Record Year For USTFCCCA Female Coaching Mentorship Program

A pandemic can’t stop empowerment.

A record number of female coaches applied to be mentors and mentees in the USTFCCCA Female Coaching Mentorship Program (FCMP), which is set to begin its third year this fall.

Started in 2018 by a trio of accomplished female coaches – Rhonda Riley, Angelina Ramos and Janine Kuestner – the program is designed to increase the representation, depth of knowledge and advancement of female coaches in the field of cross country and track & field coaching at every level, as well as create accessibility within the industry.

The program aims to support climate change as well as depth of female coaching experience through pairing individuals up with 1:1 year-round mentorship with a senior coach and adhering to set guidelines for successful consultations with esteemed leaders of the sport from a variety of backgrounds.

“We are excited about the growth of this program in the third year,” said Riley, who recently began her fifth year at Duke University and was recently promoted to interim head coach of the men’s and women’s cross country teams in July. “We went from 30 pairs to more than 100 women being connected.

“It is our hopes that more women will continue to feel empowered and continue to invest in growing in this profession.”

Another Way To Connect

Female coaches are also encouraged to join the “Passing the Baton” Facebook group, which is a great resource to not only network with other female coaches, but to find valuable information about professional development, job openings and much, much more.