Rochester, MN-

The Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport will host their annual Women Coaches Symposium on Friday, April 19, 2019.  

Since its inception, the Tucker Center has provided centralization, organization, scientific excellence, and national leadership on issues of great national and local significance. Through its direction and leadership, it encourages researchers, policy makers, educators, parents and practitioners to work together to better the lives of girls and women in ways that go far beyond the playing fields. The 2019 Women Coaches Symposium marks the sixth annual event for the Tucker Center; learn more about past Sympoisa here. 

Read more on the complete 2019 WCS Program & Schedule found at this link.   In addition, note that a limited number of Women Coaches Symposium Scholarships were created for the 2019 event. To access the application CLICK THIS LINK to be directed to the Scholarship Application. 

The Tucker Center has also recently released multiple studies on the role of women in coaching, athletic administration and related materials: 

Athletic Administration Best Practices of Recruitment, Hiring & Retention of Women in Coaching

Find more on the Tucker Center Current Research page, found at this link.

The 2018-19 athletic year in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference has been - and continues to be - a leader in the NJCAA women's sport athletic environment. 

The MCAC was proud to report on this story the fact that all of the MCAC Volleyball programs were led by women in the 2018 season. Read more here. 

Darlene Palmer, a pioneering coach and athletic administrator at Brainerd Community College (now Central Lakes College) was honored at the 2019 Minnesota Girls & Women in Sport Day celebration. Palmer earned the Special Merit Award for her role in the advancement of women's athletics at BCC. Her trailblazing work lives on today in the form of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. 

Talyn McClaflin, a softball student-athlete at Itasca Community College was highlighted this spring as the top returning statistical sophomore in NJCAA Division III softball. 

Earlier this winter, former Gopher women's basketball standout Shannon Nelson earned her 200th win as head coach at Northland Community & Technical College in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.  One of her student-athletes, Carly Mekash earned All-America honors in Volleyball for coach Courtney Norby and was All-State in basketball for the Pioneers. Women's basketball All-America teams shall be announced later this month. 

The Minnesota College Athletic Conference and USA Clay Target collaborated to produce the first varsity, two-year college Clay Target season and Championships. The MCAC Clay Target League featured over 35 female athletes participating in 2019.  Also in the fall, Anoka-Ramsey Community College soccer player  earned All-America honors after a highlight-reel season.  See below for more on women in sport in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. 

Read on for more on women in coaching and student-athlete success stories across the MCAC in 2018-19.