Smith College field hockey assistant coach Anna Beck has been selected to participate in the prestigious 55th class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA), hosted by WeCOACH in partnership with the NCAA. The Academy will take place November 16–18, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Beck, who recently completed her first year as an assistant coach with Smith field hockey in 2025, will join a national cohort of 78 women coaches representing 18 sports and nearly 700 total years of coaching experience across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as the NAIA and NJCAA.
The NCAA Women Coaches Academy is a transformational, multi-day professional development experience that focuses on leadership growth, personal development, and the advancement of women in the coaching profession. More than 2,400 coaches have graduated from the Academy since its inception, making it one of the most impactful leadership pipelines in collegiate athletics.
"The NCAA is proud to continue its partnership with WeCOACH as we welcome the 55th class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy to our National Office in Indianapolis," said DeeDee Merritt Guster, NCAA Managing Director of Leadership Development. "We are especially excited to help host this year’s class in our home city, where our mission to educate and empower student-athletes, coaches, and athletics administrators comes to life every day through our operations and leadership programming. This Academy continues to deliver transformative learning experiences that strengthen leadership and support the advancement and retention of women coaches in collegiate athletics. WeCOACH remains an invaluable partner in this work - and through collaborations like this, we are able to broaden our reach and deepen our impact across the coaching community."
“The Academy experience is nothing short of transformational,” said Vanessa Fuchs, CEO of WeCOACH. “Bringing this program to the NCAA National Office further elevates the impact — immersing women coaches in an environment committed to advancing leadership and strengthening the future of college sports. Our participants leave feeling renewed and equipped with tools, strategies, and a powerful sisterhood of support that extends far beyond the Academy. Data continues to show that our graduates remain in the coaching profession at rates well above the national average — and that retention is exactly the kind of change we are dedicated to scaling alongside the NCAA. We’re also incredibly proud to expand access by awarding more than $38,000 in scholarship funding for Indianapolis participants, thanks to the generosity of our donors and partners.”
This year’s program will feature a keynote conversation with legendary coach Tara VanDerveer, recipient of the 2024–25 WeCOACH Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Jostens. Attendees will also engage with a distinguished panel of trailblazing women leaders during the “Coaches Unfiltered: The Ask Anything Panel,” moderated by NCAA Managing Director DeeDee Merritt Guster.
The NEWMAC is proud to support the NCAA Women Coaches Academy as a conference partner and congratulates Coach Beck on her selection to this nationally recognized program. Her participation reflects the conference’s continued commitment to advancing and empowering women coaches across all sports.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 12 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with eight Associate Members: Brandeis University (Women's Lacrosse, 2026-2027), New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 20 sports.