When Ginny Capicchioni L’27 decided to pursue a law degree to complement her extensive financial credentials and better serve her clients, she wasn’t sure how to fit it into her demanding schedule. Between running two companies, coaching lacrosse at the national level, and traveling often, the former pro goalie—known for blocking barriers as deftly as shots—didn’t think a full-time, in-person law school program was realistic. But true to her competitive mindset, she found the Syracuse University College of Law’s hybrid online JDinteractive (JDi) program to be the perfect fit, allowing her to stay in the game while advancing her education.
“Law school is difficult. They push us hard because most of us in the JDi program tend to have plenty of life experience, and we’re all making sacrifices to be here,” says Capicchioni, who is founder and president of Cap Financial Management (CFM) and founder of Gladiator Lacrosse. “If I hadn’t found Syracuse Law’s JDi program, I would imagine my experience would have been very different, so I’m grateful for that.”
A Full-Circle Syracuse Moment
Capicchioni’s connection to Syracuse began long before law school. As a women’s lacrosse player at Sacred Heart University in the late ‘90s, she admired Syracuse University’s lacrosse legacy so much that she bought a Syracuse jersey, wearing it to practice before every game. Years later, during tryouts for the 2011 U.S. Men’s National Box Lacrosse Team, she played exceptionally well, and the first person to congratulate her was Syracuse men’s lacrosse star Casey Powell ’98 (A&S), a four-time all-American. In hindsight, those moments now seem like a sign that she, too, would one day make her own connection to Syracuse University.
While most of the JDi program is held virtually, Capicchioni looks forward to getting together with others in her cohort during the required in-person residencies the JDi program holds each year.
“It’s great to meet the faculty and other students in the program face-to-face during the residencies,” she says. “There are some really accomplished people in my JDi cohort, which inspires me.”
A New Challenge for a Lifelong Competitor
Capicchioni is herself one of those “accomplished people” in the program, applying many of the lessons learned through sports to the rigors of the JDi program. She has spent decades breaking records and overcoming barriers in the sport of lacrosse. Initially recruited by Sacred Heart University as a field hockey goalie, she was encouraged to try women’s lacrosse. Despite being new to the sport, it was not long before she became a three-time Northeast Conference Goalie of the Year.
With no professional women’s lacrosse league to join after college, she discovered box lacrosse and made history as the first female in the country to sign with a men’s professional box lacrosse team. She played with the New Jersey Storm of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), spent nine years in the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLL), and later led the European Lacrosse League (ELL) in save percentages—all while playing alongside men. In 2011, she competed in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship, helping Team U.S.A. win a bronze medal and marking the first time an American woman played for a men’s national team in any sport in an international tournament.
Coach, Entrepreneur, and Mentor
Capicchioni coached at several universities before launching Cap Financial Management in 2019. CFM offers financial advising and services to NCAA coaches, athletes, and other sports affiliates. Capicchioni holds a number of licenses in investments, accounting, insurance, and securities, and is a chartered trust and estate planner.
In 2023, she received a call that the U.S. was finally starting a women’s box lacrosse team and was asked to coach the U.S.A. National Team, a position she still holds today. The team trained for two years, and since the sport of box lacrosse was only just starting for women in the U.S., Capicchioni’s team decided to train against all men’s teams leading up to the 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championship. Ultimately, they took home the first gold medal in USA history, men’s or women’s.
“When we started, these women had played lacrosse but never box lacrosse or any kind of contact game,” explains Capicchioni. “My parents always told me, ‘If you can’t find a way, make your own.’ And that’s what we did. The women I coached essentially achieved the impossible!”
Pursuing the Challenge, Taking the Win
Today, Capicchioni is again making her own way, as she juggles many responsibilities including the demands of the Syracuse Law’s JDi program. She intends to keep her businesses running, continue to stay with the U.S.A. National Team, and also complete her law degree in order to offer her financial clients an even wider range of expertise.
“Attending law school through the JDi program will make me a lawyer, but it has already made me a better coach and is helping me in my financial management career, too,” she says. “None of it’s easy, but I’ve never walked away from a challenge, and the Syracuse Law’s JDi program is no different.”