Peters designated as Senior Woman Administrator
SPRINGFIELD, Massachusetts – The American International College Department of Athletics has named Head Field Hockey Coach Rhonwen Peters '11 as the department's Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), Director of Athletics Jessica Chapin announced on Tuesday, January 9.
"I am so incredibly grateful and thrilled to assume the designation of Senior Woman Administrator at my alma mater. AIC has allowed me the opportunity as a student, and now a coach, to meet and watch amazing women lead and grow in many different capacities throughout my time as a Yellow Jacket. The opportunity to contribute and serve in this capacity is source of genuine excitement and I am so honored to represent the women of AIC Athletics. I'd like to thank Jessica Chapin for entrusting me with this important responsibility," Peters said.
"Rhonnie is a natural fit for the position of Senior Woman Administrator for our department, she has shown a great amount of care and concern for our student-athletes and will make a positive impact on our department. She is organized, thoughtful and puts the success of our student-athletes and their well-being first. I am excited to be working with her in this vital administrative capacity and look forward to seeing her grow within her new role as SWA and continue moving our department forward," Chapin said.
Alongside the addition of women's championships, the NCAA created the SWA designation in 1981. "The purpose of the SWA designation is to promote meaningful representation of women in the leadership and management of college sports…to ensure women were involved in the male-dominated administration of college athletics," per the NCAA website.
The designation includes Peters as part of the department's senior administrative staff. As such, she will take a leadership role in major department initiatives, be involved in departmental oversight, and provide another diverse point of contact for student-athletes, coaches, and staff to bring concerns, as well as serving as a role model of female leadership.
She will additionally be able to serve on certain NCAA committees, participate in eligibility hearings, and receive special NCAA grants as a result of this designation.
Peters is no stranger to leadership roles; she played four seasons on the field hockey team at AIC, culminating in being named co-captain of the team in her senior campaign of 2010. That year, she helped lead AIC to its first-ever Northeast-10 Conference and NCAA Tournament berths and a national ranking in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll.
Returning to her alma mater in 2017 as the program's head coach, Peters became the first in program history to lead the team for 100 games on October 4, 2023 when the Yellow Jackets hosted Assumption University.