Awards Dinner
7:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, January 13 | Orlando Marriott Lake Mary, Florida
Schedule
Welcome
Anne Parmenter, President, NFHCA
Melissa Vassalotti Twist, Director of Field Hockey, AstroTurf®
Dinner
NFHCA Junior Hockey Award
2020, Jane DeGrenier
2021, Sydney Supica
NFHCA Coaching Staff of the Year Presentation
Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year, National Coaching Staff of the Year
NFHCA Hall of Fame Induction
Class of 2020, Diane Chapman
NFHCA Hall of Fame Induction
Class of 2020, Penny Kempf
NFHCA Hall of Fame Induction
Class of 2021, Cheryl Silva
Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation
2020 Honoree, Dr. Suzanne Tyler
Closing Remarks
Award Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Suzanne Tyler
Former head coach and associate athletic director at the University of Maryland and former director of athletics at the University of Maine, Dr. Suzanne Tyler, will receive the NFHCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tyler has the distinct honor of being the only Division I coach to win an NCAA National Championship in two different sports, field hockey and lacrosse. In addition to her success as a coach, Tyler was a change-maker in athletics administration, serving in leadership roles at a time when few women graced the halls of athletic administration.
The results of her work on behalf of the sport of field hockey and on behalf of female student-athletes continues to be felt well after her retirement.
NFHCA Hall of Fame, Class of 2020
Diane Chapman
Diane Chapman, recently retired varsity head coach at Garden City High School in New York, will be inducted to the NFHCA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
Through tenure and success, Chapman has etched her legacy in New York state athletic history. Chapman recently retired from coaching after 29 seasons with the Garden City High School field hockey program where she amassed a 473-41-23 record. She is one of only a few coaches in New York to be among the top-five winningest coaches in two varsity sports, field hockey and lacrosse.
Chapman, or “Chappy” as most know her, has won 20 coach-of-the-year awards, seven New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) state championships, and 22 Long Island Class B championships. This Hall of Fame induction will be her fifth.
NFHCA Hall of Fame, Class of 2020
Penny Kempf
Penny Kempf, former head coach and current associate athletic director at Rowan University, will be inducted to the NFHCA Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
Kempf remains the winningest coach in Rowan University field hockey history, compiling a school-record 253 wins in 17 years as the program’s leader. In 2002, she led the Profs to the NCAA Division III National Championship and was honored as the NFHCA National Coach of the Year.
Since stepping down as head coach after the 2014 season, Kempf has served Rowan’s student-athletes as associate athletic director and senior woman administrator.
NFHCA Hall of Fame, Class of 2021
Cheryl Silva
Cheryl Silva, former head coach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be inducted to the NFHCA Hall of Fame.
Silva is the all-time winningest coach in MIT-program history, amassing a 313-200-1 record in her 29 seasons on the Engineer sideline. She retired in 2020 with six conference titles, five NFHCA New England East Region Coaching Staff of the Year awards, and four conference coach of the year selections.
Regional Coaching Staffs of the Year
Division I
- Mid-Atlantic: Rutgers University
- Mideast: Syracuse University
- Northeast: Harvard University
- South: Liberty University
- West: Northwestern University
Division III
- Region I: Babson College
- Region II: Middlebury College
- Region III: SUNY New Paltz
- Region IV: Rowan University
- Region V: Johns Hopkins University
- Region VI: Washington and Lee University
National Coaching Staffs of the Year
To be announced.
The Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award
The NFHCA Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2018 as a way to distinguish a seasoned coach and their significant impact on our sport. With this award their courage, leadership, and strength are being recognized as well as their outstanding commitment to the sport of field hockey.
NFHCA Hall of Fame
Established in 2000, the NFHCA Hall of Fame recognizes coaches, administrators, umpires and friends of the game who have made significant contributions to the sport of field hockey. Inductees are nominated by their peers and selected by the NFHCA Hall of Fame Committee.
Junior Hockey Award
The purpose of the Junior Hockey Award program is to recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to the maintenance and/or development of a junior hockey program. A junior hockey program is defined as one that involves athletes under the age of 13.
Coaching Staffs of the Year
Annually, coaches in each NCAA Division vote within their region to recognize the accomplishments of their peers for the current season. Coaches then vote for the National Coaching Staff of the Year from the regional winners.
Media
Photos from the 2022 NFHCA Awards Dinner
Thank you.
The NFHCA would like to thank the Hall of Fame Committee for their diligent work this year and extend a special appreciation to AstroTurf for their continued support of the NFHCA Awards Dinner.