Regis University​

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Cristina "CJ" Rodriguez grew up in Hampstead, Maryland, where her love for lacrosse began in the 4th grade. She played high school lacrosse in the Baltimore area at Mount de Sales Academy, graduating in 2007 as a defender, while also playing midfield for the inaugural graduating class of the Check-Hers Elite club program.

CJ continued her playing career in Denver, CO at Regis University as a midfielder, helping lead the program to its first RMAC Championship while serving as team captain during her senior year. After graduating in 2011, she stayed on as the Graduate Assistant Coach while earning her Master's Degree in Education.

From 2010-2015, CJ coached club lacrosse with Denver Summit while beginning her teaching career in Denver. In 2013, she made the move into coaching full-time and launched the inaugural women's lacrosse program at Johnson & Wales University in Denver.

In 2015, CJ met her now husband, Johnny Rodriguez, and in 2017 relocated from Dever to Southern California to join him. That same year, she joined the staff at Foothill High School as an assistant coach before becoming head coach in 2018.

During her time at Foothill through the 2024 season, CJ helped build one of the premier girls lacrosse programs in California. Under her leadership, the program won three straight CIF Southern Section Championships, and she earned honors including US Lacrosse Orange County Coach of the Year, CIF-SS Girls Lacrosse Coach of the Year, and Orange County Register Coach of the Year.

Foothill was also where some of the biggest moments of CJ's personal life happened. During her coaching tenure, she got engaged, married, and started her family while balancing the demands of coaching at a high level. Today, CJ and Johnny are raising three kids together, and although she is no longer coaching high school lacrosse, she still loves sharing her passion for the game through club coaching, mentoring athletes, and helping grow the sport for the next generation.