TEMPE, Ariz. – New Sun Devil Lacrosse Assistant Coach Caroline Fitzgerald brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the sport with her to Tempe. Coach Fitzgerald's connection to collegiate sports extends beyond her playing days at the University of Florida. She explains how she fell in love with the sport of lacrosse, what attracted her to Arizona State, the expectations for the upcoming season, and the impact that collegiate athletics has had on her family.
Fitzgerald understands that coaching at the Division I level is more than just a job. She has pursued her passion in the sport of lacrosse since her youth, following in the footsteps of a family which has been involved in collegiate athletics for more than 40 years.
Coach Fitzgerald's first introduction to the sport came when she picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time in elementary school. "I got my first lacrosse stick in first grade. The first time I played on a team was in 2nd grade," Fitzgerald explained. Once she started playing, she was immediately hooked. "From the second I started playing I fell in love with lacrosse," Fitzgerald remarked. "I tried other sports like soccer and basketball in middle school, but nothing really stuck."
Once she got older, the opportunities to play competitively in a sport still growing in popularity finally increased. "I wound up joining travel lacrosse in fifth grade and that was when I really knew I loved it." She spent summer weekends traveling to tournaments in Maryland and New Jersey, with her parents and sister by her side the whole way. Fitzgerald recalls developing a passion for the game that would allow her to reach new heights. "I never thought 'I don't feel like going to practice today.' I just enjoyed it so much and constantly was looking to get better."
Connections to collegiate athletics are abundant amongst the Fitzgerald family. Coach Fitzgerald's father, Dave Fitzgerald, was a wrestler at Iowa from 1978-82, one of the most prestigious programs in collegiate wrestling. He was an All-American wrestler as a senior, finishing seventh at 162 pounds in 1982. He was part of five consecutive National Championship teams while a member of the Hawkeyes Wrestling Program. He would later marry another former Hawkeye, Coach Fitzgerald's mother, Marianne. She was a gymnast for the University of Iowa, competing from 1982-84 before her career was cut short due to injury.
Fitzgerald recognizes the unique advantages she had being a child of two former Division I athletes. "I could not be more grateful to have two parents who were hard working D1 athletes," Fitzgerald reflects. "It has had such a positive influence on me since I was little. Before I was even old enough to realize, I was being taught work ethic and that I needed to earn things in life. I have definitely taken those things with me and it has made me the person I am today." She admits that she would not be in the same position today without support from her parents. "Aside from pushing me to be my best, they are just such fun parents to have, they are my greatest supporters and I owe all of my success to them."
Many lessons she was taught growing up have stuck with her to this day. "There are so many things that I bring with me every day. The one that stands out most to me is to continue to work to be better every day, because you can never be too good." This type of mentality is what drives Fitzgerald to continue earn respect and prove herself in the industry.
The athletic lineage does not stop there, as Fitzgerald is the youngest of four siblings to play college sports at a Division I institution. Her brother, Connor, was a four-year starter and eventual team captain for Delaware men's lacrosse, helping lead the program to three Colonial Athletic Association championships during his time in Newark.
One of her sisters, Kaitlyn, competed as a pole vaulter for both the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams at the University of Maryland. Her other sister, Erin, was a decorated collegiate lacrosse player at Northwestern. She played in four Final Fours during her time as a Wildcat, helping the program capture back-to-back national titles in 2011 and 2012. "Watching my sister win her first national championship was a great memory," Fitzgerald reminisced. "Anytime I got the opportunity to watch my siblings play was great. I looked up (and still do) to all of them in so many ways and admire their work ethic."
Fitzgerald and her siblings have constantly supported each other throughout their athletic careers. "Anytime my siblings were able to make it out to watch my games were always a blast," Fitzgerald recalled. "I remember my freshman year we played at Stony Brook and all my siblings and some of their friends came. They were super loud and pretty funny in the stands and I could hear them cheering the entire game. It's still one of my best memories and something my teammates still bring up. It's awesome to have such supportive siblings who want to see me succeed."
While most of the time the Fitzgerald siblings were on different teams, Coach Fitzgerald fondly recalls a time where she was teammates with her sister. "One of my favorite memories was playing on the same team as my sister," Fitzgerald mentioned. "I was in eighth grade and she was a senior and it was really the only chance we got to play on the same team. It was a great experience."
Fitzgerald has plenty of accolades herself when it comes time to brag at the dinner table. A four-year starter at the University of Florida, Fitzgerald made a tremendous impact in her career in Gainesville. Graduating as the program's all-time leader in ground balls (152) and caused turnovers (87), Fitzgerald left the Gators as one of the most productive defenders in school history. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, garnering national attention as one of only freshman to start every game for a Top-10 Gator team.
Fitzgerald would go on to receive Inside Lacrosse All-Rookie Team honors in a season that culminated in an American Lacrosse Conference regular season and conference tournament championship, providing one of her favorite lacrosse memories. "We were a very underclassmen heavy team, starting four freshman and playing anywhere between four and six freshmen at a time. We played Northwestern at Northwestern in the American Lacrosse Conference Tournament Championships. We had a pretty sloppy first half and were losing by a handful of goals at halftime. I remember we all came together at halftime and pumped each other up and decided that we weren't going down that way. We went into the second half and the ball started bouncing our way and we wound up winning by one."
Fitzgerald compiled several major accolades during her career at Florida. She was a two-time Tewaaraton Award Nominee (2016, 2017), an award which is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player. Earning IWLCA All-American honors in each of her final three seasons, Fitzgerald became just the fourth Gator to be selected to three All-America teams.
She has been a leader and a winner throughout her athletics career, making coaching a natural transition. She was named team captain of the 2017 squad, a team that finished ranked No. 9 in the country with a 17-3 record. She gained NCAA Tournament experience, helping Florida advance to the second round with a victory over No. 17 Denver. This would represent the first of two NCAA Tournament victories for Fitzgerald and company, as they would take down No. 10 Stanford in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
With her family's extensive experience and background in collegiate athletics, it was a no-brainer for Fitzgerald to stick around in some capacity at the college level despite preparing for a professional career. She got her first coaching opportunity at Drexel, taking advantage of the opportunity to earn experience coaching at the Division I level. Working under Dragon head coach Hannah Wszalek, Fitzgerald assisted with defensive concepts, helped implement defense schemes, and developed practice/game plans. She was also one of Drexel lacrosse's primary recruiters, in charge of leading recruiting tours and creating presentations for prospective student-athletes.
Coach Fitzgerald is prepared for the challenges that face a first-year coach in a new environment. "I think the biggest adjustment will be getting to know the players here and learning what way is best to coach each of them," Fitzgerald said. "I think it's important to get to know each player and what way I can best teach them because every player is different." Fitzgerald explains her coaching philosophy further, adding "Some learn visually, while some are auditory learners and others are kinesthetic learners. I'm looking forward to getting to know them each and helping them continue to grow as players."
Fitzgerald has quickly acclimated to the culture of Sun Devil Athletics, recognizing the value of the strong support system she has surrounding her. "So far, my experience at ASU has been great. The entire athletic department has been so welcoming and I am enjoying getting to know everyone." Back in July when the hire was made, Coach Martinez Connor offered some insight as to why Coach Fitzgerald was a good fit for the Sun Devil Lacrosse staff. "She will be a wonderful addition and influence to our student-athletes and program," Coach Martinez Connor stated. "I'm so happy that she has joined our family to become a Sun Devil. She gained valuable coaching experience over the past year and her work ethic and competitiveness was evident."
Fitzgerald continues to give back to the sport that helped her so much through her efforts in working with youth programs. Passing down knowledge and advice learned from a storied playing career at the prep, collegiate, and professional levels, Fitzgerald is a huge asset as a mentor to younger female lacrosse prospects.
Beginning in May of 2013, she served as the head coach for two elite high school travel lacrosse teams for Long Island's Top Gun Lacrosse. Part of her duties as head coach included creating strategies, plays and lineups for games and tournaments, directing practices, camps, clinics and tryouts. In a role suited for her, she was heavily involved assisting players with the college recruiting process through guidance and communication with coaches. Spreading the love of the game does not just stop at coaching. She also worked as a personal lacrosse trainer, creating individualized lacrosse and performance training plans for all ages, with most her experience with middle-to-high school age prospects.
Like many Sun Devil lacrosse fans, the season can't get here soon enough for Fitzgerald. "I am excited to see what year two brings," she commented. Despite a historic first season as a Division I program, Fitzgerald sees a commitment to improvement in this team. "After a year at the Division I level, I can already tell that the players are hungry to get back out there and get some more wins. Their commitment to getting better already stands out to me, and I can't wait to be a part of the development of this team and to help mold these young women into great lacrosse players."
Fitzgerald understands that coaching at the Division I level is more than just a job. She has pursued her passion in the sport of lacrosse since her youth, following in the footsteps of a family which has been involved in collegiate athletics for more than 40 years.
Coach Fitzgerald's first introduction to the sport came when she picked up a lacrosse stick for the first time in elementary school. "I got my first lacrosse stick in first grade. The first time I played on a team was in 2nd grade," Fitzgerald explained. Once she started playing, she was immediately hooked. "From the second I started playing I fell in love with lacrosse," Fitzgerald remarked. "I tried other sports like soccer and basketball in middle school, but nothing really stuck."
Once she got older, the opportunities to play competitively in a sport still growing in popularity finally increased. "I wound up joining travel lacrosse in fifth grade and that was when I really knew I loved it." She spent summer weekends traveling to tournaments in Maryland and New Jersey, with her parents and sister by her side the whole way. Fitzgerald recalls developing a passion for the game that would allow her to reach new heights. "I never thought 'I don't feel like going to practice today.' I just enjoyed it so much and constantly was looking to get better."
Connections to collegiate athletics are abundant amongst the Fitzgerald family. Coach Fitzgerald's father, Dave Fitzgerald, was a wrestler at Iowa from 1978-82, one of the most prestigious programs in collegiate wrestling. He was an All-American wrestler as a senior, finishing seventh at 162 pounds in 1982. He was part of five consecutive National Championship teams while a member of the Hawkeyes Wrestling Program. He would later marry another former Hawkeye, Coach Fitzgerald's mother, Marianne. She was a gymnast for the University of Iowa, competing from 1982-84 before her career was cut short due to injury.
Fitzgerald recognizes the unique advantages she had being a child of two former Division I athletes. "I could not be more grateful to have two parents who were hard working D1 athletes," Fitzgerald reflects. "It has had such a positive influence on me since I was little. Before I was even old enough to realize, I was being taught work ethic and that I needed to earn things in life. I have definitely taken those things with me and it has made me the person I am today." She admits that she would not be in the same position today without support from her parents. "Aside from pushing me to be my best, they are just such fun parents to have, they are my greatest supporters and I owe all of my success to them."
Many lessons she was taught growing up have stuck with her to this day. "There are so many things that I bring with me every day. The one that stands out most to me is to continue to work to be better every day, because you can never be too good." This type of mentality is what drives Fitzgerald to continue earn respect and prove herself in the industry.
The athletic lineage does not stop there, as Fitzgerald is the youngest of four siblings to play college sports at a Division I institution. Her brother, Connor, was a four-year starter and eventual team captain for Delaware men's lacrosse, helping lead the program to three Colonial Athletic Association championships during his time in Newark.
One of her sisters, Kaitlyn, competed as a pole vaulter for both the Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field teams at the University of Maryland. Her other sister, Erin, was a decorated collegiate lacrosse player at Northwestern. She played in four Final Fours during her time as a Wildcat, helping the program capture back-to-back national titles in 2011 and 2012. "Watching my sister win her first national championship was a great memory," Fitzgerald reminisced. "Anytime I got the opportunity to watch my siblings play was great. I looked up (and still do) to all of them in so many ways and admire their work ethic."
Fitzgerald and her siblings have constantly supported each other throughout their athletic careers. "Anytime my siblings were able to make it out to watch my games were always a blast," Fitzgerald recalled. "I remember my freshman year we played at Stony Brook and all my siblings and some of their friends came. They were super loud and pretty funny in the stands and I could hear them cheering the entire game. It's still one of my best memories and something my teammates still bring up. It's awesome to have such supportive siblings who want to see me succeed."
While most of the time the Fitzgerald siblings were on different teams, Coach Fitzgerald fondly recalls a time where she was teammates with her sister. "One of my favorite memories was playing on the same team as my sister," Fitzgerald mentioned. "I was in eighth grade and she was a senior and it was really the only chance we got to play on the same team. It was a great experience."
Fitzgerald has plenty of accolades herself when it comes time to brag at the dinner table. A four-year starter at the University of Florida, Fitzgerald made a tremendous impact in her career in Gainesville. Graduating as the program's all-time leader in ground balls (152) and caused turnovers (87), Fitzgerald left the Gators as one of the most productive defenders in school history. She burst onto the scene as a freshman, garnering national attention as one of only freshman to start every game for a Top-10 Gator team.
Fitzgerald would go on to receive Inside Lacrosse All-Rookie Team honors in a season that culminated in an American Lacrosse Conference regular season and conference tournament championship, providing one of her favorite lacrosse memories. "We were a very underclassmen heavy team, starting four freshman and playing anywhere between four and six freshmen at a time. We played Northwestern at Northwestern in the American Lacrosse Conference Tournament Championships. We had a pretty sloppy first half and were losing by a handful of goals at halftime. I remember we all came together at halftime and pumped each other up and decided that we weren't going down that way. We went into the second half and the ball started bouncing our way and we wound up winning by one."
Fitzgerald compiled several major accolades during her career at Florida. She was a two-time Tewaaraton Award Nominee (2016, 2017), an award which is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player. Earning IWLCA All-American honors in each of her final three seasons, Fitzgerald became just the fourth Gator to be selected to three All-America teams.
She has been a leader and a winner throughout her athletics career, making coaching a natural transition. She was named team captain of the 2017 squad, a team that finished ranked No. 9 in the country with a 17-3 record. She gained NCAA Tournament experience, helping Florida advance to the second round with a victory over No. 17 Denver. This would represent the first of two NCAA Tournament victories for Fitzgerald and company, as they would take down No. 10 Stanford in the first round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
She was drafted into the United Women's Lacrosse League in 2017 after an outstanding college career. Additionally, she was selected in the inaugural WPLL Draft by the New York Fight in time for the inaugural season. She became a professional athlete, sponsored by Longstreth, a company committed to supporting the development of female athletes across field hockey, lacrosse, and softball.Congrats @FitzyCentt!#GatorsAlways #FLax https://t.co/GnaaYo840m
— Gators Lacrosse (@GatorsLAX) July 24, 2018
With her family's extensive experience and background in collegiate athletics, it was a no-brainer for Fitzgerald to stick around in some capacity at the college level despite preparing for a professional career. She got her first coaching opportunity at Drexel, taking advantage of the opportunity to earn experience coaching at the Division I level. Working under Dragon head coach Hannah Wszalek, Fitzgerald assisted with defensive concepts, helped implement defense schemes, and developed practice/game plans. She was also one of Drexel lacrosse's primary recruiters, in charge of leading recruiting tours and creating presentations for prospective student-athletes.
Coach Fitzgerald is prepared for the challenges that face a first-year coach in a new environment. "I think the biggest adjustment will be getting to know the players here and learning what way is best to coach each of them," Fitzgerald said. "I think it's important to get to know each player and what way I can best teach them because every player is different." Fitzgerald explains her coaching philosophy further, adding "Some learn visually, while some are auditory learners and others are kinesthetic learners. I'm looking forward to getting to know them each and helping them continue to grow as players."
For Fitzgerald, there were plenty of reasons why the Arizona State lacrosse program fit as a next step in her career. "I knew I wanted to be at a university that was willing to provide the resources and support to help the team succeed," Fitzgerald commented. "ASU has all of that and more. "The desire to win can be felt throughout the department, which is exactly what I was looking for when I began my job search." Fitzgerald is ready to learn from Coach Martinez Connor, believing in what she is building in Tempe and wanting to be a part of it. "I also knew that coach Courtney Martinez Connor was a competitor who, like myself, wants to win and I knew she could teach me a wealth of information that I can take with me throughout my coaching career."We are excited to announce the addition of former three-time All-American Caroline Fitzgerald to the staff as an Assistant Coach!
— Sun Devil Lacrosse (@SunDevilWLax) July 20, 2018
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Fitzgerald has quickly acclimated to the culture of Sun Devil Athletics, recognizing the value of the strong support system she has surrounding her. "So far, my experience at ASU has been great. The entire athletic department has been so welcoming and I am enjoying getting to know everyone." Back in July when the hire was made, Coach Martinez Connor offered some insight as to why Coach Fitzgerald was a good fit for the Sun Devil Lacrosse staff. "She will be a wonderful addition and influence to our student-athletes and program," Coach Martinez Connor stated. "I'm so happy that she has joined our family to become a Sun Devil. She gained valuable coaching experience over the past year and her work ethic and competitiveness was evident."
Fitzgerald continues to give back to the sport that helped her so much through her efforts in working with youth programs. Passing down knowledge and advice learned from a storied playing career at the prep, collegiate, and professional levels, Fitzgerald is a huge asset as a mentor to younger female lacrosse prospects.
Beginning in May of 2013, she served as the head coach for two elite high school travel lacrosse teams for Long Island's Top Gun Lacrosse. Part of her duties as head coach included creating strategies, plays and lineups for games and tournaments, directing practices, camps, clinics and tryouts. In a role suited for her, she was heavily involved assisting players with the college recruiting process through guidance and communication with coaches. Spreading the love of the game does not just stop at coaching. She also worked as a personal lacrosse trainer, creating individualized lacrosse and performance training plans for all ages, with most her experience with middle-to-high school age prospects.
Like many Sun Devil lacrosse fans, the season can't get here soon enough for Fitzgerald. "I am excited to see what year two brings," she commented. Despite a historic first season as a Division I program, Fitzgerald sees a commitment to improvement in this team. "After a year at the Division I level, I can already tell that the players are hungry to get back out there and get some more wins. Their commitment to getting better already stands out to me, and I can't wait to be a part of the development of this team and to help mold these young women into great lacrosse players."