Former Wellesley AD Bridget Belgiovine to Receive Nike Lifetime Achievement Award
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Bridget Belgiovine, former Director of Athletics and Chair of the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics (PERA) at Wellesley College, has been named as a recipient of the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor was announced this week by Women Leaders in College Sports.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Nike, is bestowed annually to administrators and professionals who have dedicated their careers to advancing women in sport. Because of their tireless efforts, girls and women participating in sport can enjoy competitive athletics and/or athletic career opportunities. This award is given to individuals who have rendered meritorious service and have retired from or no longer directly involved in full-time employment in the profession.
Belgiovine is one of three recipients, along with Julie Soriero, Former Director of Athletics and Department Head of DAPER at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Connee Zotos, the former Director of Athletics at Drew University. The recipients will be recognized through Women Leaders' Nike Celebration of Women social media campaign and during the Nike Celebration of Women session during WOMEN LEADERS X, the organization's second virtual convention, October 10 and 11, 2021.
Belgiovine retired in June 2019 following a successful 40-year career in education, 21 years in higher education. She is currently a consulting partner with Beyond Boundaries, Inc. and an associate with the 3-Fold Group. Her culminating and transformative 13-year tenure was as Director of Athletics & Department Chair of Physical Education & Recreation.
At Wellesley College she oversaw all facets of a department that included a physical education curriculum, a comprehensive recreation program with eight club sport teams and a varsity program with 13 teams. Blue athletes won four NCAA Individual National Championships and its crew team claimed the institution's first team NCAA National Championship. In addition, Wellesley teams earned 17 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championships and made a combined 25 team appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Wellesley's LeadBLUE Program, an educational initiative established during her tenure was aimed at enhancing the quality of the athletic experience focused on leadership development, mental health, inclusion and team culture training student-athletes to become the next generation of strong and resilient leaders.
Belgiovine was a catalyst for facility renovations, program enrichments and coaching endowments. During her career at Wellesley she supported the raising of over $12 million to enhance educational and athletic experiences which impacted the lives of countless students, coaches, faculty and administrators. An energetic and passionate leader and speaker, she presented at numerous national and regional conventions and educational programs focused on the importance of sports as a vehicle to enhance health and wellness, build resilience, competence, confidence and connections for students, Title IX and the advancement of women into senior leadership positions.
Formerly the Director of Division III at the NCAA, Belgiovine's responsibilities included coordination and support for the Division III governance structure. In that role, she earned a national reputation as a visionary, energetic, and effective leader. She also served as Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, a program that amassed 14 national championships and 65 appearances during her tenure and Assistant Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator and Assistant Professor at Springfield College. Belgiovine began her career as a high school physical education teacher and coach of basketball and field hockey at Monroe Township, NJ.
Belgiovine has been the recipient of many leadership and service awards through the years, the most recent in 2020 as a member of the NACDA Hall of Fame which honors significant lifetime leadership and achievement in intercollegiate athletics. She has been recognized as the Under Armour Division III Athletic Director of the Year, ECAC Division III Administrator of the Year, the Claire Van Ummersen Leadership Award recipient, and a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. She was honored with the Meritorious Service Award from the Division III Commissioners Association and the Athletic Merit Award from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. She was inducted into the Immaculate Heart Academy Hall of Fame, received the Springfield College Distinguished Alumna Award and the Tarbell Medallion, its highest honor all recognizing her contributions as a student and alumnus.
As a leader, Belgiovine served as president of the Springfield College Alumni Council, president of Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA) and president of the NEWMAC. In 1998, the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse established the Bridget Belgiovine endowed scholarship for female graduate students in sports administration and in 2020 she established the Belgiovine Fund for Excellence in the School of Physical Education, Performance and Sport Leadership at Springfield College. Belgiovine currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Springfield College and a member of the Advisory Board for DreamBig!, a non-profit organization in Massachusetts focused on helping girls to participate in sports and physical activities.
A collegiate lacrosse player at Trenton State (now The College of New Jersey), Belgiovine holds a B.S. in Health and Physical Education and a Masters in Physical Education and Athletic Administration from Springfield College.
Women Leaders in College Sports is the premier leadership organization that develops, connects, and advances women working in college sports and beyond. Women Leaders takes a pro-active role in advancing women into positions of influence and powerfully shapes the landscape of women leaders.