Ethel Walker Field Hockey Coach Elected to Hall of Fame

Mimi Duran, field hockey coach at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury and a successful high school coach for more than 30 years, will be one of seven women inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame later this month.

Duran, who also serves as the school’s assistant athletic director, will be honored at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington on Sunday, Sept. 27.

She began coaching field hockey at Wamogo High School in Litchfield, where her teams won six Berkshire League championships and made six CIAC semi-final appearances. She continued her success at Cheshire High School, dropping a heartbreaking 1-0 decision to Greenwich in the 2005 Class L title game, before coming to Walker’s in 2007.

She is a Coach of the Year recipient from both the Connecticut High School Coaches Association and the Connecticut Field Hockey Coaches Association. She is a National Field Hockey Coaches Association 200 Victory Club Award recipient, and has been selected to membership in the New Agenda: Northeast Woman’s Hall of Fame.

“Over the course of my 30-year career, there are too many highlights to mention,” Duran responded when asked about the top highlight of her coaching tenure. “Each day brings new opportunities for “the moment” to experience another first, another highlight. I have three decades full of those moments, both on the field and off. If forced to choose, however, the lifelong relationships with my students have helped to define my career as a coach.

This past weekend, I attended a wedding where I saw 10 former players and had the chance to catch up on what’s happening in their lives. There have been so many of these milestones - weddings, wakes, funerals - that demonstrate the bonds I have been fortunate to build and share with countless players over the years.”

Duran reflected on the numerous great coaches that have influenced her work with players.

“When I think about my induction, I think back to when I was 24 years old and coaching JV for Mary Wollenberg,” she said. “She brought me with her everywhere, including to an All-State Committee meeting at Pat Small’s house. It was there that I first met Babby Nuhn, and fellow inductees Sue Schwerdtle, Joan Gauthey and Arlene Salvati. These women were icons. At the time, I had no idea what it was all about, but 30 years later, I can tell you that they became my mentors, and instilled in me the values that I saw in them: ethics, compassion, hard work, humility. They all talked about their teams, their players, and I knew how much they cared - not just about the plays and the wins, but about the players themselves. Not many coaches stay for 30 years anymore, but these women did. I was, and am, fortunate to have had their examples and mentorship to guide me all these years. To be honored with them is an unexpected thrill.”

Tickets to the Hall of Fame dinner are $50, and may be ordered by Sept. 16 by contacting Terri Ziemnicki at hockeycoachtaz@cox.net or (860) 653-5127.

Photo courtesy of Ethel Walker School