Age: 21
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Sammamish, WA
School: Seattle University
Height: 6-5
Get to know Charlie:
A familiar face between the sticks stands 6’5” Charlie Lanphier, coming back for his second season with the Bridges. Known for his calm and composed demeanor when reading the game from the box, Ballard’s #13 looks to keep the team consistent when emotions are riding high. “I try to bring them back to center,” he explains, “If the team gets too excited after we score a goal, I’ll bring them back, and then if we’re feeling too negative after we concede, I try to bring them back and raise the level with encouragement.” Consistency is the name of the game for the Sammamish native. When asked his targets for the season, the goalkeeper was quick to recontextualize success. “I’m not big on setting specific goals, like numbers, just try to be consistently the best player I can be every day.” The 21-year-old’s goal requires sustained progress throughout the years, “There’s not really an offseason to stop working hard at my goal.” He elaborated, “I want to become a professional soccer player, that’s been my dream my whole life.” The first step towards this goal was achieved at Lanphier’s Ballard FC debut during the 2024 Open Cup competition against Spokane Velocity. “I just remember walking out… It was truly a surreal experience knowing both the history of Memorial Stadium and the Open Cup. Not to mention, playing against a professional team.” Making his debut in the club’s first match since winning the national title, he described it as “a great introduction to what the club would be like, and an even better first game to be with Ballard.”
Much of the work that goes into the team being able to compete at that level happens outside the boundaries of the field. Charlie emphasized the importance of support from the sideline, saying, “James and the coaching staff have done a great job of making it feel like a professional environment and getting the best out of the players.” He continued, “You’ve already seen it. Several players have gone on from this club to the next level, and it’s definitely my goal to follow in their footsteps.” Additionally, being a hyper-local organization, Ballard FC is no doubt known for the supporters that back it. “The fans have made me feel welcome to the team since the beginning,” he explains, “it’s a great sense of community, so I try to give that same energy back to them. After all, we’ll be more successful when we’re a family—the fans, teammates, and staff. This is what makes Ballard FC.”
Biography
Charlie Lanphier is a second-year player for Ballard FC. Before college, Lanphier played his club soccer for the Seattle Sounders Academy and Crossfire Premier. Lanphier then joined Seattle University in 2021. In 2021, Lanphier took a redshirt and then in 2022 he was the backup goalkeeper and did not see game action. In his third year, Lanphier won the starting job as a redshirt sophomore in 2023. That season Lanphier started 16 of the redhawks’ 18 matches and kept five clean sheets. Lanphier and the redhawks would win the Regular Season WAC Title while Lanphier was named First Team All-WAC and won WAC Goalkeeper of the Year. After a summer as the starting goalkeeper for Ballard FC, Lanphier returned to Championship field for his junior season. In 2024 Lanphier was named WAC Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year and would go on to start in 19 of 20 matches and made the All-Tournament Team as Seattle University won the WAC Tournament Title to clinch a NCAA Tournament bid. Lanphier still has one year of collegiate eligibility remaining.
With Ballard FC: Last summer, Lanphier was the starter for Ballard FC, making 12 of them. With the division championship on the line, Lanphier stepped up big and guided the defense to two straight clean sheets to finish the regular season and clinch the title.
