PENN STATE’S BARBOUR HIGHLIGHTS CGA WOMEN’S SYMPOSIUM

Sandy Barbour, director of athletics at Penn State, was the keynote speaker during Tuesday’s Fifth annual Women’s LeadHERship Symposium at Coast Guard Academy’s Leamy Hall

“Any time that you have an opportunity to bring women together where we can share and all learn from one another is always important,” Barbour said in a statement released by the Coast Guard athletic department. “We all have something to learn from each other, particularly younger women coming into intercollegiate athletics.

“They have an opportunity to learn from shared experiences and get exposed to things that they might not even have known were available to them. Only good things happen from events like this.”

A record crowd of more than 100 attended the event, which featured a coaches panel of Nancy Stevens (UConn field hockey), Robin Salters (New Haven volleyball) and Jill Cook (Western Connecticut swimming and diving), and an administrators panel that included Susan Bassett (Ithaca athletic director), Kelly Mehrtens (Maryland deputy athletic director and COO), and Christine Lowthert (Assumption associate director of athletics and recreation.

The symposium ended with three breakout sessions.

“An event like this is important to women in athletics because it gives women of all ages, whether you are at the beginning of your career or the end of your career, great perspective,” said Coast Guard senior women’s administrator and head softball coach Donna Koczajowski. “I have been coaching 18 years and I will always continue to learn something new every year at this event, that features intelligent speakers and promotes excellent conversation about athletics.”