Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/24/16
From Press Release
Temple Hall of Fame Coach Tina Sloan Green is adding a prestigious honor to her already-impressive list, as she is receiving the 2016 Spirit of Tewaaraton award from The Tewaaraton Foundation. Also announced at Friday’s 2016 Lacrosse Season Reception were 2016 Tewaaraton Legends, former Penn State star Candace Finn Rocha and former Maryland star Frank Urso (current Garnet Valley head coach).
The Spirit of Tewaaraton is presented to an individual who has contributed to the sport of lacrosse in a way that reflects the spirit of the values and mission of the Tewaaraton Award. Past recipients include Dick Edell, Diane Geppi-Aikens, Sid Jamieson, A.B. “Buzzy” Krongard, Roy Simmons Jr., Richie Moran, Bob Scott, Brendan Looney and Oren Lyons.
As head coach of Temple’s women’s lacrosse team from 1973-92, Tina Sloan Green holds the distinction of being the first African-American head coach in the history of women’s intercollegiate lacrosse. During her notable 32-year career at Temple, she amassed a 207-62-4 record with a .758 winning percentage, leading the Owls to three NCAA championships and 11 consecutive NCAA Final Four appearances.
Green – who starred at then West Chester College – was a member of the U.S. Women’s National First Team, the first African-American named to the national team and the Reserve Team from 1969-71. She was on the Touring Team to Australia-New Zealand and then Great Britain-Northern Ireland in 1969. She has written two books and founded the Black Women in Sports Foundation in 1992.
She also founded the Inner City Field Hockey and Lacrosse Program at Temple. She is the program director of Temple’s National Youth Sports Program and has helped to establish clinics and mentoring programs for girls in cities across the country. She was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997. Green was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators, and is currently Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at Temple University.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Tina Sloan Green, not only as my college coach at Temple, but as a trailblazer for women in sports. She helped put the sport of lacrosse on the map — and did so by breaking through gender and race barriers to reach success at the highest level possible in collegiate athletics with a number of National Championships,” said University of Florida head coach Amanda O’Leary. “But more important than winning titles, Tina has devoted her life to being a pioneer in women’s sports. She has paved the way for other women in athletics and has ensured along the way that African-American women in sports have equal opportunities for success.”
All three recipients will officially receive their awards at the Tewaaraton Award Ceremony, June 2, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
For more information on the Tewaaraton Legends Award or to attend this exciting event, visit tewaaraton.com.
About The Tewaaraton Foundation
First presented in 2001, the Tewaaraton Award is recognized as the preeminent lacrosse award, annually honoring the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. Endorsed by the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders and U.S. Lacrosse, the Tewaaraton Award symbolizes lacrosse’s centuries-old roots in Native American heritage. The Tewaaraton Foundation ensures the integrity and advances the mission of this award. Each year, the Tewaaraton Award celebrates one of the six tribal nations of the Iroquois Confederacy – the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora – and presents two scholarships to students of Native American descent. To learn more about The Tewaaraton Foundation, please visit http://www.tewaaraton.com.
Leave a Reply