then I'll like explain how to do it and like what to do and everything that takes a lot of leadership to bring in your team and sort of explain where did that?
Speaker 1:
I imagine that didn't come right away. How did, how did you build up to be able to come to be comfortable to do that?
Speaker 2:
well, I just like got used to my team and then like made sure I knew everyone. So yeah, so you feel comfortable with the girls.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, how long did that take, do you think?
Speaker 2:
um, for me it took a while, so probably like a season or two maybe. Yeah, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1:
So when you came back that second season and now you're playing with the same group again, you kind of know the girls better, you've got some trust and now you feel a little bit more comfortable. So what would be like give me an example of something you would say when you guys bring it in after a goal given up.
Speaker 2:
Explain well, like say, who had the ball, and then we need to communicate more most of the time because we're like missing the slide for the crash yeah yeah, who's?
Speaker 1:
the best defender on your team? I'm curious it depends, I'm not sure yeah, all right, you're just loaded, loaded with lockdown defenders, all right, um, awesome taylor, where can people find you if they want to look at some of your uh, some of your highlight tapes? Can I, can we send them to your instagram?
Speaker 2:
yeah, it's, let me find it. It's taylor c underscore 2030.
Speaker 1:
Taylor C underscore 2030. There you go and you've got. You've got some highlight tapes and some cool photos and just your tournament schedule and that's cool the way you set that up. I think I think a lot of young goalies you know especially, if you want to, I mean one. It's fun I I imagine you like posting your stuff there yeah yeah it's fun.
Speaker 2:
My dad films me, so then I can post it so other people can see and also I can look back at it to see what I did better like what can I do better to make?
Speaker 1:
the saves. That's important, right, that's important. Um, filming the games. Talk to me about that. So so your dad films the games from the sideline and then? And then what?
Speaker 2:
um, so he'll we sit on the couch and just put them on the tv and then watch through the moss, like I'll slow it down so I could see like if I stepped, if I like, punched to the ball, if I exploded to the ball?
Speaker 1:
yeah, and do you ever get mad when you watch yourself not make the save?
Speaker 2:
yeah, because I'm like I've made this save a million times. I made it like three times in the game before this. Why didn't I make it that time?
Speaker 1:
yeah, well, that just means you're competitive. That just means you're competitive. And that's the thing about lacrosse, goalie, is that, you know? I mean especially at the girls level, when all the shots are, you know, with inside the eight meter typically um it's hard, it's really hard. And if you can make half the saves like you're doing 50, you're doing great. You know 60, you're doing great, um, and and still that means four out of ten times you're like I've made that save before, why can't I make it again?
Speaker 1:
So yeah it is about. You know, just keep, keep pounding those fundamentals, keep working hard and not not so much focused on each individual save, but just focus on the process. Right, yeah, all right. Taylor, thank you so much for reaching out and thank you for being patient. I know you reached out a long time ago wanting to do a podcast together and I said I'm busy right now. Could you reach out in a couple months? And you did, and here we are, and so I appreciate that level of follow up. It's definitely an important skill when interacting with college coaches. So keep that up, everyone give her a follow. So keep that up, everyone give her a follow. Um, let's say it again taylor c, underscore 2030 and uh, let's see where are you at in the club season. Do you guys talk to me about that?
Speaker 2:
um, I'm supposed to have a practice for, like my club team, we're doing a little tournament thing but I have a rec game, so my coach said to go to that. But then every sunday we have like two or three games for three weeks I think okay, so you guys have started the season every sunday.
Speaker 2:
You've got, you've got a game um all summer uh no, it's well we for this league that we're doing. We have it for three sundays and then that's it. But then summer we have practices and tournaments and everything all right taylor connelly.