NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of the new IWLCA Spark program, a professional development initiative designed to support collegiate coaches with fewer than four years of head coaching experience. Plattsburgh State women's lacrosse head coach Anna Bissell has been selected to participate in the program and will join 17 other coaches from across various NCAA divisions. The full list of participants can be found here.

Spark was designed to help novice head coaches strengthen their leadership identity and effectiveness, align their coaching philosophies with institutional expectations, shape team cultures that support performance, well-being, and belonging, and build a community of practice with fellow coaches navigating the head coaching role.

The 2026-27 IWLCA Spark Program will run from August 2026 through January 2027. It will feature an in-person leadership experience during the 2026 IWLCA Convention, at the Island Grand at Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, in November.