TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - McDaniel College field hockey assistant coach Arla Davis has been selected to participate in the 54th class of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy (WCA) set to take place May 18-21 in Denver, Colorado.

This year, over 100 women coaches will gather with 85 coaches participating in the NCAA WCA and 18 advancing through the NCAA Academy 2.0 program. These women represent 24 different sports, including several NCAA emerging sports, and come from a diverse collection of institutions across NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as the NAIA, 3C2A, NJCAA, and NWAC.

Hosted in collaboration with the NCAA, these Academies offer multi-day transformational experiences focused on leadership development and personal growth for women coaches from all sports and collegiate levels, including both two-year and four-year institutions.

Since its inception, more than 2,300 coaches have graduated from the NCAA WCA. The program centers on holistic leadership development, providing women coaches with the skills, confidence, and community to elevate their effectiveness both personally and professionally. Academy 2.0, an advanced program exclusively for WCA alumnae, offers a deeper dive into leadership and professional growth in a highly interactive, small-group setting.

Davis finished her first season at McDaniel in 2024. She was a four-year member of the field hockey team at Ithaca, helping the Bombers to a 40-16 overall record with three appearances in the Liberty League Field Hockey Championship. She played in 48 career games as a midfielder, making 16 starts.

Heavily involved in promoting women in athletics, Davis served as a Demand IX Fellow and HerSport Intern through WomenX. She was one of 19 fellows across 12 states that focused on the history of Title IX, its role in collegiate athletics, and current events related to its legislation. She spent time as a summer intern for the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport and as a communications intern for the Women's Sports Foundation.

Davis graduated from Ithaca in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in sports media and a minor in journalism.