Aurora University announced Jackie Kooistra as their choice to lead the Spartan Women's Hockey team.
"I am truly honored to be joining the AU family," said Kooistra. "Teaching young women the core values I have received from the wonderful game of hockey is extremely rewarding. I encourage my athletes to dream big and reach their goals, am passionate about what I do, and look for my athletes to have that same passion and drive."
Jackie comes to AU with an impressive array of coaching experiences, instructing and teaching the game of hockey at various levels. Most recently, Jackie served as the Director of Girl's Hockey for Team Illinois' AAA Hockey Club and before that as Head Coach of Girl's Hockey at her Alma Mater, Culver Academies Prep High School. She has worked with USA Hockey for the past six years as a player development coach and has also coached at numerous camps and clinics in Illinois and across the country.
Kooistra earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at University of New Hampshire while majoring in Kinesiology and Sports Management. As a player for the Wildcats, Jackie had an impressive career, garnering many awards and accolades. During high school and college, she was selected to play at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY and to participate in Team USA 18U and 22U camps.
Jackie's diverse coaching background, along with her focus on team culture, player development and skating skills make her an ideal fit for a program that is only entering its third year, but is poised to make big strides in the upcoming season.
"We are thrilled to announce Jackie Kooistra as the next head coach of AU Women's Hockey," said Jim Hamad, Director of Athletics. "It became apparent during the interview process that she has the experiences as a player and coach that make her a great fit for AU. We may have a young hockey program but we are primed for success and are confident that under Jackie's leadership the program will soon be nationally recognized. The future is very bright for the program and we welcome Jackie and her family to AU."
Kooistra takes the reigns of the AU women's ice hockey team which finished last season with an 8-14-3 overall record, improving on their 17-18 campaign of 5-19-1. The AU Women's Hockey team competes in the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association, finishing the 18-19 season in eighth place, missing a playoff berth by only two points.
"Coach Kimball has done such an amazing job getting this program off the ground," adds Kooistra. "I am truly honored to be a part of this program's continued success."
