It’s hard to believe that a fund-raising auction at the NACWAA Convention in Wilmington, NC in October of 2001 and a very cold day in Indianapolis in January of 2003 would be two HUGE first steps that began the journey towards an organization for all women coaches from all levels.  In October of 2001, I attended the NACWAA national convention looking for a mentor and to my amazement and luck, I was able to purchase a mentor at the “Awesome Auction” NACWAA's  biggest fund raising event. I paid $100 to have Judy Sweet as my mentor and it turned out to be the best $100 I have ever spent in my life! Judy along with the members of the 2003 Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA) were the first people to embrace this idea of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy.  I know if I had not taken the initiative to walk up there and throw my $100 in that bucket, my life and the lives of a lot of coaches would be very different right now!

It was because of this mentoring relationship and networking through NACWAA that Ann Salerno and I found ourselves in Indianapolis on a very cold day to present our proposal to the Committee on Women’s Athletics to start an Academy for women coaches at the NCAA level. That morning, the CWA gave us a grant to hold 2 pilot programs that were a huge success. To date we have had 22 NCAA Women Coaches Academies and we now have over 700 graduates at all 3 NCAA divisions.

So you may ask what does that have to do with The Alliance of Women Coaches? My answer is EVERYTHING!

Over the years the women have shown up at the academy as basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, swimming, tennis, golf, volleyball, track & field, water polo, rowing, equestrian, ice hockey, cross country, gymnastics or softball coaches.  The interesting thing they discovered while at the academy is that regardless of the sport they were involved in, they were all coaches and they would leave the academy with a new found appreciation of the profession as a whole and their part in it.

The NCAA WCA Graduates wanted to stay connected after their experience at the academy so they started discussing the possibility of an organization for all women coaches. At first, they wanted this group to be exclusively WCA graduates -- but the more they thought about it -- the more they wanted to reach out to all women that are in the coaching profession. They recognized that though the sports they coach are different, the skills they need to be successful beyond the X’s and O’s are the same. They need to learn to enhance their skills in regard to how to be good managers, communicators and motivators. They are all dealing with students, parents, staff and their boss. They are all trying to gain more success with the work and life balance issue.

Starting The Alliance of Women Coaches has been a whole new experience for me, and as excited as I am about the potential, I knew I would need guidance. Once again, I reached out  to my friend and mentor Judy Sweet and asked her to serve as Co-Director of The Alliance and mentor me through some of the uncharted waters. Judy’s professional life has been dedicated to equal opportunities for all women in sport. In fact, it’s hard to find an initiative  that created positive change for women at the NCAA or in NACWAA that does not have Judy’s fingerprint on it. No matter how busy, Judy always finds a way to teach and be involved in the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and the NACWAA educational programs.  I am honored to serve with Judy as Co-Director and so happy for The Alliance to have her involved as we pioneer this new organization!

The story of The Alliance has several core chapters:  the importance of mentoring, networking to build strong professional and personal alliances, the responsibility to ask for support as well as give it, showing initiative and sharing successful ideas and strategies. It’s about the energy that binds and empowers us – the more you give the more you get!

Judy and I both enter into this commitment to The Alliance of Women Coaches with a grateful spirit for all the people that have worked so hard for women to make professional gains in athletics. We also share a strong sense of responsibility to enhance the opportunities for women in sport today – and pave the way so that today’s young girls may experience true equality in athletics.

So please, be on the team – join The Alliance of Women Coaches -- and be a significant part in making a difference in our profession. After all coaches, aren’t we the ones who are often heard preaching 'There is no “I” in team'?

                        Go Coaches!

         Celia
     Celia Slater
     Co-Director
     The Alliance of Women Coaches