Meet Lassiter’s Coaches
Coach Cazzola
Christina Cazzola earned her Bachelor's of Science in Secondary Education at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She was a seventeen-time National Champion in combined Cross-country and Track and Field events, set five Division III national records, and competed at the USA championships for three consecutive years. She continued her Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and Sports Management directly after completing her first degree and was a sponsored athlete from 2014-2017. She is highly motivated, expects the best from all students, and is honored to be part of the Lassiter community.
She began teaching at Lassiter in January of 2018 and couldn't be happier with the level of dedication toward success and excellence that our school and greater community share. She was recognized as a coach with Premier Distinction by the NSDA in 2020. The Georgia Northern Mountain District has also recognized her as the District's New Coach of the Year in 2021. In 2022, the Georgia Forensic Coaches Association recognized her as the Speech Coach of the Year. In December 2024, she was awarded the Donus D. Roberts Award Coaching Excellence Award from the NSDA, the last award before receiving her coaching diamond.
She’s delighted to be a coach for the Lassiter Speech and Debate Team.
contact: christina.cazzola@cobbk12.org
Coach Waters began his speech and debate journey at Grovetown High School in 2011 as the director of a new program. Under his leadership, the team earned two state championships in Lincoln Douglas Debate and qualified eight students to the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament. During that time, he received the Peach Fuzz Award (2012) and was voted the GFCA Speech Coach of the Year (2014). In 2015, after moving to the Atlanta area, he worked as an Assistant Coach at Marist School for two years where he coached a debater to the school’s first State Championship in Lincoln Douglas. His tenure at the school led him to earn his first coaching diamond from the NSDA in 2017.
After departing Marist, Coach Waters moved to Northview High School in 2017. The team grew significantly under his leadership, earning 46 bids to the GFCA State Tournament, 36 bids to the Tournament of Champions, 8 bids to NIETOC, and 18 qualifiers to NSDA Nationals. In 2020, the GFCA named Northview a School of Excellence, and the NSDA recognized the school as a Debate School of Honor. The team also earned 22 State Championships and seven Sweepstakes awards from the GFCA. In 2021, Coach Waters was the recipient of the GFCA Debate Coach of the Year Award and the NSDA Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Key. The following year, he received the GFCA Richard Bracknell Service Award. That year, the team won its first Speech Sweepstakes State Championship, overtaking a team that had won the award for eight years running.
In the fall of 2022, Coach Waters transferred to Lassiter High School where he earned his second diamond from the NSDA. He is an active coach within the state and tabulates many tournaments. While he did not participate in the activity as a high school student, he is passionate about seeing students succeed in the activity. He recognizes the impact of this activity on helping students in whatever they endeavor to achieve when they leave high school.
contact: jonathan.waters@cobbk12.org
Coach Waters
Past Coaches
2010-2020: Walter Cotter (NSDA Diamond; GFCA Hall of Fame)
2004-2008: David Childree
2003-2004: Chris Minich
1997-2003: Claire Nichols (NSDA Diamond)