Snell-Shillingford Symposium Website

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Haverford College juniors Caroline Aronowitz (field hockey) and Abby Singer (women's soccer) joined head women's lacrosse coach Katie Zichelli at the 2018-19 Snell-Shillingford Symposium hosted by the Centennial Conference at Ursinus College this past weekend. In addition to those participants, Haverford College head women's soccer coach Jamie Schneck presented at the symposium on "Planning with the end in mind."

The 20th annual weekend-long event brings together female athlete representatives and coaches from the conference's member schools to participate in sessions designed to empower women in the coaching profession and to encourage them to take up the legacy of those who have come before them.

The group, which included student-athletes from each of the Centennial Conference's 11 institutions, spent time listening to guest speakers as well as an assortment of current Centennial coaches, who imparted the lessons they have gleaned over the course of their careers.

"Attending the Snell-Shillingford Symposium was a great experience," said Singer. "Learning more about the role of Title IX and engaging with the history of women in sport was incredibly rewarding and has led me to a new appreciation for the opportunities I've had as a college athlete and for the women, like Jen Shillingford and Eleanor Frost Snell, who have begun to carve a pathway for other women to get involved with athletics."

Aronowitz came away from the symposium equally impressed, saying "I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to attend the Snell Symposium. It was incredible to be able to hear from Jen Shillingford, an incredible woman, coach, and advocate. I learned so much about the history of women in sport and was able to hear from other women of the Centennial and get to know a lot of people off of the field, which was a really cool opportunity. The symposium was extremely empowering, and I would recommend it to all women of the Centennial Conference."

Symposium sessions included topics about the Many Hats of Coaching, Leading with Values, and Making Difficult Decisions. The event also included a dinner panel discussing career development, networking, and training for student-athletes who are aspiring coaches and administrators.

Normally competitors on the field, the weekend also provided a great opportunity for each of the attendees to build on their professional networks. "The Symposium was also a great opportunity to form connections with other student-athletes and coaches in the Centennial Conference," added Singer. "While we generally think of other schools in the Centennial as our competitors, it was refreshing to come together and discuss our commonalities."

The Symposium honors the contributions and commitment of two of the most influential women in the coaching profession, Eleanor Frost Snell and Jen Shillingford.

Miss Snell, as she was known to her students, served Ursinus College as a professor of health and physical education, coach, and head of the women's physical education department for four decades, from 1931 to 1971.

In keeping with the program's emphasis on mentoring and passing on the education of coaches from one generation to the next, the symposium also bears the name of Snell's student and mentee, Jen Shillingford, who served as field hockey coach and athletic director for over 20 years at Bryn Mawr and also as president of the United States Field Hockey Association (USFHA).