University of St. Thomas Athletics
Amy Cooper (above) joined the Tommies athletics staff in 2021 as the department's Senior Women's Administrator and Chief of Staff.
Photo by: Rebecca Twite
Cooper to be honored on National Girls and Women in Sports Day
1/29/2025 11:51:00 AM | Baseball, Athletics, Women's Basketball, Women's Tennis, Volleyball
ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of St. Thomas Senior Associate Athletic Director and Women's Administrator Amy Cooper was named the recipient of the 2025 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award by the National Collation for Women in Sports Minnesota. Cooper will be honored during the National Girls and Women in Sports Day-MN celebration on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
The Wilma Rudolph Award is given annually by the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership to an individual who courageously overcame physical challenges in their pursuit of sports to help ensure future opportunities for girls and women, regardless of their physical ability. Cooper has done just that, first as a standout student-athlete and then as a coach and administrator with multiple colleges and universities, including St. Thomas. A standout multi-sport athlete at Minneapolis Washburn, Cooper earned all-conference, all-metro, and all-state honors with the soccer team before going on to compete at Howard University in Washington, D.C. There, Cooper was the team's Co-MVP for three straight years, and earned All-Big South Conference accolades two years, making her the first HBCU soccer player to earn all-conference honors. She would go on to play semi-professionally in Houston, though diagnosis of lupus, compartment leg syndrome and Stage 4 arthritis in both knees halted Cooper's playing career.
Following her playing days, Cooper would go on to have a long career in coaching, taking positions at Prairie View A&M, South Carolina State University and Southwest Minnesota State University. She transitioned to athletic administration in 2012 when she was hired as the Assistant Athletic Director and eventual Director of Athletics at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. At Trinity, where most students are women of color, Cooper championed diversity and inclusion and fought for equal opportunities for her athletes.
In 2018, Cooper took the Senior Women's Administrator position at her alma mater, Howard, where she took on gender equity initiatives and was tasked with oversight of budget, traveling, and ticketing. She returned to her home state once again in 2021 when she was hired as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration at St. Thomas. She oversees the department's gender equity, finance, administration, and compliance. She serves as an advisor to the university's Black Student-Athlete group and offers support and guidance to underrepresented athletes.
Cooper will be honored and recognized during the 2025 National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration-MN, which is organized by the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership. A volunteer group, the Coalition's mission is to advocate for Title IX by celebrating and commemorating Minnesota individuals and organizations that inspire the participation of girls and women in sports. The 2025 celebration will take place on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Exhibits will open at 11:00 a.m. and the ceremony will begin at 12:00 p.m. More information about the event can be found here.
The Wilma Rudolph Award is given annually by the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership to an individual who courageously overcame physical challenges in their pursuit of sports to help ensure future opportunities for girls and women, regardless of their physical ability. Cooper has done just that, first as a standout student-athlete and then as a coach and administrator with multiple colleges and universities, including St. Thomas. A standout multi-sport athlete at Minneapolis Washburn, Cooper earned all-conference, all-metro, and all-state honors with the soccer team before going on to compete at Howard University in Washington, D.C. There, Cooper was the team's Co-MVP for three straight years, and earned All-Big South Conference accolades two years, making her the first HBCU soccer player to earn all-conference honors. She would go on to play semi-professionally in Houston, though diagnosis of lupus, compartment leg syndrome and Stage 4 arthritis in both knees halted Cooper's playing career.
Following her playing days, Cooper would go on to have a long career in coaching, taking positions at Prairie View A&M, South Carolina State University and Southwest Minnesota State University. She transitioned to athletic administration in 2012 when she was hired as the Assistant Athletic Director and eventual Director of Athletics at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. At Trinity, where most students are women of color, Cooper championed diversity and inclusion and fought for equal opportunities for her athletes.
In 2018, Cooper took the Senior Women's Administrator position at her alma mater, Howard, where she took on gender equity initiatives and was tasked with oversight of budget, traveling, and ticketing. She returned to her home state once again in 2021 when she was hired as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration at St. Thomas. She oversees the department's gender equity, finance, administration, and compliance. She serves as an advisor to the university's Black Student-Athlete group and offers support and guidance to underrepresented athletes.
Cooper will be honored and recognized during the 2025 National Girls and Women in Sports Day Celebration-MN, which is organized by the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership. A volunteer group, the Coalition's mission is to advocate for Title IX by celebrating and commemorating Minnesota individuals and organizations that inspire the participation of girls and women in sports. The 2025 celebration will take place on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Exhibits will open at 11:00 a.m. and the ceremony will begin at 12:00 p.m. More information about the event can be found here.
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