After more than two years of preparation, women’s lacrosse – the first new women’s athletics program at USF since women’s soccer began play in 1995 – launches its inaugural season on Feb. 7 at Corbett Stadium. In this episode, Coach Mindy McCord discusses some of the keys to developing a program from scratch, including recruiting student-athletes, the culture she has established within the team and what fans can expect from this fast-paced sport. A first-generation college graduate, McCord stresses the importance of academics to her players (the team’s fall semester GPA was 3.75), noting that “mentoring has always been at the heart of what I do” as she helps them prepare for successful and meaningful careers following graduation.