At the start of the 2023/24 school year, Westminster hired Shannon Soares as our new Athletic Director, the first female to take the role in the school’s history.
Faculty and coaches describe her as determined and well-versed with a lovely personality. Margaret Arnett, Middle School P.E coach and Softball and Lacrosse Coach thinks that Soares will be a “fantastic” fit for Head Director. Arnett also thinks that Soares has an amazing personality and cares for Westminster as much as we care for her. “She is incredibly caring and wants to see all sides of the situation and make the best decision possible for everybody,” Arnett says. “She wants to bring people in for decision-making processes and she is a team player, and she sets the model for how to be a leader really well.”
Arnett also thinks that Soares will be perfect for her position as she has already achieved so much in only sixty days. “I think she’s going to be great. I think she’s already done a lot, her communication is incredible, she’s already built relationships between herself and other coaches, and I just think she is great.”
Westminster’s search process for an Athletic Director was not easy or quick because of the many applicants for the position. Soares discovered the opportunity of Athletic director in December 2022 and interacted with lots of Westminster members before she got the job. She found out she got the job in April. Track & Field and Basketball Coach and 8th grade Science Teacher Gary Jones felt that being a member of the Search Committee for the Athletic Director was an honor and an act of service. “Well, it was an act of service and an honor that the school thought enough of me to serve that important role to help guide the selection of our newest athletic director,” he says. “So it was an act of service and a lot of responsibility. And we are excited about the result that we got—which is our new athletic director, Mrs. Soares.” According to Jones, over a hundred people applied for the position of Athletic Director, and there were many stages of competition that brought the decision down to the finalists.
In the past, Soares worked with high-status organizations such as the National Football League, Major League Soccer, National Basketball Association, and National Women’s Soccer League. Soares always embraced athletics ever since she was a little girl. Her mother coached field hockey, and Soares would watch and cheer on the sidelines. In her words, she is the “daughter of a long-time high school coach.” As she matured, she also ended up playing field hockey and dominated the sport.
Soares then moved to The College of William & Mary to play field hockey and became captain of her team. After graduation, she continued to mature into coaching at Virginia Commonwealth University, soon promoted to Head Coach in 2011. Afterward, she moved to coach at Georgetown and was soon promoted to Associate Athletic Director.
Both as new Athletic Director and as a parent of two Lower School students, Soares has been generously welcomed into the Westminster community. She feels extremely included because of the kind gestures shown to her since she’s been here. “We got here on July 1st, and all of the people that I have had the chance to interact with . . . have been so warmly welcoming of my family and I,” she says. “We have felt so supported, we have had people drop by baked goods, we had folks offer to babysit, we’ve had folks help recommend great restaurants and coffee shops in the area, and just anybody willing to lend a hand. And I think that’s just a sign and speaks volumes to the community that we’ve been fortunate enough to join.” Luckily Soares hasn’t experienced any poor or unpleasant interactions at Westminster so far.
Being that this is her first year and the job of Athletic Director holds a lot of responsibility, Soares wants to figure out the way athletics work before making too many changes. Here at Westminster, we have 74 teams across 24 sports with 150 coaches and over 1,000 students who participate in athletics. So the job of Athletic Director is to support and control all of this activity. “I think this first year will be primarily focused on observing, listening, learning, understanding the landscape of Westminster and athletics within the Westminster community as a whole,” she says. “I want to seek out as many people as I possibly can, to hear perspective, to seek feedback, to listen to stories about the history and tradition of Westminster and Westminster athletics. And the more that I can do that, the more I can understand the community and environment that I’ve been welcomed by.”