Pia Fortin, Massachusetts – 2025
Pia Fortin’s coaching career, spanning close to three decades, has been defined by her unwavering dedication to empowering girls and women in sports and her lasting influence on the athletes she has coached. Fortin has tirelessly worked to strengthen girls’ and women’s sports, leaving a legacy of growth, success, and inspiration.
Her commitment to developing female leaders through athletics spans 27 years, beginning at North Junior High in Brockton, where she coached girls’ soccer and cross country. She later took on coaching roles with Wheaton College’s women’s track program and even guided a Special Olympics women’s discus thrower from Uxbridge, Massachusetts – a volunteer effort she continues to this day.
Fortin’s career then brought her to Bristol Plymouth Regional Technical School, where she served as the girls’ soccer coach from 2006 to 2015 and led the track team from 2009 to 2012. Under her guidance, Fortin’s Bristol Plymouth soccer teams qualified for the state tournament in all 10 seasons, and her track and field athletes reached the state level in each of her three years at the helm. For the past seven years, she has expanded her impact by coaching both the boys’ and girls’ golf teams at Bristol Plymouth, demonstrating her versatility and dedication across sports.
Beyond her coaching duties, Fortin has given back to the broader athletic community in numerous ways. She has served as a track official at Massachusetts state meets and contributed to the Women’s Sports Foundation, extending her passion for advocacy and equity in athletics well beyond the playing fields and tracks. Her commitment has always centered on creating opportunities for athletes, especially girls and women, to thrive and lead through sport.
Fortin’s own athletic career is equally remarkable. A Massachusetts state champion in the shot put and discus, she went on to become a three-time All-American at the University of Alabama. She represented the United States in the 1983 Goodwill Games in Russia, consistently ranked among the top athletes in the NCAA, and earned the distinction of being the second alternate for the 1984 Olympic Games. Her accomplishments, passion, and infectious love for sports have inspired countless young athletes, many of whom carry forward the lessons of hard work, resilience, and leadership that she has instilled in them.