Bio

Sophie Capitanelli joined the Lakehawk Athletic Staff as the program's first strength and conditioning coach in January of 2025. Capitanelli coaches the Lakehawk teams on both the Leesburg and South Lake campuses.

Capitanelli is a graduate of Harding University where she played four years of NCAA Division II soccer. There, she obtained both her Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Strength and Conditioning and received her Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

Beginning in the summer of 2022, Capitanelli started an internship with the UCF Knights Strength and Conditioning Department. The following summer, she began an internship for the University of Florida Strength and Conditioning Department.

After four years on the Harding Women’s Soccer team, Capitanelli had the opportunity to serve as a graduate assistant (GA) for the Harding University Strength and Conditioning Department. As a GA, she worked primarily with volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and softball while also assisting with the 2023 NCAA Championship Football team.

Most recently, Capitanelli served the Atlanta Braves FCL Rookie League team as an Assistant Complex Strength and Conditioning Coach.

“I was searching for an institution that had an emphasis on community and student-athlete development. Lake-Sumter has a unique opportunity to equip their student-athletes with the tools necessary to be successful and I wanted to be another resource on that path,” said Capitanelli.