Natalie Randolph, 2011 NCCWSL Women of Distinction Honoree

Natalie Randolph was born in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Sidwell Friends School in 1998. In high school she played sports and excelled at track and field. She continued competing in college at the University of Virginia, where she ran sprint relays and specialized in the 400 meter hurdles, finishing second overall in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2003.

Randolph graduated from UVA in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in environmental science and went on to compete for the school for a fifth year while earning a master's of education. Upon graduation she returned home to Washington and began working for the D.C. government as an environmental outreach and education coordinator.

In addition to her professional endeavors, she began playing tackle football for the D.C. Divas women's tackle football team. Randolph, who was first introduced to the team by her father, a physical therapist in the city, fell in love with the sport. She had wanted to play football for her high school team and had received consent from the coaches, but her father insisted that she not jeopardize her track career.

Randolph left her job as an environmental educator and began teaching environmental science and biology at H.D. Woodson Senior High School in Northeast D.C. During her second year at Woodson, the head football coach heard that Randolph played professional women's football and asked her to help with the boys' varsity football team at the school. As the new wide receiver coach, she became the only female football coach in D.C.

In 2008 Randolph changed schools and began teaching environmental science and biology at Calvin Coolidge High School, but she did not continue coaching. In 2010 the administrative team at Coolidge suggested she apply for the head coaching position at the school after the previous coach resigned. Randolph beat out 11 other candidates to become the head coach of the Calvin Coolidge Senior High School varsity football team. One of only a few other women football head coaches in the country, she recently completed her first season with the team.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• NASPA
• AAUW
• football
• leadership
• coach
• washington
• high
• school
• NCCWSL