{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Finside-usf-the-podcast.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fthe-debut-of-womens-lacrosse-IFbefI7N","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"The debut of women’s lacrosse","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/be36e542-b186-4b9b-a6bb-6896fd6492ae/742edc38-0419-462b-9d2b-b606d33dea2e/2025-insideusfpodcast-coverart.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"<iframe src=\"https://player.simplecast.com/49ba467a-3e74-40d6-8b33-50ab2b3ea4d8\" height=\"200\" width=\"100%\" title=\"The debut of women’s lacrosse\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe>","height":200,"description":"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."}