Tina Sloan Green honored with 2025 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award for trailblazing legacy
Media Center 12/17/2024 1:00:00 PM
Tina Sloan Green honored with 2025 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award for trailblazing legacy
Former West Chester athlete, Temple coach reflects on decades of dedication to equity and excellence
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When Tina Sloan Green reflects on her storied career, it's not the victories that stand out, but the lives she's touched. Her impact as a trailblazer for women of color in sports extends far beyond the field.
Sloan Green's lifelong dedication to advancing opportunities in athletics has earned her the NCAA's highest honor: the Theodore Roosevelt Award. The award will be presented Tuesday, Jan. 14, at the NCAA Convention Welcome and Awards Presentation in Nashville, Tennessee.
Sloan Green has been recognized for her unparalleled contributions as an athlete, coach, educator and advocate. Known for her groundbreaking work with the Black Women in Sport Foundation and her barrier-breaking role as the first African American athlete to make the U.S. national field hockey team and the first to make the national women's lacrosse team, she has had an impact on sports and society that is immeasurable.
"It's not easy being the only one. However, it taught me a lot and inspired me to want to leave something behind for all these other children," Sloan Green said. "I was able to bring people together in a way that people didn't expect, and I'm thankful for that."
Her journey began in Philadelphia, where her gym teacher recognized her athletic ability and encouraged her to try out for sports. Despite being one of only a handful of Black students at her high school, she thrived, excelling in field hockey, lacrosse and badminton. Her talent brought her to West Chester, where she became a four-year letter winner in all three sports. During this time, she also made history as the first African American member of the U.S. national field hockey and lacrosse teams.
These early achievements laid the foundation for her trailblazing career in sports.
"Being an NCAA student-athlete changed my life in so many ways," she said, citing the travel opportunities, U.S. national team experience and experience being a pioneer. "In the long run, it prepared me for what I went through and what I wanted to leave future generations."
At Temple, she became one of the most successful women's lacrosse coaches of all time, leading the program to an Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women title and two NCAA national championships. Over her 18-season career, she achieved a record of 207-62-4. Among her players was Gail Cummings, the former NCAA all-time leading scorer.
While her coaching accolades are remarkable, Sloan Green's most profound legacy lies in her advocacy work. In 1992, she co-founded the Black Women in Sport Foundation to address the lack of representation of Black women in sports. The foundation has provided opportunities for thousands of young athletes through grassroots programs in Philadelphia and beyond. In 2021, the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association named an award for Sloan Green that annually recognizes teams or individuals working to promote equity and inclusion.
"I wanted to make sure that when I leave here, other kids would have the same opportunities that I had," she said.
Sloan Green's career has been shaped by her awareness of systemic inequities in sports. Her experiences on the U.S. national teams during the 1960s and 1970s, including being excluded from competing in South Africa due to apartheid, deepened her resolve to create a more inclusive environment.
"I never saw women of color in sports like lacrosse or field hockey, and that bothered me," she said.
Far beyond the accolades, Sloan Green's greatest pride comes from the relationships she's built. Former players, students and colleagues regularly express their gratitude for her mentorship and the doors she opened for them. As a professor of sport and culture in Temple's College of Education, she also invested in the Sisters in Sports Science initiative. Additionally, she directed Temple's National Youth Sports Program for over a decade, enriching the lives of countless young athletes.
"What makes me feel good is seeing people come up to me and say, 'Miss Sloan, you made a difference in my life,'" she said. "My mission right now is to make sure that not only my kids have opportunities, but other kids in the communities see the positive aspects of sport."
Now, at age 80, Sloan Green remains dedicated to her mission.
"I'm still here, and I want to keep helping people," she said. "Sport has given me so much, and I want others to experience its power to bring people together."
