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Exciting Announcement: AFA and ULTIMATE Carolina Join Forces!
We’re thrilled to announce that AFA will be merging with ULTIMATE Carolina to combine resources, strengthen our footprint in the Triangle, and continue growing the game of girls’ lacrosse across North Carolina.
This partnership brings together two programs that share the same mission — to provide elite training, development, and opportunities for players at every level. By uniting under the ULTIMATE Carolina name, we’ll be able to:
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Expand access to high-level coaching and player development opportunities
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Strengthen teams and player pathways across the region
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Continue elevating the level of lacrosse in North Carolina
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Launch a recreation and training location out of Apex to share the love of lacrosse with players and families
- ULTIMATE Leadership will remain Taylor Cline (Regional Director), Katy O’Mara (Director of Recruiting), and Katie McMahon-Gates (Executive Director).
We’re excited for what this next chapter means for our players, families, and the future of the sport in our state. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to growing the game. Together, we’re building something truly special in North Carolina!
"Welcome" from The Carolina Director
Taylor Cline
240-329-6131
Joslin hanbury
407-221-2255
- 5+ years of coaching experience with Club & Division I Camps
- Former player at Campbell University (NCAA DI)
- Academic All-District, 4x Academic Honor Roll
- CAA Offensive POTW
- 100+ Career Goals & Points
- Top 10 All-Time in Program Goals, Assists, & Points
Joslin is the creative director of Go2Sports, joining the team in November of 2024. She comes to the program with 5 years of club coaching experience as well as experience in planning and coaching Division I camps. As the Creative Director, Joslin coordinates and assists in creating content for media platforms, marketing, website, merchandise, brand partnerships and special projects. She also executes day-to-day needs of the club and serves as the CLT 2029 team Head Coach.
Joslin has played at the NCAA DI level at Campbell University, where she earned recognition for academic and athletic successes. She earned CAA Offensive Player of the Week and the 2024 Season Points Leader, tallying over 100 points and 100 goals over her career. She is the current 8-meter goal record holder for the program and is among the top 10 in goals per game, career points, assists per game, shots on goal per game, and shots per game. She graduated with her Master’s in Business Administration Summa cum laude while gaining IWLCA Academic Honor Roll 4 years in a row.
Joslin is passionate about growing the sport of lacrosse as well as increasing exposure for our female athletes.
Carolina Directors
Katy O'Mara
(Full-Time)
- 23 years coaching and recruiting experience, youth through college
- Owner and operator of Carolina Fever lacrosse club from 2005 - 2022
- Helped over 140+ Carolina Fever alums get recruited to play in college
- 3 year coach and Defensive Coordinator at UNC
- 4 year starter and captain at Dartmouth College (NCAA DI)
- 2x All-Ivy; 1x Regional All-American
KATY O’MARA
Senior, Director of College Recruiting, SOUTH (CLT, CAR) + MN
A 2002 graduate of Dartmouth College, Katy has spent over 20 years coaching at all levels, including most recently as the owner of Carolina Fever. Katy helped to start the club in 2005 under the direction of UNC Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Jenny Levy, while working as an assistant overseeing the defense on Coach Levy's staff at Carolina. In 2012, Katy acquired the club and steered its growth to become the premier program in North Carolina, consistently competing with top teams in the country.
A key feature of Carolina Fever was the recruiting and player development program. In 16 years, more than 140 players went on to play lacrosse in college at all levels - notably including such prolific collegiate teams such as UNC, Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Colorado, Duke, and Penn among many others. Coach O'Mara built a recruiting system that prioritized preparation - both player development and family awareness, communication, and finding the right fit. She understands the need to find schools that meet a player and family's needs in order for girls to thrive following their commitment. With the current NCAA landscape constantly changing - including NIL, roster caps, and more, Katy's deep connections among college coaches ensure she is well positioned to educate families as a guide through the recruitment process. Her greatest joy is watching her players move on to enjoy continued success - both on and off the field, at the next level.
As a coach, Katy has worked at the high school and collegiate levels. She started her coaching career as the head coach at Morristown Beard School in Morristown, New Jersey followed by an assistant position at National Cathedral School in Washington, DC. She moved to Chapel Hill thereafter to coach at UNC and had the pleasure of mentoring four US Team players and three multi-year All-Americans as the defensive coordinator for the Tar Heels. After earning her MBA at UNC and starting a family, Katy came back to scholastic coaching in 2015 when she started the varsity program at Cary Academy in Cary, North Carolina.
As a player, Katy started all four years on the defensive end for the Big Green and served as captain her senior year. She earned All-Ivy and All-American honors during her time in Hanover.
Joslin Hanbury
(Full-Time)
- 5 years experience coaching at all levels, youth through high school
- 6 year player at Campbell University (NCAA DI)
- 2024 Season Points Leader
- CAA Offensive Player of the Week
- Program Record Holder 8 meter goals
- 3x IWLCA Academic Honor Roll
Assistant Director, ULTIMATE
Joslin is an Assistant Director of ULTIMATE Lacrosse, joining the team in November of 2024. She comes to the program with 5 years of club coaching experience as well as experience in planning and coaching DI camps. As an Assistant Director, Joslin helps plan, coordinate, and execute day-to-day needs of the club as well as special projects and media marketing. She also serves as the CLT 2029 team.
Joslin has played at the NCAA DI level at Campbell University, where she earned recognition for academic and athletic successes. She earned CAA Offensive Player of the Week and the 2024 Season Points Leader, tallying over 100 points and 100 goals over her career. She is the current 8-meter goal record holder for the program and is among the top 10 in goals per game, career points, assists per game, shots on goal per game, and shots per game. She graduated with her Master’s in Business Administration Summa cum laude while gaining IWLCA Academic Honor Roll 3 years in a row.
Joslin is passionate about growing the sport of lacrosse as well as increasing exposure for our athletes.
Katie McMahon-Gates
(Full-Time)
- 20 years of coaching experience coaching lacrosse at all levels, 2 years at the NCAA DIII level
- 5 year player at the University of CA Davis (DI)
- 3x All American, 3x Team Captain
- Hall of Fame Inductee 2021
- 10 years experience as a travel girls lacrosse owner and operator
KATIE MCMAHON-GATES
Regional Director, ULTIMATE CLT
Executive Director, ULTIMATE
Katie is the Regional Director of Charlotte and the Executive Director of ULTIMATE Lacrosse. Since she joined in 2022, the club has seen a surge in new players, stronger retention, and the launch of new locations including Lehigh Valley and Minnesota. She has made it her mission to invest in an all women leadership team and build out programming and services to better support the development of players. Under her leadership the club has hired two full-time Directors of Recruiting, four additional full-time staff, invested heavily in social media to elevate the exposure of players, and created a player pathway to support the development of players starting at recreational lacrosse through ELITE teams.
Katie has over 20 years of lacrosse coaching experience and is also the Executive Director Go2Sports, a travel sports partner organization. She has coached teams at the youth, high school, and college level. She was previously the Head Varsity Coach at Georgetown Visitation from 2017 - 2021 and was named All-Met Coach of the Year 2018. While at Visitation, Katie led the program to their highest national ranking in school history (#1, 2021) and the team was consistently ranked in the Top 10 during her tenure. Prior to coaching Katie was a 3x All-American at UC Davis, holding the records for goals, assists, points, and caused turnovers. She was inducted into the UC Davis Hall of Fame in 2021.
Her mission is to grow the game of lacrosse by creating a fun and enthusiastic learning environment while teaching young girls to be confident and strong leaders.
Lexi Willets
(Part-Time)
- 7 years of coaching experience at all levels, youth through high school
- 4 year player at University of Charlotte (NCAA DII)
- 3x South Atlantic Conference Championships
- 2x NCAA DII Final Four appearances
- Participated in the National Championship Game in 2021
LEXI WILLETS
Assistant Director, ULTIMATE NC
Lexi Willets is a dedicated coach with seven years of experience at the club and high school levels. After being recruited to play lacrosse at Queens University of Charlotte in 2017, Lexi quickly developed a deep appreciation for the growing lacrosse community in Charlotte. Over the past eight years, she has been committed to helping the sport thrive in the area, enjoying the progress it’s made and working to further its development.
Currently, Lexi serves as the Assistant Director for ULTIMATE Lacrosse NC, a role she’s held since January 2022. From 2018 to 2021, she worked with Queen City Stars, where she coached and managed academy programming for youth athletes. Additionally, she was the Program Director for South Park Youth Organization from 2022 to 2024 and currently coaches at Cannon High School, beginning in 2023. Lexi has been able to guide athletes through the recruitment process, helping several players, including the 2026 class, secure opportunities at Division 1 and Division 2 schools such as Clemson, ESU, and UMASS.
As a player, Lexi was part of the Queens University of Charlotte lacrosse team, where she had the privilege of serving as team captain. Her leadership helped the team secure three South Atlantic Conference Championships, two NCAA D2 Final Four appearances, and a trip to the National Championship game in 2021, along with a Regional Championship.
In addition to her coaching work, Lexi holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from Queens University. She currently teaches 5th grade in the Fort Mill School District, where she enjoys working with young students and fostering their growth both in and outside of the classroom.
Lexi remains deeply passionate about growing the game of lacrosse and supporting young athletes in reaching their full potential. Her experience as both a player and coach, combined with her commitment to the Charlotte community, makes her a valued leader in the sport.
Season Schedule Overview by Team Level
Recreational Lacrosse
SPRING
Players in CLT and CAR will play with the NCRLA. Players in other regional locations should play with a local recreational program.
Mini Club
Foundational & Fun, Shortened Travel Club Schedule. Please check your specific Regional Location for program availability.
GENERAL SCHEDULE OUTLINE
FALL
Sept - Oct | 8x Practices minimum on the weekend, 6x 4SQUARE Training Sessions during the week
Oct - Nov | 2 Tournaments on the weekend
WINTER
Jan - Feb| 6x 4SQUARE Trainings Sessions during the week
SPRING
All Youth Athletes are encouraged to participate in their local recreation programs. Players in CLT and CAR will play with the NCRLA.
SUMMER
May - Jun | 6x Practices Minimum during the week
June | 2 Tournaments on the weekend
Select Teams
The only difference between our Select and Premier Middle and High School teams is that they will participate in one less summer tournament.
GENERAL SCHEDULE OUTLINE
FALL
Sept - Oct | 8x Practices Minimum on the weekend, 8x 4SQUARE Training Sessions during the week
Oct - Nov | 3 Tournaments on the weekend
WINTER
Jan - Feb | 6x 4SQUARE Trainings Sessions during the week
SPRING
All High School athletes will play with their school teams.
All Youth Athletes are encouraged to participate in their local recreation programs. Players in CLT and CAR will play with the NCRLA.
SUMMER
May - Jun | 8x Practices Minimum during the week
June | 3 Tournaments on the weekend
*Our Middle School and High School Select teams will play in 3 Summer tournaments. We aim to have these teams done as close to the time school lets out so our players and families can enjoy a full summer of vacation and or rest.
Premier Teams
GENERAL SCHEDULE OUTLINE
FALL
Sept - Oct | 8x Practices Minimum on the weekend, 8x 4SQUARE Training Sessions
Oct - Nov | 3 Tournaments on the weekend
WINTER
Jan - Feb | 6x 4SQUARE Trainings Sessions during the week
SPRING
All High School athletes will play with their school teams.
All Youth Athletes are encouraged to participate in their local recreation programs. Players in CLT and CAR will play with the NCRLA.
Some teams may have the opportunity to participate in their local NGLL Region.
SUMMER
May - June | 10x Practices Minimum during the week
Jun - July | 4 Tournaments on the weekend
*Elementary grade teams will participate in 3 tournaments. All Youth Premier teams will be done by the last weekend of June. High School Teams will participate in a July tournament only.
Elite Teams
Elite Schedule
ELITE team schedules are in addition to Regional schedules. Tryouts are held in June. Please visit www.go2sports.co for more information.
Goalie Coaching
Sam Horan, Goalie Coach
- 7 years of coaching experience at all levels, youth through high school
- 5 year player at San Diego State (DI)
- 2x Team Captain
- Currently at PT school at Duke
- 10 years of coaching experience at all levels, youth through high school
- 4 year starter at Trinity College (DIII)
- Team Captain
- Second Team ALl NESCAC 2021