The University’s women’s lacrosse program has a new face. Kim Williams joined Cardinal Nation after a three-year stint as an assistant at Colby, followed by two years at the helm of Stockton University’s lacrosse program in New Jersey. In her two years at Stockton, she earned a 20-11 record, and at Colby she was part of a staff whose teams dominated the NESCAC and qualified for the NCAA DIII tournament three consecutive seasons.
A 2010 graduate of Long Island University Post, Williams was a four-year lacrosse player and saw tons of success with the Ocelots in NCAA’s Division II. She helped her team to the final four of the NCAA DII tournament all four years, and came home with the title on one occasion.
In addition to fabulous team success, Williams garnered several personal accolades during her playing days. She was thrice recognized by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) as an All-American, was IWLCA Division II Defender of the Year as a sophomore, and was Womenslacrosse.com’s Division II Midfielder of the Year as a senior.
Williams hopes to translate her success as a player and coach to improve Wesleyan’s own women’s lacrosse program, which has struggled mightily against NESCAC opponents in recent years.
“[I am] really excited for her to be with us, and to watch her build our program,” said athletic director Mike Whalen ’83. “I think she has a great track record in terms of her success as a player and a coach, and she brings a passion for her sport and an energy that I think is really going to resonate with our student-athletes.”
But because Williams brings far more to Wesleyan than simply an impressive track record, The Argus seized the chance to get to know her (over email), and welcome her to the Wesleyan community.
The Argus: What drew you to Wesleyan?
Kim Williams: What drew me to Wesleyan first and foremost was the outstanding academic reputation that Wesleyan has. I knew that the opportunity to coach and teach at such an outstanding academic institution was an opportunity of a lifetime. The moment I stepped on campus, I felt such an enormous sense of community and support from the faculty, staff and physical education department. As a competitor, I was very drawn to the fact that Wesleyan is in the NESCAC, which is the strongest conference in women’s lacrosse.
A: Who are some of your major influences or heroes in your field?
KW: Some of my major influences in my career have been my coaches from college, Karen Henning and Meghan McNamara. I have been so blessed to have been coached by these two amazing coaches and also getting to work as an assistant for Karen at Colby for three seasons. Between Karen and Meg, they won seven National Championships at Maryland and were also coached by some of the best coaches in all of women’s lacrosse. Without their guidance, support and direction, I would never have pursued coaching as a profession. Another major hero of mine is my sister. She is a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps. She has shown me the ultimate sacrifice and always helps me to keep everything in perspective. She is currently training new officers at Officer Candidate School (OCS) in Quantico, VA, so we swap different ideas and stories all the time about leadership, training and more.
A: What is your favorite thing about teaching and coaching?
KW: My favorite thing about teaching and coaching is getting to work with eager students and athletes that are willing to learn, improve and develop in order to reach their full potential. Fitness and sports have been such a major part of my life and I love sharing that passion with those around me.
A: What are you most excited about as you get underway at Wesleyan?
KW: Right now I am very excited to meet all the players on the women’s lacrosse team. We don’t start our season until February 15, but I am really looking forward to having the team back on campus to get to know them before our season starts.
A: What do you enjoy outside of lacrosse?
KW: Outside of coaching and teaching, I enjoy working out and spending time with my fiancé and our dog. We are settling into Middletown now and enjoying exploring the area. We are both college coaches so we both spend a lot of time attending each other’s games when we aren’t in season.
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