IWLCA Announces 2023 Tina Sloan Green Award Recipient

The IWLCA has announced Alexis Joseph, assistant coach at Howard University, as the 2023 Tina Sloan Green Award recipient. Joseph will be recognized for her achievements during the IWLCA Hall of Fame and Honors Banquet on the evening of November 16, 2023, as part of the 2023 IWLCA Convention. Presenting Joseph with the award will be Howard University head coach Karen Healy-Silcott.

The Tina Sloan Green Award was created by the IWLCA’s Board of Directors in April 2021 based on a recommendation from the association’s Racial Equity Task Force. The annual award recognizes teams or individuals working to promote equity and inclusion. The award is named in honor of Tina Sloan Green, the first Black head coach in the history of women’s intercollegiate lacrosse, who guided Temple University to three National Championships, amassed a .758 career win percentage and was inducted into the IWLCA’s first Hall of Fame class in 2017.

“Receiving this award is such an honor,” Joseph said. “Growing up playing lacrosse as a Black girl was not always easy and I very rarely saw people who looked like me and from my community in elite lacrosse spaces. However, Tina Sloan Green enabled me and so many Black girls to see ourselves succeed in this sport. The doors opened allowed for my voice to be heard, and I am so grateful for that.”

A Duke University graduate and former Blue Devil Defender, Joseph joined the Howard Bisons women’s lacrosse program as a volunteer coach in 2022. With a history of service and leadership during her collegiate years, Joseph made an instant impact on the Bison culture and spearheaded many efforts in spreading the knowledge of the game to not only her players but to the youth and surrounding communities.

“Alexis was eager to be a part of my mission to change the narrative for Howard Lacrosse,” Healy-Silcott said. “I expressed to her how I wanted to build a program that was respected and also played great lacrosse so that athletes of color can choose an HBCU without feeling they are sacrificing. Alexis helped me bring this vision to a reality with her endless energy, ideas and selflessness.”

While selflessly functioning as a full-time employee and also maintaining employment outside of the university in her first year, Joseph has dedicated countless hours to the growth and development of the Howard Bison program as well as engaging minority youth groups so that they have a lasting connection to the Bison program. Healy-Silcott added, “Lexi is a spirited fighter and has really helped me show the team and other aspiring college players how to come through adversity with grace.” Joseph’s hard work and influence on the Howard program have recently earned her full-time employment as the Assistant Coach of the Bisons. 

Joseph has created countless opportunities for the game of lacrosse to be shared throughout the community including organizing youth groups to attend Bison home and away games, tutoring and mentoring within the Serve Your City/Mutual Aid organization, and serving as a staff member for the Montgomery County Recreation Lacrosse program where she provides free lacrosse development sessions for underserved populations.

“There is still so much work to be done in lacrosse to create a diverse environment, and I am grateful that we have leaders like Tina Sloan Greene to show us the way,” Joseph said. 

Women’s lacrosse coaches, student-athletes, and teams at IWLCA member institutions are eligible for consideration for the Tina Sloan Green Award, and nominations may be submitted by coaches or administrators. The award description reads:

The Tina Sloan Green Award recognizes those individuals and teams that have actively worked to promote equity and inclusion in the lacrosse community in a given academic year. We celebrate those who have given their time and energy to educate and raise awareness, remove barriers, enhance opportunities, and invite a diverse set of voices to the table in order to challenge discrimination and promote positive social change.