Florida Shine Coaches and Staff
Krista Crittenden
Shine Select Program Director & Founder, 2030 Orand Head Coach
Krista Crittenden (Grabher) started playing lacrosse in her hometown of Vero Beach, FL where she played for Vero Beach High School, earning All-American accolades and leading her team to four state championships. She went on to play for The University of Florida women’s lacrosse team where she was a four year varsity-letter winner and captain at Florida her senior year, which was consistently a top ten program, and made it to either the final four or elite eight each of her years there. She began her career as a midi-attack, and transitioned into a defender, earning Defensive Player of the Week her senior year.
Coach Krista graduated from Florida with a degree in English and found her calling in coaching and teaching at Saint Edward’s School in Vero Beach, FL, where she gained experience as a head coach and club lacrosse coach. She then moved to Jacksonville to teach and coach at Episcopal School of Jacksonville. In Jacksonville, she co-founded Dash Lacrosse, a regional/rec girls' lacrosse program, SWLI - Southeastern Women's Lacrosse Inc., a non-profit aimed at providing access and opportunity for girls lacrosse, and Florida Shine Elite, a nationally recognized club program. She is currently the program director at Episcopal School of Jacksonville and the co-owner of Shine Select.
- Played for University of Florida
- Final Four and Elite Eight Each Year
- Defensive Player of the Week
- Program Director at Episcopal School of Jacksonville
- Co-Owner of Shine Select
Mitch Whittington
Assistant Director of Shine Select • 2028 Head Coach
Mitch, a former Division 1 college baseball player, was first introduced to girls lacrosse in 2006, he quickly developed a passion for the sport. His journey as a coach over the past 18 years is characterized by numerous accomplishments that speak to his love of the game and mentoring young athletes. He has served as the head girl lacrosse coach at Hagerty High School for the past 12 years, building the program from ground zero to a perennial top 5 program in the state of Florida.
Under his leadership the team has won 8 district championships, 3 regional championships and 3 State Championship Final Fours. Mitch has been voted Coach of the Year 6 times in Seminole County. He has coached the USA Lacrosse National Team multiple times, Brine National Lacrosse Teams and many other elite club teams. His coaching philosophy is rooted in the development of exceptional fundamental skills both and playing with a culture first mindset as a team.
- Former D1 Athlete
- 18+ Years Coaching
- 12 Years as Hagerty HS Head Coach
- Top 5 Program in Florida
- 8 district championships, 3 regional championships, 3 state championships
Meg O'Grady
2028 Orange Assistant Coach
Megan O’Grady started her lacrosse career in Georgetown, MA where she played four years of varsity lacrosse in high school and was captain her senior year. She then moved on to play two years of college lacrosse at the University of New England in Biddeford Maine before moving down to Jacksonville and beginning her coaching career.
Here in Jacksonville, she is the head coach of Bartram Trail High School, winning the 2024 state championship. She has coached various ages and levels through Grizzlies lacrosse, and remains the BT Head Coach where she also teaches ASL.
- Head Coach of Bartram Trail High School
- 2024 state championship
Kate Piscopo
2028 White Head Coach
Kate played her high school years at Bishop Moore Catholic High School in Orlando, Fla., where she helped lead her team to a State Championship as a freshman and earned honors as a US Lacrosse All-American. She played club lacrosse for Lax Maniax and committed to D1 Longwood University where she attended one season before transferring to Flagler College. At Flagler she was named a team captain and recognized for her academic successes, earning spots on the GSC Academic Honor Roll and receiving the D2 ADA award.
- Played at Bishop moore Catholic HS in Orlando
- State Championship, US Lacrosse All-American
- D1 Longwood University
- Flagler College Team Captain
- GSC Academic Honor Roll, D2 ADA Award
Marissa Plumer
2028 White Assistant Coach
Marissa Plumer attended Newberry College. A two-sport NCAA athlete, serving as team captain in both lacrosse and field hockey. She set program records in lacrosse for career assists (91), caused turnovers (117), while also ranking among the top 3 in points, draw controls, ground balls & goals. Known for her high lacrosse IQ, hustle, and two-way dominance, she was recognized nationally as an NCAA Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Week. In 2023, she was voted Female Individual Performer of the Year, and in 2024, earned Newberry’s Female Athlete of the Year honors.
Off the field, Marissa holds a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Development and works with ADP, achieving 100% and Presidents Club in her first year.
- Head Coach of Bartram Trail High School
- 2-Sports NCAA Athlete
- Team Captain in Lacrosse & Field Hockey
- Program Records in Assists, Turnovers
- 2023 Female Individual Performer of the Year
- 2024 female Athlete of the Year
Shannon Dean
2029 Orange Head Coach
Shannon is the Head Coach at Vero Beach High School and a true legend in Florida lacrosse. Coach Dean’s Fighting Indians have won (10) FHSAA State Championships and been runner up numerous times.
Coach Dean's resume is extensive and has coached teams at Under Armour All America and served as a “selector” for USA Lacrosse at tryouts for the U-19 Team USA. He is excited to be back in the club scene and part of the Shine Select leadership team, as well as leading our 2027 Orange team through their final years.
- Head Coach at Vero Beach HS
- 10 HSAA State Championships
- Under Armour All America coach
- U-19 Team USA Selector
Katie Carroll
Marketing & Media, Assistant Director. 2029 Assistant Coach
Katie Carroll started playing lacrosse in her hometown of Annapolis, Maryland at the age of 6. She played lacrosse for St. Mary’s Annapolis High School where she was a three year varsity starter and two time captain. While playing for the Saints she also participated in field hockey, volleyball, and basketball. She went on to play Division II lacrosse at Belmont Abbey College. At the Abbey, Katie was a three year starter, named captain her senior year, First Team All- Conference, and Academic All- Conference. Katie graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in business. She now lives in Jacksonville and is currently teaching third grade at RPDS. She has coached at multiple HS and club programs in the Jacksonville area and continues her passion at Shine Select as the 2031 Coach and media and marketing manager.
- St. Mary's High School Annapolis 3 Year Varsity Starter, 2x Captain
- Belmont Abbey College Captain
- First Team All-Conference
- Academic All-Conference
Zariah Durham
2029 White Co-Coach
Coach Zariah is a local Orlando native and player at Dr. Phillips HS back when they were dominant in high school lacrosse. She is a Storm Select Alumni and class of 2019. Zariah went on to play division 2 lacrosse at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University while obtaining her degree in Aerospace Physiology. She was a 4-year starter at attack for ERAU and has a great lax mind which makes her a great coach.
- St. Mary's High School Annapolis 3 Year Varsity Starter, 2x Captain
- Belmont Abbey College Captain
- First Team All-Conference
- Orland Native
- Storm Select Alumni
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University 4 Year Starter
Rachel Smythe
2029 White Co-Coach
Rachel Smyth played her youth and high school days in Central Florida and is a Storm Select Alumni (Class of 2019). She went on to play in college at Saint Leo University where she was a standout as a goal keeper ending her career with a .403 save percentage. After college she began coaching at Storm Select and Saint Leo as a graduate assistant working with the defense and goalies. She now resides in Tampa and has followed her passion and educational focus to work with children, working as a 5th grade teacher.
- Central Florida Native
- Storm Select Alumni
- Saint Leo University Goalie
Morgan Basler
2030 Orange Co-Coach
Morgan is originally from upstate NY in a small town named Penn Yan. She was a five-year starter entering as an eighth grader on a Penn Yan squad that won five sectional titles and finished as a runner-up in the state championships. She was also selected to the prestigious Empire State Games’ Central New York squad where she was a starter for three consecutive years from 2008-2010. She then played D1 lacrosse at Jacksonville University and had a prominent career on defense for this nationally ranked team. At Jacksonville, Basler was named to the All-National Lacrosse Conference Team for defense and the NLC All-Tournament team. Jacksonville also finished the 2011 season and the 2012 season as conference champions.
Coach Morgan resides in Tampa where she has coached and trained young girls for the past several years, coaching for Palms LC, Lax Maniax and Storm Select. She is very passionate about teaching girls how to not only play the game, but to love the game and the teammates you play with.
- 5 year high school varsity starter (beginning in 8th grade)
- 5 sectional titles, runner up in states
- Empire State Games Central NY Squad
- D1 at Jacksonville Universiity
- All-National Lacrosse Conference Team
- NLC All-Tournament Team
Susie Nearhoof
2031 Orange Co-Coach
A former attack and draw control specialist at UMass Dartmouth (2004 to 2008), Susie served as team captain and earned Little East Conference All-Conference and All-Academic honors. Since then, she has built an accomplished coaching career, serving as JV Head Coach at Governor Thomas Johnson High School (2008 to 2011) and Westwood High School (2019 to 2020), before leading the Austin High School program as Program Director and Head Coach from 2020 to 2025. At GRIT ATX Club Lacrosse, she coached the 2024 and 2029 teams while playing a key role in the college recruiting process, helping athletes commit to NCAA Division I, II, and III programs. Most recently, Susie coached the 2029 team at Shipyard Lax in Tampa before relocating to Orlando, where she now coaches with Shine Select.
- UMass Dartmouth attack & draw
- Team Captain
- Little East Conference All-Conference
- All Academic Honors
Vanessa Gentile
2031 Orange Assistant
- Mount Saint Mary's University
- University of South Florida
- Long Island native (West Islip High School)
Grayson Corbett
2032 Team Head Coach
Coach Grayson Corbett began her career at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Maryland. She was named to All-Howard County first team as a junior and senior, she led Howard County in scoring in each of her final two season, and holds the Howard County Record for career goals with 277. She has experience coaching club lacrosse, previously with Heros, and then later moved to Jacksonville, FL. She is currently the Head Coach and Program Director at the Bolles School.
- All-Howard County First Team at Wilde Lake HS in Maryland
- Head Coach & Program Director at the Bolles School
Alexa Vega
2032 Team Assistant coach
Alexa Vega was born and raised in Port St. Lucie, Florida. She attended Vero Beach High School, where she was a four-year starter and a three-time US All-American.
At just 15 years old, Alexa became the youngest member of the Puerto Rican Women’s National Lacrosse Team. She represented Puerto Rico in the 2020 qualifier games, the 2022 World Championships, and the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship in Hong Kong. Alexa began her collegiate lacrosse career at Stony Brook University, playing under Head Coach Joe Spallina. She recently transferred to Stetson University, where she will continue her lacrosse journey as a junior under Coach Sue Murphy next season. Alexa is majoring in Psychology and plans to attend Law School after graduation.
- Port St. Lucie native
- Vero Beach HS, four year starter
- 3x US All American
- Youngest member of Puerto Rican Womens National Team
- Stony Brook University
- Stetson University
Gabriella Mckay
Shine Risers Coach
Coach Gabby brings six years of high school coaching experience and seven years of competitive club coaching experience. A former collegiate lacrosse player at Jacksonville University, she understands the discipline, commitment, and teamwork required to compete at a high level. Her coaching philosophy focuses on developing the whole athlete through high expectations, encouragement, accountability, and consistent support. She believes in meeting players where they are while challenging them to build confidence, improve their skills, and grow as teammates and leaders. In 2026, she was honored as the TC Palm Girls Lacrosse Coach of the Year and remains most proud of the growth and success of the athletes she has coached.
- Jacksonville University
- 2026 TC Palm Girls Lacrosse Coach of the Year
Maurice Gibson
Club Goalie Coach
Maurice has served the lacrosse community in Central Florida for the past 15 plus years in many roles, coaching youth lacrosse, club lacrosse, high school lacrosse and collegiate lacrosse. He is currently the head coach for the University of Central Florida women's lacrosse team and has been coaching with Storm Select Lacrosse for the past 4 years as our Goalie Specialist helping goalies develop and commit to play in college. Coach Maurice also served as the president of the Southeastern Women’s Lacrosse League.
- 15+ Years coaching in Central lorida
- Head Coach or the University of Central Florida Womens Team
Lauren Bard
Jacksonville Coach
Lauren Lavarias Bard was born and raised in Jacksonville where she played lacrosse at Bartram Trail High School. With only 3 years of experience she went on to continue her lacrosse career at Belmont Abbey College, which is a small, private, Division II college right outside of the Charlotte, NC area. There at Belmont Abbey, Lauren was a 3-year starter, awarded Academic All-Conference her senior year, and Conference Carolina's Runner-up in 2018.
Coach Lauren graduated from the Abbey in 2019 with a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Business Management. She went on to receive her Masters in Elementary Education from Grand Cayon University in 2022. She now lives in Jacksonville, FL, with her husband Derek. She is currently teaching VPK at St. Paul’s Catholic School in Jacksonville Beach. All the while continues her passion for lacrosse by coaching at Ponte Vedra High School where she is the JV coach.
- Jacksonville native, Bartram Trail HS
- Belmont Abbey College 3-year starter
- Academic All-Conference
Shannon Gilfedder
Jacksonville Coach
Shannon Gilfedder started playing lacrosse in fifth grade in the Central Florida area playing at Lyman HS, Lax Maniax and RC Elite Club. She went on to play division 2 lacrosse at Florida Southern College where she competed in three national championships, winning one in 2016. She began coaching after college and has coached all levels from youth to high school. She is currently the varsity assistant coach at Episcopal School of Jacksonville and has been coaching for Shine since 2021.
- Florida Southern College
- Competed in 3 National Championships, Winning 1
- Coaching all levels from youth to HS
Aislinn Sweeney
Goalie Coach
Aislinn Sweeney grew up in upstate New York in Clifton Park. She attended Shenendehowa High School, and lettered in lacrosse for two years. She played four years at University at Albany, where she was a captain her senior year, and helped the Great Danes win the 2023 American East Conference Championship. She received her undergrad degree in Political Science. After her time at UAlbany, she spent a brief year at University of Rhode Island, and then finished her last year of eligibility at Lindenwood University, outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Aislinn was a captain for the Lions and helped lead them to a 10-6 record and the ASUN Conference Semi-Finals, only in the programs third year at the Division 1 level. During her final season, she set the programs' single season save record at 160, finishing her career with 371 total saves. She lead the ASUN in save percentage and saves per game in the 2025 season, along with earning two ASUN Defensive Player of the Week, Academic All-ASUN, and ASUN All Tournament team. She will be completing her Master’s degree in Public Administration at the end of this fall semester.
- University at Albany Captain
- 2023 American East Conerence Championship
- Captain at Lindenwood University
- ASUN Defensive Player of the Week (2x)
- Academic All-ASUN
- ASUN All-Tournament Team