A Balancing Act: The Player-Coach

Jonah Alewine — October 3, 2024

Since graduating from Stanford University in 2014, Lyndsey Muñoz has taken her lacrosse knowledge to a world level, coaching for the Spain National Team. However, this was not always the plan for Muñoz.

“I didn’t really go into college with the idea that coaching would be my full-time profession, but it was always a priority for me to give back to the game because – especially with the goalie position – there just simply are not enough goalie coaches out there that are knowledgeable about the position,” Muñoz said.

Muñoz originally started her professional career with a cyber security public relations firm but still coached on the side. She would look forward to the end of her days just to step back onto the field.

Eventually, she found her way to Los Angeles, California, where she helped run a club program. With this experience, Muñoz realized coaching at the collegiate level was the next step she wanted to take in her career.

“My former head coach Amy Bokker asked me to come to Ohio State to volunteer coach in 2020. If she hadn’t, I likely wouldn’t be where I am today,” Muñoz stated.

That job created many professional connections for the former goalie. She got to coach with Kristen Carr, who is now the head coach at Towson University. She also made the connection that eventually led her to an assistant coaching role in 2021 at George Mason University.

A year later, Muñoz played with the Spain National Team in the 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship. It would end up foreshadowing her next coaching position.

At the end of the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship, the head coaching position ended up being vacated, which led to Muñoz feeling differently about her position on the field.

“I thought I could help the team more by being away from an on-field presence and coaching both sides of the ball more and help players develop more on a consistent basis throughout the year as a coach instead of a player.”

Normally, going from player to coach is the prototypical transition for most coaches, but this did not end up being the case.

When she became Spain’s head coach, the team no longer had a player to protect the net.

“Former teammates asked me if I would play. And so, that’s what happened at the Euros, where I was playing and coaching at the same time, which was very challenging but definitely a really great experience for me, both as a coach and player, just to challenge my mental and physical skill set,” Muñoz said.

Given this unique role, Muñoz could not let her mind relax on the field. Normally when the ball is on the opposite side, a goalie has a moment to regroup or reset for the next possession, but this was not the case for Muñoz. She had to always focus on the offense to see what could improve.

When it came to timeouts and breaks on the sideline, Muñoz could not rest either. She had to be ready to adjust on both ends of the field and then go right back into the game.

The transition between playing and becoming a coach never existed for Muñoz.

Despite still playing, she no longer serves as a team captain because she is the coach.

“I had to learn to let other people lead. I tried to be aware of that as much as possible and give that opportunity. I think that’s probably still an area of growth for me,” said the Spanish coach.

Muñoz thinks there’s always room for her to grow, and she is looking forward to it.

Despite coaching in Spain, Muñoz still lives in the United States, which is very challenging. But with the help of technology, she is able to be there for her players.

“You have to try to stay in touch and try to motivate them from afar. We have a team group chat, and athletes send videos or pictures of them training. I try to participate as much as possible.” Muñoz said.

Muñoz is optimistic about what the future holds for Spain lacrosse. A way to get into this rhythm is a new board, which was recently established; Muñoz currently sits as the vice president.

Despite the challenges that exist, Muñoz sees many positives with the Spanish national team. The players have great energy and a love for the game, according to the coach. She also appreciates the intensity they play with and finds it refreshing to be around players that are so happy to play every day.

“It is just different when the sport’s newer to you,” Muñoz said, referring to the game in Spain.

“We have one girl on our team who started playing at 30 and is on our team at 33… which I think is pretty uncommon in the United States,” she said.

The opportunities in Spain are limited and very scarce compared to the United States, so many of the Spanish players are trying to take as much in as possible.

When it comes to lacrosse being played at the Olympic level in 2028, Muñoz thinks it is very exciting.

“I hope we’ll receive more funding with Olympic dreams looming,” she said.

Muñoz is excited about the future of lacrosse in Spain. The goalie and coach will continue to coach in Spain, now as an assistant after finding a new spot at Towson University as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator.