Whether it’s playing soccer with friends or floor hockey in gym, there’s always one position that everyone dreads: goalie. In some cases, goalies have a reputation as lazy people who don’t want to put in as much effort as those who are playing on the field. However, this is a misconception. No matter what the sport, goalies do much more than one may think.  Junior Hannah Digangi, the goalie for the MH field hockey team, stated that being a goalie is the most important role of the team because “while the rest of the team works hard to win by scoring goals, goalies have to work hard and focus to defend the goal.” As the last line of defense, goalies play an essential role in the game as they are the last man standing in the way of the opposition before a goal can be scored. Without a good goalie, the team is at an automatic disadvantage as the opposing team has one less obstacle in its way.

Goalies often receive the stereotype of having no passion for the sport; however, freshman Ashley Rodrigues disagrees with this. As a goalie for the girls soccer team, Ashley believes that “a goalie is determined, brave, strong and a hard worker because being a goalie is a lot of work. It may seem like an easy job but it’s not.” The common myth is that being a goalie is easy because it requires less running than the other field players; however, goalies still have to work as hard as their teammates, especially because they do not want to let their team down. They always try their best to make sure that they can stop the shot or make a save to give their team another chance to beat the opposing team.

The lessons goalies learn on the field can also apply to their experiences in other aspects of their life, such as school. In general, goalies come out as stronger and tougher individuals, as they are constantly in high-pressure situations, whether it be making a diving save or repeatedly saving one. This can be applied to life as one can be able to face any challenge that appears. Freshman Melinda Reed plays lacrosse and mentioned that “being a goalie has taught me to grit my teeth and shake off the bad stuff. In the goal and in school, you have to force yourself to focus on what is happening in the moment, not on the mistakes you made in the past.” No matter what happens on the field, the game continues, just like how no matter what happens in life, life goes on.