GILBERT, Ariz. — Anne Parmenter, head field hockey coach at Trinity College, will be inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame this year.
Parmenter works with her Trinity College team at a break in a game.
Parmenter is beginning her 18th year as the head coach of Trinity College, a tenure that follows 14 years as the head coach at Connecticut College and several years as an assistant coach at Amherst College, the University of Massachusetts and the College of the Holy Cross. Across her 31-year career as a head coach, Parmenter has amassed a record of 269-196-7 with 156 of those wins at Trinity.
With Parmenter at the helm, Trinity has qualified for the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) championship tournament 12 years in a row — last year her team finished ranked 11 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll. Among active NCAA head coaches, Parmenter ranks 25th in wins and across Division III head coaches, she ranks 12th. In 2014, she was named the NESCAC Coach of the Year and the NFHCA Regional Coach of the Year. In 2015, she was inducted into the Connecticut College Hall of Fame. Parmenter helped Trinity’s all-time leading scorer, Kelcie Finn earn the NFHCA Division III National Player of the Year title in 2016 and 2017.
Parmenter talks to two young players during a youth clinic at Trinity’s field hockey pitch.
Beyond her coaching accolades, Parmenter is known for her devotion to the sport of field hockey and the positive impact she has on her colleagues.
“Anne Parmenter truly checks all of the boxes for the NFHCA Hall of Fame,” said NFHCA First Vice-President and Chair of the Hall of Fame and Awards Committee, Julie Ryan. “She has contributed so much to our sport through her coaching successes, outstanding mentorship of younger coaches and her consistent willingness to always give back to our sport. She has coached numerous All-Americans and the Division III Player of the Year at Trinity College while consistently competing as a top team in Division III. We are thrilled to honor Anne’s body of work and excellence to our sport and organization.”
A native of England, Parmenter graduated from Chelsea College in 1981 with a degree in education. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1987. Parmenter also served as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach for 13 years at Trinity — she retired from coaching lacrosse after Trinity won a national championship in 2012. In 2017 she was promoted to full professor of physical education — that year she also served as Trinity’s interim Senior Woman Administrator and was named the college’s director of physical education.
In addition to being an accomplished field hockey coach, Parmenter is also an accomplished mountaineer — she has successfully climbed Denali, Mont Blanc and Aconcagua among others. Notably in 2006, Parmenter fulfilled a lifelong dream of climbing Mount Everest, which she summitted on May 25, 2006.
In an article she wrote for the Washington Post in 2010, Parmenter notes that her work as a climbing instructor and mountaineer have helped her as a field hockey coach: “I realize now more than ever that good leadership is the key to any successful team, be it on the mountain or on the playing field. It has helped me establish a set of values and principles that are important in my daily life.”
Parmenter holds a Trinity College pennant on the summit of Mount Everest in 2006.
Parmenter’s principles are part of what garnered her nomination to the NFHCA Hall of Fame — supporters wrote that her love for the game of field hockey shines bright, “she continues to ignite passion for the game within her team and those around her.” Another writes, “Anne has positively impacted not only myself, but almost every person she has met along the way throughout her field hockey and coaching career.”
“I was speechless, and deeply honored, when I received the phone call letting me know I was being honored in this class’s Hall of Fame,” said Parmenter. “I am deeply thankful to all the people who went out of their way to write letters on my behalf in order to receive this very special honor. I feel incredibly fortunate be joining such a special group of people already inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame. Thank you.”
Parmenter’s 18th season at Trinity College is already underway. The Bantams are currently ranked 18 on the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll.
Parmenter will be officially inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame, along with Cathy McGuirk, at this year’s NFHCA Awards Dinner sponsored by AstroTurf which will take place on Thursday, January 17, as part of the NFHCA Annual Convention in Lake Mary, Florida.