FARMINGTON, Maine - University of Maine at Farmington Director of Athletics Jamie Beaudoin is excited to announce the hiring of Mary Sinclair '06 as the next Head Coach of the field hockey program. Sinclair takes over for Hattie Huston '11 who was the Interim Head Coach for the 2022 season.
Beaudoin states "We are excited to welcome Mary back into UMF Athletics. Mary brings a wealth of knowledge to our department and is passionate about the rich history of our field hockey program. She will be a great leader for our student-athletes as our field hockey program returns to compete in the North Atlantic Conference in 2023."
Sinclair, a 2006 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington, takes over as the Head Coach of the field hockey program after serving as an assistant coach for the 2022 season. Sinclair has experience coaching at the high school level as the Mt. Blue junior varsity coach during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. She also was the field hockey coach for Mt. Blue during the winter season and for tournaments from 2015-2019.
Sinclair is a passionate member of the Farmington community, having worked at the University for the past 10 years for Upward Bound. Her experience at Upward Bound has shaped her coaching philosophy stating "I love being an encourager. I love helping players and students find wins, either playing a game or figuring out life, and then celebrating that with them".
As a Farmington alum, she played field hockey for the Beavers for four seasons from 2002-2005. Her four seasons as a player at Farmington were one of the most successful stretches in Farmington field hockey history. During her time as a player, the Beavers were crowned North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Champions for three consecutive seasons from 2002-2004, before dropping a heartbreaker in the NAC Championship in 2005.
Despite winning the conference championship in 2002 and 2003, the NAC did not have an automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament until 2004. After winning the NAC Championship in 2004, Sinclair and the Beavers squared off against Keene State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Beavers went on to win the game 3-2 in double overtime, picking up the 1st NCAA tournament win in program history.
During her four seasons as a player, Sinclair was named to the All-Tournament team in 2002, 2003, and 2004, as well as the NAC Tournament MVP in 2004. Sinclair also was named to numerous NAC All-Conference and All-Academic teams.
Field hockey has been in her life since she was a child and has always been one of Sinclair's biggest passions stating "my love for field hockey started before I could even play". Growing up her sister was a goalkeeper and her mother was an official. Sinclair used to tag along to meetings, play days, and other tournaments. Despite her lifelong love for the sport, Sinclair states it was playing at UMF that heightened her love for the game and has continued to help her passion for the game expand. She credits her former coaches, Beth Evans and Cyndi Pratt, for helping to shape her into the leader she has become. "Beth and Cyndi inspired me and taught me how to be a leader and a coach. My teammates and the experiences we went through together taught me how to push each other, trust each other, and learn from each other. I learned life lessons that I know I never could have experienced on my own, and I developed an understanding of what it felt like to be part of something important."
Sinclair is hoping to rebuild on the illustrious reputation the Farmington field hockey program has had over the years. "UMF field hockey is in a transition, and I look forward to being able to bridge the history with the future successes of this program," Sinclair states.
Head of the search committee and Assistant Athletic Director Molly Wilkie states "We're thrilled to welcome Mary back into the Athletics Department. Mary was a stand-out student-athlete and leader during her undergraduate years at UMF and she has a clear vision for leading our field hockey team into a new era. We had a competitive pool of applicants and Mary kept rising to the top. Her experience building positive connections with students, focusing on holistic development, and her obvious passion for UMF and our field hockey team are powerful assets for our student-athletes, Athletics Department, and campus community."
