Alison Hersey Risch
American field hockey and lacrosse player/coach (born 1936)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alison Hersey Risch (born October 23, 1936), formerly Alison Hersey, is a former American field hockey,[1] lacrosse player,[2] and official.
Risch in her US Field Hockey touring team jacket | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 23, 1936 (age 89) |
Career
Starting her competitive athletic career as a three-sport athlete (field hockey, basketball, and softball) at Winchester High School in Winchester, Massachusetts, she credited coach Millie Barnes with sparking her love of sports.[3] Risch attended Mount Holyoke College from 1955 to 1959.
She played with the US Field Hockey touring team from 1956 to 1969.[2] She also played on the U.S. Women's National Lacrosse Team from 1961 to 1970, and served as team captain from 1964 to 1970.[4][5]
After graduating from Mount Holyoke, Risch earned a master's degree from Tufts University.
She later served as a field hockey coach at Kennett High School in Conway, New Hampshire. She also served as a match coordinator and internationally rated umpire for more than 40 years.
Risch was also a competitive alpine ski racer.[6] In 1964, she was certified by the Professional Ski Instructor's Association, and she has been a ski instructor and director since 1963.[7]
In January 1988, Risch became one of the charter inductees into the USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame.[8] In 1999, she was inducted into the New England Chapter of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame,[9] and in 2003 she was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.[10] Mount Holyoke inducted her into their athletics Hall of Fame (inaugural 2013 class),[4] as did Winchester High School into their Hall of Fame (1995).[11]