Haverford hosts Snell-Shillingford Symposium
HAVERFORD, Pa. - The 13th annual Snell-Shillingford Symposium brought the topic of women in coaching to the forefront at Haverford College this past weekend.
Directed by the Centennial Conference, the symposium welcomed 21 female student athletes and accompanying coaches from the member institutions, who acted as presenters and mentors, to campus.
Amy Wilson, faculty member at Illinois College, highlighted the event by providing an in-depth look at the history of Title IX and the current state of affairs in Division III athletics to the attendees. Charlotte West, who holds the distinction of being named the first woman member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, offered a survey of women in sports through history.
Various representatives from within the conference offered presentations that touched on issues such as personality traits, skills, sportsmanship, ethics, coaching philosophy, networking, and interview techniques to further illustrate the issues female coaches face.
The symposium, throughout the weekend-long schedule of events, aims to educate the attendees about the challenging but rewarding coaching profession, and encourages them to consider the field in their future. It has managed to cement itself as a valuable yearly event as many symposium attendees over the years have gone on to join the collegiate coaching ranks.
The symposium honors the contributions of Eleanor Frost Snell, long-time coach at Ursinus College, and the commitment of her mentee, Jen Shillingford, to carry on her legacy. This year marked the first time the prestigious event has taken place at Haverford.
