GUIDING THE GULLS: 40 Years, Four Championships,One Dawn Chamberlin
SALISBURY, Md. - Good coaches can change a game, but great coaches can change a life. As college athletics continue to evolve nationwide, coaches continue to remain among the most influential figures in the lives of their student-athletes, serving as role models and mentors for the next generation of young adults. This series highlights the bench bosses who lead Salisbury University student-athletes into each and every gameday with the common goal of continuing the tradition of Sea Gull success, while also exploring the personal journeys which have ultimately placed them along Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
A whistling breeze cuts through the balmy autumn air of Maryland’s Eastern Shore as sticks clash and clatter under the white-hot lights of Sea Gull Stadium. The stadium has been home to one of collegiate field hockey’s most successful programs for decades.
Barb Abbott’s 1981 squad welcomed the new facility with immediate success as they would help catapult then-Salisbury State College into national prominence when the Sea Gulls qualified for the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national tournament. The Sea Gulls opened the tournament with a 3–1 victory over Sweet Briar College, earning the program its first triumph on the national stage. Since that groundbreaking postseason run, the Sea Gull field hockey program has been woven into the fabric of the institution’s athletic identity.
The decade and a half that followed would serve as one of the most transformative eras of the program’s history. As the Sea Gulls were establishing a presence in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) tournament scene, a future catalyst of that success was slowly developing her love for the game a few states north.
Sports have always had a place in the heart and mind of Salisbury Head Field Hockey Coach Dawn Chamberlin for as long as she can remember. However, growing up in Abington, Pennsylvania in the 1970s, opportunities for girls to participate in sports remained limited. Chamberlin would often have to join boys’ teams simply to have a chance to play.
“I grew up playing football and baseball and other things with the guys because there were just more opportunities for that,” Chamberlin said. “You didn’t just go play pickup field hockey anywhere, so you had to take advantage of anything you could.”
If there was a sport to play, though, a naturally competitive Chamberlin would find a way to compete. After getting her start by swimming at the age of five, she would go on to play lacrosse, softball, basketball, and a variety of other sports alongside boys and girls. When Chamberlin was in the fourth grade, she was first introduced to field hockey, which seemed to captivate her more than any other sport.
“Field hockey was always very challenging. It’s a very difficult sport to play, both physically and mentally,” Chamberlin said. “I think that was intriguing to me because there was always a challenge. There was always something that I had to do differently or better to keep challenging myself.”
Chamberlin credits her coaches and mentors who shaped her athletic upbringing with influencing her coaching philosophy, instilling a competitive drive that continues to power her into every season.
“It didn’t matter whether I scored five goals or one goal, it was never enough,” Chamberlin said. “I think that really drove me to become the athlete and the coach that I am today.”
After graduating from Abington High School, Chamberlin’s athletic prowess drew the attention of top collegiate field hockey programs in the country, including the University of Iowa. Before she knew it, Chamberlin was shipping out to the Midwest to play field hockey at the Division I level in Iowa City, arriving during a pivotal time for women’s collegiate athletics.
Passed in 1972, Title IX prohibited discrimination based on sex in federally funded education programs. This federal law also helped expand opportunities for women to participate in collegiate athletic programs. For Chamberlin, the legislation not only made it possible for her to continue playing the sport she loved, it made a college education possible.
“Had it not been for Title IX, I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now because I probably wouldn't have gone to school,” Chamberlin said. “Those opportunities were there for me to get a full scholarship to Iowa because otherwise, my family wouldn't have been able to afford to send me to school. The passing of Title IX and the opportunities that it gave women in sport at the collegiate level opened a door for me that probably wouldn’t have been there.”
As Chamberlin prepared to enter her freshman year with Iowa, the landscape of collegiate athletics as a whole began to shift. For years, the AIAW organized women’s collegiate championships while the NCAA operated as the governing body for men’s tournaments. In January of 1981, the NCAA approved a plan to incorporate women’s athletics into its structure, hosting its first women’s national championships later that year. The AIAW would continue hosting its own championships until the organization ceased operations in June of 1982 as schools increasingly transitioned their women’s programs to the NCAA.
Chamberlin and the Hawkeyes would immediately begin competing for conference and national glory in their first seasons as an NCAA program, making the national tournament in the fall of 1982. Following that historic season, Chamberlin was named a team captain in the spring.
“Being a captain was something that I did not take lightly,” Chamberlin said. “I was entrusted with the opportunity to lead a team that still had seniors and juniors who were ahead of me. It was a great learning opportunity for me to become a better leader and it helped me recognize how important it is for us to actually educate, train and mentor young leaders in our programs.”
As a team captain, Chamberlin flourished under the leadership of USA Field Hockey Hall of Fame coach Judith Davidson. She valued Davidson’s hands-off coaching approach, which gave her and her teammates the liberty to develop and learn their way without having every detail dictated to them. Chamberlin has carried Davidson’s approach into her own program, giving student-athletes room to develop as leaders while remaining available to offer guidance.
“I think it’s really important that they learn how to be their own leader and if they’re struggling, then they’ll come to me and talk about it and I’ll give them some direction,” Chamberlin said. “But I think it’s important that they learn how to problem solve on their own.”
Chamberlin capped off her career with the Hawkeyes with an appearance in the 1984 National Championship game, the first of the program’s NCAA era after back-to-back regional final exits. Iowa would ultimately finish as national runners-up after falling to Old Dominion University.
Upon the conclusion of her time in Iowa City, Chamberlin knew she wanted to work her way back to the East Coast. Having grown up in southeastern Pennsylvania, Chamberlin always had an affinity for the beach and would make frequent visits south to Bethany Beach, Delaware. As luck would have it, a coaching position just an hour from her favorite shoreline would soon give her the chance to put her leadership style to the test.
In the spring of 1985, Salisbury State College was building on a history of national postseason competition that included an appearance in the 1981 AIAW national tournament and the 1984 NCAA tournament. With her degree in hand, Chamberlin arrived on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in search of a graduate assistantship. Salisbury’s head coach, Karen Weaver, had grown up in Chamberlin’s hometown of Abington, Pennsylvania. In an unexpected connection, Weaver’s mother had even been Chamberlin’s elementary school teacher.
As a graduate assistant, Chamberlin was given responsibility early as her role offered the flexibility to learn while still keeping her heavily involved in the team's daily operations.
“We would have two practices a day, a morning and an afternoon practice. I was in charge of the morning practice,” Chamberlin said. “So I met with the team every morning at 6 a.m. in the gym, and I think it was instrumental in getting the players prepared for what they needed to do.”
In 1986, Salisbury State rattled off one of the finest regular seasons in program history. Led by future Hall of Famers Robin Adair and Stacy Stem, SSC saw NCAA postseason action for the third straight year. A one-goal victory over Messiah University advanced the Sea Gulls past the second round for the first time in the NCAA era. The Maroon and Gold followed by defeating Bentley College in the semifinals before taking down Bloomsburg University, 3-2, to capture the first national championship in a team sport in Salisbury State College history.
After the championship season, Weaver left Salisbury to take a position at Ohio State. Her departure opened the door for Chamberlin, who took over as the ninth head coach in Salisbury field hockey history in 1987.
Following the historic season, Weaver would depart from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to help rebuild the program at Ohio State University. Her departure opened the door for Chamberlin, who took over as the ninth head coach in Salisbury field hockey history in 1987.
Over the next 16 seasons, Chamberlin led Salisbury to 15 national tournament appearances, but the Sea Gulls did not return to the championship game. Chamberlin believes those years of near-misses taught her a valuable lesson about coaching and leadership, particularly for those just beginning their careers.
“I think coaches today get in there and they want instant gratification,” Chamberlin said. “It took me 17 years and a lot of hard lumps and a lot of opportunities and chances where we were close, but we just couldn’t finish it off. A lot of people would give up, but for me, you could see that there’s a little glimmer there and if we keep working at it and working at it, we’ll break through that ceiling and get our opportunity.”
The patience and persistence of Chamberlin’s squad finally paid off in the early 2000s. From 2003 to 2005, the Sea Gulls won three consecutive national championships with a combined record of 58-5 over the three seasons. In 2009, Chamberlin and the Sea Gulls were recognized for their success when she was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame in January. The Sea Gulls then used it as momentum through the fall season, culminating in the program's fifth national title and fourth of the decade.
While Chamberlin’s championship teams featured a mix of veteran leadership and youthful energy of strong freshman classes who were eager to contribute early, Chamberlin has made it a point of emphasis to her players that becoming a successful collegiate athlete takes time.
“They have to understand that it is a process and that it is a journey and to make sure they're not being discouraged that they were the top player in high school and now they come here and they have to earn their spot,” Chamberlin said. “Sometimes that takes a little bit longer for some than others and it's unfortunate today that a lot of them will give up before they ever reach that opportunity."
As Chamberlin enters her 40th season leading Salisbury University’s field hockey program, she says her core standards have remained consistent. Her approach to communicating those standards, however, has evolved alongside the athletes she coaches.
“I've had to evolve as a coach over the years and while I have never changed my standards, I've had to change my approach and style in how I present those standards,” Chamberlin said. "I believe in constantly learning. I read, I listen to podcasts, I study other coaches, y'know it is important for me to continue to grow and learn if I want to be able to be instrumental in helping them be the best versions of themselves."
Despite the storied history on the field, Chamberlin believes her program’s greatest measure of success extends far beyond the turf. Her focus over her illustrious coaching career remains on preparing her players for the opportunities and challenges they will face long after the ball stops rolling.
“I want these young women to leave here being confident that they can conquer the world and do anything that they want to do,” Chamberlin said. “The most important thing for me is that they realize that they don't need to lean on anybody else. They can be strong, independent women, and can accomplish anything they want if they put their minds to it and just become the best version that they possibly can in everything, not just field hockey. I want them to do that in life.”
Years after graduation, former players return to Chamberlin with stories about how their time at Salisbury continues to shape their lives. Some describe the lessons they have carried into parenthood and relationships while others apply them to leadership roles they hold in their professional careers.
"That is the stuff that motivates me," Chamberlin said.
Article by MICHAEL GRECO
Sports Editor
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