Nicole M. LaVoi, Ph.D., instructor in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, was recently named to the Alliance of Women Coaches (The Alliance) Board of Directors. One of seven members of the Board of Director’s, LaVoi will attend The Alliance’s first national event, The Huddle, in Atlanta, Ga., on May 30 and June 1 and will present two sessions (Motivational Strategies & How to Build Confidence) at the NCAA Women Coaches Academy in Denver June 14-17.
“Serving on the board for the AWC and teaching at the WCA is an honor,” stated LaVoi. “I feel strongly about education, networking, and helping recruit and retain females coaches at all levels of sport and this is a way I can give back.”
LaVoi’s research falls within the social psychology of sports where she answers critical questions that can make a difference in the lives of sport stakeholders–particularly girls and women. In her doctoral research she focused on relational qualities of the collegiate coach-athlete relationship that can lead to empowerment, authenticity and mutual engagement. More recently, LaVoi developed an ecological model of barriers and supports for female coaches, and is examining female coaches’ experiences with sexism.
LaVoi was an Assistant Professor of Physical Education and the Head Women’s Tennis Coach at Wellesley College (1994-’98), and the Assistant Women’s Tennis Coach at Carleton College (1991-’93). LaVoi played four years of intercollegiate tennis at Gustavus Adolphus College where her team placed 4th (’89), 2nd (’91) and won the NCAA-III National Championships in 1990. She is a two time NCAA Academic All-American.