Centenary Names Janet Holdsworth as Head Women's Lacrosse Coach
HACKETTSTOWN, NJ - Dr. Janet Holdsworth has been named head women's lacrosse coach at Centenary College after completing the 2013-14 season as assistant coach with the Cyclones.
Holdsworth came to Hackettstown from the University of Minnesota where she served as head coach for the Golden Gophers' club women's lacrosse squad from 2005-13. At Minnesota, she guided the team to six-straight undefeated conference championships and berths in the US Lacrosse/Women's Collegiate Lacrosse Associates National Tournament and a top-20 ranking. Holdsworth aided in the development of five collegiate All-Americans and was named WDIA/US Lacrosse National Co-Coach of the Year in 2008. While in Minnesota, Holdsworth helped pioneer the sport of lacrosse in the mid-1990's, coached at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka (with an approximate 80% win record and where she helped develop six All-Americans), served as president of the Minnesota Lacrosse Association, co-founded the Northcentral Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association (NSLA), and coached youth, high school and college players nationally and internationally.
Also an instructor in the School of Kinesiology, Department of Education, Policy and Administration and Leadership minor at the University of Minnesota, Holdsworth served as a member of the US Lacrosse Strategic Planning Committee, helping to create goals related to diversity, affordability and access to the sport for both men and women across the country. She serves on the publishing "Brain Trust" for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), and through her non-profit, Winning for Life, recently led a team of coaches to Guatemala to teach lacrosse to youth in Antigua, Guatemala. Holdsworth co-owns Lacrosse Connections, LLC and Ignite Girl's Lacrosse & Leadership Academy, while also serving as president and CEO of Winning For Life, a non-profit organization focused on fostering leaders through sports. Holdsworth is also the founder and a co-head coach of the Minnesota Lakers Select Girl's Lacrosse Club - Minnesota's first and premier girls' lacrosse club program.
In 2002, she became the first-ever woman and lacrosse coach to receive the Double Goal Golden Whistle Award from the Positive Coaching Alliance. Recently, Holdsworth was inducted to the "Achievers Hall of Fame" at her alma mater, Springfield High School, Springfield (Delco), PA and was recognized in 2004 as an "Outstanding Alumni" by her college alma mater, Wittenberg University, for her academic and athletics-related work.
A cum laude graduate of Wittenberg University where she was a four-year letter winner for the Tigers' lacrosse team and three-year letter winner for the school's field hockey team while serving as captain of both. Holdsworth also owns a master's degree from the University of South Carolina/College of Charleston and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She has authored numerous publications on education and leadership and began serving as an instructor at Seton Hall University during the 2013 fall semester. She is the new Director of Girl's Lacrosse for Centercourt Athletic Club, Mount Olive, NJ.
She currently resides in Budd Lake, NJ with her husband, David, and their two children Charlie (9) and Victoria (7).