Unmasked: Goalie Mental Health with Caroline Potteiger & Rachel Costello

By Coach Damon

October 2, 2025

Posted In: Podcast

This episode is sponsored by Thigh Pro:

The Goalies Matter team of digital content creators has developed and produced a powerful documentary titled Unmasked, which shines a light on the mental health struggles faced by goalies in sports.

This documentary offers a first-hand perspective from the goalies themselves, discussing not only the physical demands of the position but the immense pressure, stress, and mental toll that comes with it.

As you can imagine, being a goalie is an incredibly unique role. We often carry a disproportionate amount of pressure—from both external sources and our own internal expectations. While the focus is on stopping balls, pucks, and shots the emotional and mental weight can sometimes be overwhelming. This documentary highlights the struggles goalies face and seeks to raise awareness about the importance of mental health, particularly within the sports community.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, and Unmasked aims to continue the conversation surrounding student-athlete mental health. By promoting this documentary, we hope to encourage a greater understanding and sensitivity towards the challenges goalies face, both on and off the field or ice. One unthoughtful comment can push someone to their breaking point, and our goal is to prevent tragedies before they happen.

The documentary will be released on YouTube on October 10th.

It has been produced by two talented and passionate goalies who join me on this podcast —Rachel Costello, a graduate of Lawrence Tech, and Caroline Potteiger, who currently plays club lacrosse at Grand Valley State University, previously having played at Baldwin Wallace.

Both Rachel and Caroline have an intimate understanding of the subject matter and are eager to share their insights and the impact this project could have on the goalie community.

Caroline Potteiger

Off the field, she studies film and video production, and she works behind the camera as much as in front of it.

Caroline uses her dual identity as a goalie and storyteller to shed light on the mental and emotional side of being a goalie: the internal battles that don’t show up on box scores.

Rachel Costello

Rachel Costello guarded the cage for Concordia University in Ann Arbor, quickly establishing herself as a reliable starter.

Rachel was actually on the podcast for episode 243 where we talked a lot about being a goalie in the NAIA.

Over her career, she tallied well over 100 saves, posted games with 20+ stops, and even contributed two assists, underscoring her all-around vision and impact.

Hailing from Plymouth, Michigan, Rachel intentionally chose Concordia for balance, staying close to home while still competing at the NAIA level. Her path shows that high-level goalies emerge from all programs, not just big-name ones.

When she’s not in goal, Rachel runs RC Digital Productions, a photography and videography business rooted in Michigan. She often cites the same skills she honed in the crease: anticipation, quick reflexes, calm under pressure as integral to her creative work and storytelling.

Goalies Matter Bio

Coach Brad Gigliotti, with over 20 years of goalie coaching experience and currently serving as Director of the 6×6 Goalie Academy, envisioned a space where goalies could share, heal, and grow.

The mission is clear: to empower, mentor, and build resilience in goalies, and to remind every keeper that they are more than the saves they make. Through their signature projects — like the documentary “Unmasked” — and programs such as “Backups” (a mentorship pairing for goalies), Goalies Matter aims to break the stigma around mental health in sport and provide real community.