WeCOACH will host its premier programs, the 52nd class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) and the 6th class of the NCAA Academy 2.0 in Denver, Colorado from May 21-24, 2023. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Women Coaches Academy, made possible through a longstanding partnership with the NCAA.
NCAA Academy 2.0, a master learning program, will feature 20 coach participants including Saint Mary's College head lacrosse coach Amy Long.
"I am honored to be selected for the WeCoach NCAA Academy 2.0," commented Long. "My experience at the Academy in 2016 was an empowering and rewarding experience. I am excited to learn from and be inspired by the all-star lineup of speakers and the high caliber coaches in my class. MIAA Commissioner Chris Brown is a tremendous advocate of women’s coaches and I am thankful for his support of professional development opportunities for women coaches."
As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, a record-setting 102 women coaches, of all experience levels and sports, will be participating in WCA Class #52. Both Olivet College head softball coach Michaela Hamilton and Saint Mary's College head golf coach Jordan Koehler will be participating in NCAA Women Coaches Academy.
"I am very excited to be selected to participate in the WeCOACH Academy," Hamilton stated. "I feel like it will be a wonderful opportunity for all of us as female coaches to learn, advocate, and network with and from amazing women who have been blazing the path before us. I am looking forward to just soak in as much information as possible."
Highlighting these two Academies is keynote speaker, Dawn Staley, Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of South Carolina. Coach Staley is a two-time national champion coach and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. She’s one of the most decorated participants in United States women’s basketball history having won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head coach of another U.S. gold-medal winning team.
“The NCAA is excited to partner with WeCOACH on the 2023 NCAA Women Coaches Academy programs, where some of the most talented collegiate women’s coaches will have the opportunity to elevate their leadership skills and hear the experiences of championship coaches,” said DeeDee Merritt, Director of NCAA Leadership Development. “The Women Coaches Academy and the Academy 2.0 programs provide today’s coaches with enhanced strategies and operations they can use during their season that may also translate to better student-athlete experiences. We look forward to engaging with the coaches as they work toward their professional and personal development.”
Over 2,100 graduates have participated in the NCAA WCA, a program designed for women coaches to elevate their holistic coaching effectiveness by learning advanced leadership skills and strategies that directly affect their personal and team success. Participants focus on non-sport-specific concepts in an environment that fosters inclusion across the sports community. The NCAA Academy 2.0, exclusively created for WCA graduates, is a master-learning opportunity in a small class setting that progresses on the leadership, strategies, and knowledge gained from their WCA experience.
“The Academy experience is truly magical in terms of the powerful knowledge gained and lasting relationships formed. Our graduates leave feeling empowered, inspired and motivated to be the best possible leaders for the student-athletes they coach, and the data demonstrates our Academy graduates remain in the coaching profession at a higher rate than the national average. Our staff and Board have once again assembled a stellar lineup of faculty to pour into the participants and we look forward to unveiling some new traditions as part of our WCA 20th anniversary celebration,” said Vanessa Fuchs, CEO of WeCOACH.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for more than half a million studentathletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes.
About WeCOACH
Founded in 2011, WeCOACH is a one-of-a-kind nonprofit dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels through year-round professional growth & leadership development programs. Prior to Title IX, over 90% of women’s collegiate sports teams were coached by women. Today, 50 years later, data indicates that number has decreased to a stagnant 41% in all three NCAA Divisions, with only 7.3% women coaches of color. Five percent of women coach men's teams, and at the youth level, the data is hard to estimate, approximately less than 20% of teams are coached by women. As part of its year-long Title IX 50th Anniversary campaign, WeCOACH launched MOVE the NUMBERS to help change the landscape for women coaches and to impact history for the next 50 years. For more information, visit wecoachsports.org/50th.
** Information taken from WeCOACH release.
