Meet Amanda! Amanda is an educator, coach, wife, and mom. She is from Ocean Township, NJ, which is where she began her love for sports and fitness.
During high school, Amanda played field hockey, indoor track, and lacrosse. She was a particularly fast sprinter, racing the 55 hurdles, 55m dash, and 200m sprint. As a three sport athlete, she was able to stay fit for each sport throughout the year. After tearing her ACL and meniscus during her junior fall field hockey season, Amanda worked hard to follow her passion and rehabilitate for lacrosse. She went on to continue her lacrosse career in college and follow her passion.
Amanda earned a scholarship and continued her athletic career playing DII lacrosse at Southern Connecticut State University 2007-2008. After one year, she transferred to Georgian Court University, and played her remaining three eligible years back closer to home. During her time at GCU, they won the CACC two years in a row. Along with athletics, Amanda majored in English, Education, and Special Education.
Post college athletics, lacrosse has stayed an important part of Amanda’s life. Growing the game of lacrosse is a huge passion for Amanda, and she’s introduced lacrosse to many new athletes for over a decade. She has held several coaching positions, dating back to 2012 when she coached 5th and 6th graders for the Wall Lacrosse Club. She is now going into her tenth year as the Wall Lacrosse Club Girl’s Program Director and twelfth year as a coach. There, she manages 4-5 teams, scheduling, finances, and manages over 100 youth players in grades K-8. She has taken many things she learned as a college athlete and brought it to this program. She not only continues to share her passion for lacrosse at Wall, but she was the head varsity girl’s lacrosse coach at Neptune High School for three seasons, along with being the head varsity field hockey coach at Neptune from 2014-2020. During her tenure as head coach, her team broke many records, including goalie saves, as well as having one of the most successful field hockey seasons in 10+ years. She also helps support the game by officiating, and has been a lacrosse referee since 2016.
Although Amanda has had to step down as head varsity coach for field hockey and lacrosse due to having two young children, she is still active in sports. She is still very active with her son, and is excited he’s exploring playing soccer, and will soon be starting basketball, gymnastics, and T-ball. She wants to have him try everything! He loves going to her youth lacrosse practices and games. When Amanda isn’t coaching or chasing around her four and one year old sons, she is a Reading Specialist in an elementary school, and most recently won Teacher of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year. She believes that focusing on physical fitness and well being sets an example to her children. Amanda strives to instill that mindset to them as they grow. Read how Amanda started her athletic journey!
Q: What sports did you play growing up?
I didn’t start playing sports until I was in high school. I played field hockey, lacrosse, and ran indoor track.
Q:Was there anything that made you hesitant about starting your sport(s)?
The uncertainty surrounding sports initially held me back, and it wasn’t until high school that I decided to dive in. Discovering my natural talent as a fast sprinter fueled my eagerness to become an athlete. With a leap of faith, I embraced sports, participating in field hockey, indoor track, and lacrosse beginning my freshman year of high school. Thriving particularly in track and lacrosse, I found joy in the camaraderie of team sports and the pursuit of physical fitness. Embracing a multi-sport approach, I grasped the advantages it offered, realizing how it would significantly impact my future career path.
Q: What female athletes (or any athletes) did you look up to?
As I think back to my time in high school, I realize I did not have a female athlete I looked up to. Females weren’t really in the media and we did not have access to social media like we do today. I wish I had a female professional lacrosse player to look up to as I played!
Q: What is your favorite memory associated with sports?
As a player, my favorite memory was when we won the CACC my senior year (and junior year) of college at Georgian Court. That feeling of winning a huge championship game is something I miss so much! As a coach, it was playing my alma mater, after losing to them 0-10 earlier in the season, making a comeback and going into overtime after my captain scored off of a corner in the last 10 seconds. We ended up losing 2-3, but that was the best game my team has ever played. Their heart and determination were unmatched that season, and I was so proud of them. I had a really strong group of senior leaders that year, and It will forever be my favorite coaching memory.
Q: How has playing sports helped shape your life?
The impact of sports has had a profound effect on my life. My journey as an athlete has been the cornerstone of my career achievements. During college athletics, I learned invaluable lessons in discipline, problem-solving, time management, leadership, and the significance of collaborative effort towards a shared goal. I was fortunate to have influential coaches who have inspired me to excel both as an athlete and as an individual. As a coach and educator now, I aspire to emulate those positive role models and foster the same values to my athletes and students that were instilled in me.
Through grit and perseverance, I witnessed firsthand that relentless dedication can turn dreams into reality. Earning a scholarship and competing in Division II Women’s Lacrosse, a sport that I love, was extremely rewarding. Moreover, the friendships I have made along this journey will last a lifetime. Fast forward to the present—I am a proud coach, youth lacrosse girl’s program director, lacrosse official, and an educator, honored recently as the recipient of the 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year award. Sports have been the foundation that have shaped me into the person I am today, and I remain forever grateful for the opportunities they’ve afforded me.
Q: What advice would you give to young girls who are just starting off in sports?
For young girls stepping into the world of sports, I offer this advice: Embrace the unknown and avoid fixating on a single sport too soon. In my role as a high school coach and youth program director, I advocate for athletes to explore a variety of sports rather than specializing early on. The advantages of being a multi-sport athlete are numerous. Beyond honing time-management abilities, engaging in multiple sports enhances overall health, boosts athleticism, and cultivates leadership skills that will serve them well in their future endeavors.
Coach Rachel 