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Goucher College

Lindholm & Russo to Attend the NCAA We Coach Academy Programs

Lindholm & Russo to Attend the NCAA We Coach Academy Programs
May 14, 2026

BALTIMORE, MD - WeCOACH is proud to announce the upcoming NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) Class #56 and NCAA Academy 2.0 (A2.0) Class #9, taking place May 17-20, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. Hosted in partnership with the NCAA, these premier leadership development programs provide multi-day, transformational experiences for women coaches across all sports and collegiate levels.

This year, 122 women coaches will participate, including 98 in the NCAA WCA and 24 in A2.0. Participants represent 20 sports and a broad range of institutions, including NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as the NAIA, 3C2A, NJCAA, and others. Attendees include head and assistant coaches, administrators, graduate assistants, and strength coaches.

"Through its continued partnership with WeCOACH, the NCAA is proud to support and host the 2026 NCAA Women Coaches Academy and NCAA Academy 2.0.," said DeeDee Merritt, NCAA Managing Director of Leadership Development. "These academies create transformative leadership opportunities that empower women coaches, support their retention, and reinforce the collegiate athletics landscape."

A highlight of this year's Academies will be the presentation of the 2025-26 Lifetime Achievement Awards, presented by Jostens, honoring five women coaches for their lasting impact on the profession: Kathy Aspaas, Valorie Kondos Field, Dr. Tina Sloan Green, Billie Jean King, Lorene Ramsey, and Barbara Stevens.

"The Academy provides a transformational experience where participants leave with renewed purpose, actionable strategies, and a lasting support network," said Vanessa Fuchs, CEO of WeCOACH.

"Our data shows graduates continue to remain in coaching at rates well above the national average, and we are committed to broadening that impact. This year, thanks to our generous supporters, we have awarded more than $65,650 in scholarships to 61 participants."

Since its inception, more than 2,500 coaches have graduated from our Academies. The program focuses on holistic leadership development, equipping women coaches with the skills, confidence, and community to thrive personally and professionally.

NCAA Academy 2.0, designed exclusively for WCA alumnae, offers an advanced, immersive experience with a deeper focus on leadership growth in a highly interactive environment.

Partners & Supporters

WeCOACH extends its gratitude to the NCAA and its Academy Partners, whose support makes these programs possible, including: BAND, BSN Sports, Gatorade, Hudl, Jostens, United States Marine Corps, RBC Wealth Management, SanMar, Simple Modern, Alex Morgan Foundation, Athlete Assessments (Dr. Liz Masen), Bakline, The Coaches' Coach (Betsy Butterick), Headstrong Mindset (Dr. Brooke Rundle), JenFryTalks (Dr. Jen Fry), Legends of the Ball (L.O.B.), Natasha Watley Foundation, NOX Pickleball, The Sports Bra Project, This One Media, and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport.

Additional support is provided by conferences and associations, including:

American Conference, Atlantic 10, California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A), College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), Conference of New England (CNE), Horizon League, Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), Landmark Conference, Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA), Northeast-10 Conference (NE10), National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), Patriot League, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Southland Conference, University Athletic Association (UAA), and West Coast Conference (WCC).

To learn more about WeCOACH Academy programs or support scholarship opportunities, visit:

  • WeCOACH-NCAA Women Coaches Academy
  • WeCOACH-NCAA Academy 2.0
  • Academy Scholarships

Goucher will be represented at the NCAA WeCoach Academy by two coaches:

  • May 18-20, 2026 NCAA Women Coaches Academy Class #56: Kate Lindholm | Goucher College - Head Coach, Volleyball
  • May 17-19, 2026 NCAA Academy 2.0 Class #9: Katie Russo | Goucher College - Head Coach, Lacrosse

About the Program

Coach Kate Lindolm from Goucher Volleyball and Coach Katie Russo of Goucher Women's Lacrosse are attending the program as scholarship recipients.

Lindholm was awarded the Cecile Reynaud Legacy Coach Academy Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to a collegiate woman coach in any sport who gives tirelessly of their time and talents to not only advance their sport, but also empowers women, as Coach Reynaud continues to do. In addition to this, Lindolm has also been awarded the Landmark Conference Partial Tuition Scholarship.

While Russo was awarded the Ann Walker Tuition Scholarship, which is awarded to collegiate women coaches who provide compelling responses about what they hope to gain from the transformative experience of attending the Academy. 

About the NCAA

The National Collegiate Athletic Association provides a world-class athletics and academic experience that fosters lifelong well-being for more than 520,000 student-athletes annually. The NCAA stages 91 championships across three divisions, and its 1,100 member schools provide nearly $4 billion in athletics scholarships every year. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more.

About WeCOACH

Founded in 2011, WeCOACH is a one-of-a-kind 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to recruiting, advancing, and retaining women coaches in all sports and levels through year-round professional growth & leadership development programs. Prior to Title IX, over 90% of women's collegiate sports teams were coached by women. Today, more than 50 years later, the data indicates that this number has decreased to 41% across all three NCAA Divisions, with only 7% of head coaches being women of color. Only 5% of women coach men's teams. At the youth level, the data is difficult to estimate, but approximately fewer than 20% of teams are coached by women. WeCOACH launched MOVE the NUMBERS in 2022 to help change the landscape for women coaches and the student-athletes they lead. If she can see her, she can be her. For more information, visit MOVE the NUMBERS.