History

What began as a professional development program exploded into a network of women coaches and eventually, in 2011, the birth of the Alliance of Women Coaches. In 2003, spearheaded by Celia Slater, Judy Sweet, and Ann Salerno, the NCAA agreed to pilot a program for women coaches across all sports and all NCAA divisions. These programs became what is known as the NCAA Women Coaches Academy.

Year after year, session after session, there was continued feedback that women coaches needed an organization whose vision was cultivated with them in mind: a supportive network, educational opportunities, and developmental resources specific to their needs – because women coaches face unique challenges that their male counterparts do not.

In 2011, Celia Slater and Judy Sweet co-founded a non-profit organization, the Alliance of Women Coaches, which became the umbrella organization for the NCAA Women Coaches Academy. From 2011-2018, the Alliance experienced unprecedented growth and began to reach female coaches across multiple levels, including professional, college, high school, club, and youth. The number of events, resources and networking opportunities were all aimed at recruiting, advancing and retaining women in the profession.

Evolution

In August 2018, it was time for the organization to take a pivotal step forward with a rebrand. The new name, WeCOACH, would better showcase and represent coaches across all sports, divisions and levels. The new name and icon depict everything that our organization stands for: a strong, vibrant, and unified community. It represents powerful role models, leaders within individual sports who come together with collective voices stronger than their own, and those who are continually exhibiting resilience on and off the field of competition.