Our Team

Christa serves as the Associate Director at Alston for Athletes. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Performance Coach residing in Houston, Texas. She was raised as a competitive swimmer and continued her athletic career on the Women’s Rowing team at The University of Alabama. Christa holds a Master of Science in Sport and Performance Psychology from California Baptist University and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Sam Houston State University. Christa uses her sport and clinical background to help athletes reach their peak performance.

Chrissy has worked in Higher Education since 2017 and currently works in the student counseling center at her alma mater. Her educational experience includes a Masters in Counseling from Oklahoma State University and Masters and Bachelors of Education from University of Central Oklahoma. Chrissy currently lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She currently enjoys running but grew up playing basketball, volleyball and cheer and did rowing in college. Chrissy currently serves as the Program Director.

As Policy & Advocacy Director, Lisa co-leads AFA’s advocacy for increased mental health awareness in the athletic community. Her unwavering commitment revolves around  advancing mental health and wellness, fostering awareness of behavioral and mental  distress, and increasing access to mental health services. Drawing from a rich background in community mental health, Lisa is a licensed therapist  (LPCC) in the State of Ohio. She is highly skilled at navigating the intricacies of mental  health support and has a 15-year career as an account director in marketing and design  agencies, underscoring her diverse and adaptable skill set. 

​

Natalie serves as the Executive Assistant at Alston for Athletes. Natalie currently resides on Long Island in New York. She grew up as a competitive swimmer, and swam collegiately at Wagner College in NYC where she obtained her Dual Degree in Childhood Education and Sociology/Anthropology. She continued on to earn her Masters Degree in Health and Wellness Education at American College of Education. She is a certified New York State teacher, but found her teaching skills to be more useful as a Full-Time Swim Coach.

Taryn graduated from California Lutheran University in May 2022 with a degree in Exercise Science. She also played softball her whole life and throughout college. She is from San Diego, California where she has spent the last couple of years coaching 8u, 12u, and high school softball. As of August 2024, she is starting a Master’s program in Applied Sport Psychology at University of North Carolina Greensboro with hopes of becoming a Mental Performance Consultant. She is the Social Media Director for Alston for Athletes and has a passion for mental health awareness.