ATLANTA, Ga.—Sarah Lawrence College women's and men's cross country Head Coach Erin Pomykala recently represented the Gryphons as a graduate of the 2015 NCAA Women's Coaches Academy. The five-day educational training is organized by the Alliance of Women Coaches for women coaches from NCAA-sponsored sports at member institutions across all three divisions.
 
Pomykala was one of 40 women's coaches to be accepted into this year's academy. The group represented a variety of sports and diverse levels of experience, ranging from entry-level assistant coaches to veteran head coaches with over 15 years' experience.
 
The Women's Coaches Academy has three objectives: to provide women coaches with professional development in areas outside the specifics of their sport, to inspire and motivate women coaches to remain in the coaching profession, and to provide a framework for interaction between women in all aspects of athletics.
 
 "The conference kept us busy," reports Pomykala. "We attended different sessions each day on everything from personalities, coaching practices, Title IX, burnout, and motivation."
 
The educational topics also included communication skills, conflict resolution, history of women's sports, networking, and ongoing career development.
 
Pomykala added, "The WCA Academy was an empowering experience, and I am thankful to [Director of Athletics and Physical Education] Kristin Maile for granting me this tremendous opportunity. I cannot wait to start using the knowledge that I learned to enhance my coaching and professional career."