Jordan selected as new Seahawk field hockey coach
A field hockey coach with a lengthy resume will guide the local high school team this fall.
Boothbay Region High School’s athletic director Allan Crocker recently announced that Donna Jordan, a member of the Maine Field Hockey Hall of Fame, and a coach with two state championships, four regional titles and 268 wins was hired as the school’s new varsity field hockey coach.
Jordan replaces Kristin Smart, who decided to coach the Boothbay Region Middle School program.
Jordan has spent the past few seasons officiating. She has also assisted Smart and Michelle Bouchard in conducting winter indoor youth skill clinics at the Boothbay Region YMCA. Jordan decided to return to coaching when she learned about vacant varsity position.
“I’ve been involved with field hockey for many years. So when the position became open, I decided to apply for it,” Jordan said.
Jordan spent 23 years as the Piscataquis Community High School varsity field hockey. As the Pirates’ coach, she helped the Guilford-based school win its two state championships in 1987 and 1992. She was also a member of the 1975 University of Maine field hockey team, which was inducted into the Maine Field Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 1975 UMaine team finished second in the regional Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women tournament held in Amherst, Mass.
The AIAW was created in the aftermath of the Title IX. The federal legislation was passed to prohibit discrimination based on gender. The law led to more opportunities for female high school and college athletes. The AIAW hosted national collegiate women’s tournaments until the 1980s. Prior to 1982, the AIAW winner was consider to be the national collegiate champion.
“Our 1975 team was inducted to the Maine Field Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the 40th anniversary celebrating Title IX,” Jordan said. “That team was first female University of Maine team to play outside of the state.”
The team advanced to the national tournament where it finished eighth.
The new coach’s immediate goal is acquainting herself with her new team. Jordan said that she is probably more familiar with the incoming freshmen than the returning Seahawk varsity players.
“I officiated some of the middle games last year, but not the Boothbay Region varsity. So I’m not as familiar with the returning players,” Jordan said. “I have to wait until the season starts to meet the players because we’re still in the ‘hands-off’ period.”
As a player, Jordan learned the game on both ends of the field. In high school, she played on the front line for Massabesic High School in Waterboro. At UMaine, she moved to defense as the team’s goal keeper. In guiding her new team, Jordan will impart the lessons she’s learned as a player, coach and official. Jordan’s initial goal this season is for her team to play a disciplined style to compete in the rugged Mountain Valley Conference.
“This conference has been very well-represented in the regional finals over the years. My hope is that this team will develop into a difficult opponent for the rest of this very competitive conference,” Jordan said.
The fall sports season begins August 18.
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