Joy Benson, Vermont – 2006
Joy is currently a teacher of physical education and varsity field hockey coach at Smithfield High School, Smithfield, Vermont, where for 29 years she has been the varsity field hockey coach and a junior high school field hockey official for 20 years. She established and directed a field hockey summer camp program for the parks and recreation summer camp for grades 3-12 for 12 years. For two years she served as the JV softball coach and as the varsity softball coach for 6 years. She has also been a softball varsity umpire for 5 years. Her extensive career has also included track & field as assistant coach for two years, freshman girls’ basketball coach for 2 years, and for the past 3 years she has worked with crowd control and timer for all home games.
Her league/board affiliations include the Marble Valley League where she has hosted MVL coaches meetings for the past 5 years, president of the VFHCA from 1988-1996, AAHPERD and VAHPERD. She has also served as the representative to the Marble Valley League Selection Committee. She is a member of the American and Vermont Driver and Traffic Safety Association (district chair for 4 years).
None of Joy’s team records are available.
But “for the past 19 years, as far as I can figure, my win/loss record for field hockey is 136-84-46, for softball 51-10, and for freshman basketball 16-8.”
Post season involvement has included being head coach for the Vermont Twin State Field Hockey Tournament in 1996, assistant coach for the Vermont Twin State Field Hockey tournament for 4 years, Division I State Field Hockey Championship in 1986, and Marble Valley League Champions in 2000 and 2003.
Joy commented that: “I have had the opportunity to see how women’s athletic opportunities have grown. How lucky our athletes are today. Thanks to amazing women I was given the wonderful opportunity to play field hockey, basketball, softball, and track & field in high school and four years of field hockey in college. Now it’s my turn to give back and I am proud to be able to. I am also happy to see my athletes giving back to their sports as well. Several play or have played in college and come back and work for me at field hockey camp, some have helped with our Sunday programs during the season, and some even help out as officials.
Athletics has played and continues to play an important part of my life since 1966. It has been so rewarding to have been part of so many young women’s lives and to see them grow into amazing women. I hope women’s athletics continues to grow and that I can continue to be part of it for many years to come.”