IWLCA Creates Tina Sloan Green Award

NORTHBOROUGH, MASS. – The IWLCA Board of Directors has voted to approve the creation of an annual award to recognize work promoting equity and inclusion. The award will be named in honor of Tina Sloan Green, the first black head coach in the history of women’s intercollegiate lacrosse, who guided Temple University to three National Championships and amassed and .758 career win percentage.

“The creation of the Tina Sloan Green Award demonstrates the IWLCA’s ongoing commitment to encouraging and celebrating those who advocate for equity and inclusion, particularly in the athletics community,” said Liz Grote, IWLCA President and head coach at Bowdoin College. “While a tremendous amount of progress has been, and continues to be made in the past year, we hope this award will be an annual reminder that there is still significant work to be done as we strive for equality and inclusion in our sport.”

Women’s lacrosse coaches, student-athletes, and teams at IWLCA member institutions will be eligible for consideration for the award, and nominations may be submitted by coaches or administrators. The award description will read in part:

 The Tina Sloan Green Award recognizes those individuals and teams that have actively worked to promote equity and inclusion in the lacrosse community in a given academic year. We celebrate those that have given their time and energy to educate and raise awareness, remove barriers, enhance opportunities, and invite a diverse set of voices to the table in order to challenge discrimination and promote positive social change.

 The IWLCA’s Racial Equity Task Force (RETF) initially proposed this award to encourage and recognize the work being conducted to promote equity and inclusion by a number of IWLCA member coaches and student-athletes on their own campuses. The RETF worked with the IWLCA Awards committee to create the award and determine the parameters for the annual selections.

 “It is humbling to have an award named in your honor,” said Tina Sloan Green. “A significant part of my post-coaching career has been focused on providing opportunities for black girls and women in sport. Seeing the IWLCA openly addressing issues of equity and inclusion gives me hope that we can build a more diverse culture within the sport that provides equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of their race or socioeconomic background. This award will promote and celebrate those efforts to change the sport for the better.”

Details regarding the nomination and selection process will be shared with the IWLCA membership later this spring. The first recipients of the Tina Sloan Green Award will be recognized at the IWLCA’s 2021 Annual Convention, which will be held November 17-19 in Dallas, TX.