Wilcox Headed To Dean’s Office
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore field hockey head coach Kelly Wilcox '97 has accepted the position of Assistant Director of Student Life and Academic Advisor in the Dean's Office at the College. Wilcox will coach the field hockey team through the 2007 season and then make the full transition to her permanent home in Parrish Hall.
"Swarthmore Athletics will be very hard to leave - it has been a central part of my life since I stepped on campus in 1993," said Wilcox. "I am extremely excited at this unique opportunity to draw upon so many of my interests and skills and to impact the campus on a greater level. I will have an opportunity to mentor, advise and coach so many Swarthmore students in the years to come as well as play an integral role in examining and enhancing student life in general."
Wilcox began work in the Dean's Office this past spring, serving as a member of S.M.A.R.T. (Sexual Misconduct Advisors & Resource Team) and Eating Disorder support group. She became certified as a life coach two years ago, in addition to working with students on campus, has presented life coaching workshops for the Wellness Group, faculty, Dean's Staff and the Athletics Department. Wilcox has been an active member of the Wellness Group on campus for three years and continues to work with the Student Wellness Group.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have Kelly joining us in the Dean's Office," said Jim Larimore, Swarthmore's Dean of Students. "Kelly's experience as a coach and student-athlete at the College provide her with a unique understanding of the student experience. As an educator, mentor and colleague, she has had a positive impact on campus life and I am confident that she will excel in her new role."
Wilcox has been at the helm of the Swarthmore College field hockey program for the past five seasons, posting an overall record of 39-47 and 17-32 in the Centennial. She coached seven All-Centennial players, including midfielder Summer Spicer '07, who was named second-team All-Region by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFCHA) this past season. ""My involvement with the hockey and lacrosse programs has been truly wonderful, said Wilcox. "I feel honored to have coached so many amazing and talented athletes and to have been involved in their academic and athletics endeavors."
In 2000 and 2005, Wilcox organized a training trip to England for the field hockey team, traveling to London, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Oxford, and Chester, while playing four exhibition games at local clubs. She is the site director in the World Camp Field Hockey camp making a three-week stop at Clothier Field, bringing 700 young hockey players together with an international coaching staff each of the last four years. Wilcox was also the driving force behind a spring field hockey league for local high school players, as well as a summer league featuring local adult players, each of the past three years.
"During her tenure as head coach, Kelly laid the foundation for a competitive hockey program, worked to bring a premier field hockey camp to the College, made significant contributions to the physical education and wellness programs," said Adam Hertz, Director of Athletics at Swarthmore. "She truly represented Swarthmore Athletics in the highest regard and I look forward to watching her grow and prosper in her new position."
As a student-athlete at Swarthmore, Wilcox earned All-American honors in both field hockey and lacrosse. Wilcox holds several school and conference field hockey records as a goalkeeper and was a member of two Centennial Conference championship hockey teams. Before switching to the goalkeeper position in her junior year, Wilcox earned All-Conference honors as a midfielder. In her senior year, she captained not only the hockey squad during the school's first NCAA Tournament bid but also the lacrosse squad. Following graduation, Wilcox coached and played in England and Wales for two years. Upon returning from Europe, she served as the full-time intern for the field hockey and lacrosse programs. During this time, she also coached and presented at camps and clinics along the East Coast and throughout Europe.
Wilcox recently earned a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in psychological services and will begin work on a doctorate in higher education administration this fall.