LA84 President Anita DeFrantz Honored By Prestigious Coaching Associations

LOS ANGELES, June 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Two nationally recognized coaching organizations have bestowed honors on LA84 President Anita L. DeFrantz for her decades of achievement and leadership in sport. DeFrantz, the captain of the 1976 Olympic bronze medal women's rowing team, was selected for induction into the Women's College Rowing Coaches Hall of Fame. She also received the Champion Award from the Alliance of Women Coaches for her dedication to cultivating the next generation of coaches and athletes.

DeFrantz, an Executive Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is one of three members of the 2014 class to be inducted into the Women's College Rowing Coaches Hall of Fame. DeFrantz was selected in recognition of her major impact on collegiate women's rowing. She rowed for Connecticut College in the 1970s, and has been a passionate supporter of women's rowing at the collegiate and international levels ever since. She will be officially inducted at a ceremony during the USRowing Annual Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, later this year.

Earlier this month, DeFrantz also received the Alliance of Women Coaches' Champion Award, presented to women who have impacted their sport by paving the way for future generations of female coaches and athletes. The Alliance is one of the nation's leading advocates for increased opportunities for female coaches in all sports and at all levels.

"It's truly an honor to be recognized by two organizations that are committed to uniting and developing the next generation of excellent female coaches and athletes," DeFrantz said. "At the LA84 Foundation, my team and I work passionately to provide opportunities in sport for all children, and we've made great strides in expanding access for girls and young women. At the IOC, I am proud to lead efforts to increase opportunities for women. In Sochi, I was particularly proud to present the medals to the winning athletes at the first women's ski jumping competition in the history of the Olympic Games. I will continue to work tirelessly both here in Los Angeles and at the international level to ensure that women have an equal voice as players and coaches in every sport." 

Beyond her duties as President of the LA84 Foundation in Los Angeles, which provides millions of dollars in grants to youth sports organizations across Southern California out of the proceeds of the 1984 Olympic Games, DeFrantz chairs the IOC Athletes' Commission Election Committee and sits on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Olympic Committee. In 1997, she became the first woman in the history of the IOC to be elected Vice President. She won a bronze medal as a member of the women's eight rowing team in 1976 and was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team. She has dedicated her life to promoting equal opportunity and community development through sport.

About the LA84 Foundation

The LA84 Foundation was established to manage Southern California's share of the surplus from the successful 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Foundation received an endowment of $93 million. Since it began operations in 1985, it has invested $220 million back into the communities that supported the Games, supporting more than 3 million youth in the eight Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. Its headquarters is the historic Britt House near downtown Los Angeles where it houses the world's premier sports library and meeting facilities. The Foundation provides grants to youth sports organizations, manages programs, including a coaching education program, and convenes numerous forums for the exploration of the most pressing issues in sport. For more information, please visit www.la84.org.

SOURCE LA84 Foundation

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED