BROCKPORT, N.Y. — The NFHCA Executive Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Black Coaches Council — a newly formed NFHCA standing committee — to appoint Mimi Smith as their representative on the NFHCA Executive Board.
“The NFHCA is excited to welcome Mimi Smith to its Executive Board,” remarked NFHCA President, Anne Parmenter. “Mimi brings a wealth of experience — both on and off the field — that will benefit the organization and its membership at large. Take a moment to read Mimi’s incredible bio — the NFHCA is extremely fortunate to have such an accomplished member in Mimi Smith.”
“I am truly honored and excited to have been selected to serve as a board member of the NFHCA,” said Smith. “I look forward to being a part of the wave of change and getting into ‘good trouble.’”
Smith is the director and owner of Reach Field Hockey Club, an organization based in the Baltimore area. In addition to her work with Reach, Smith is also an active NCAA umpire and is a director of the Black Field Hockey Network. Off the field, Smith works for the largest behavioral healthcare company in the world. She applies her two master’s degrees in marriage and family therapy and sport psychology to helping clients with substance use and mental health issues navigate the treatment and recovery process.
Smith is a familiar face in the field hockey community — she had a prolific collegiate career at Old Dominion University which was highlighted by the 1999 Honda Broderick Award for Field Hockey and NFHCA All-American status. Smith has since been inducted to the ODU Sports Hall of Fame and was named to the Colonial Athletic Association’s 25th Anniversary Team.
Smith was a fixture on the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Team roster from 1999 to 2004. She represented the United States at the World Cup Tournament, the Pan American Games, and the 4 Nations Tournament. Since then, Smith has played with the U.S. master’s indoor team in 2017 and the U.S. master’s team in 2018.
Smith will be the first Black Coaches Council representative to sit on the Executive Board.