2025 Hall of Fame Inductee: Jen Shillingford

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Over the next few weeks, USA Field Hockey will be celebrating and honoring the 2025 Hall of Fame inductees. This class honors five individuals who have played a significant role in the development and support of the sport in the United States during their long careers and are all being inducted as Contributors.

Jen Shillingford, who helped launch a symposium designed to mentor and develop women as professionals in athletics, is being inducted as a Contributor. She served as USFHA President from 1992 to 2000, starting her presidential term while also serving as head coach and athletic director at Bryn Mawr College, a position she held for over 20 years. 

After graduating from Ursinus College, Shillingford became the assistant athletic director at Immaculata College (1961-1976), where she helped the Mighty Macs win three consecutive national championships in basketball. She left Immaculata to join Bryn Mawr College as coach, director of physical education, and eventually athletic director until she retired in 1998. Shillingford coached basketball, tennis and lacrosse as well as field hockey while at Bryn Mawr, cementing her legacy at the institution. During this period, she was also a member of the NCAA Council (1988-1991) and served on the USOPC Board of Directors from 2001 to 2003.

Shillingford earned national status as an umpire in field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse. She also had the distinction of being chosen as an official in many international field hockey matches. In addition to authoring numerous coaching manuals and articles, she was widely recognized for her expertise and promotion of women’s athletics. This promotion is still very visible today with the continuation of the Snell-Shillingford symposium. The symposium is designed to educate young female athletes on the history of women in sports, acknowledge the importance of their accomplishments thus far, and empower them to continue their work professionally, whether that entails becoming a coach, administrator, or simply an advocate for the continuation of women's athletics in their own communities.

Shillingford was presented the 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award from National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators, a testament to her dedication to the support and promotion of women’s athletics.

USA Field Hockey will formally honor these legends of the game on Sunday, December 7, 2025 at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pa. More information will be shared soon.