EAST STROUDSBURG -- East Stroudsburg University women's volleyball head coach Tricia Melfy and ESU coordinator of summer camps and conferences Kelsey Melfy will speak in the upcoming Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in College Athletics: A Call to Action speaker series on Thursday, July 29 at 6:00 p.m. Tricia and Kelsey, a same-sex couple, will be the fifth presenters in the monthly Zoom series, which began in March 2021.
The Zoom speaker series is open to the public and the ESU campus community. After a 20-to-30 minute presentation, Tricia and Kelsey will answer question via the chat function of Zoom.
"We are honored to tell our story and bring light to a very important topic," said Tricia Melfy. "Our desire is to give others courage,
strength, and hope to be their authentic selves."
Tricia enters her first season as the head coach of ESU volleyball in 2021 after the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College (NCAA Division II) Phoenix College (NJCAA) and Minnesota-Morris (NCAA Division III). She guided Fort Lewis to its first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoff appearance in eight years in 2018. As the head coach for two seasons for the Skyhawks, she tallied 19 wins and coached six all-conference honorees.
As a student-athlete, she was a two-time All-American at Arizona State University in the heptathlon (1992, 94), and twice qualified for the United States Olympic Trials (1992, 96). She was also an All-American in the heptathlon at Mesa Community College (1990).
Melfy received her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science/Physical Education from Arizona State. She earned her Physical Education Teacher Certification from Ottawa University, and her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University.
Kelsey recently began her current role as coordinator of summer camps and conferences at ESU, overseeing operations and logistics for all of ESU's athletic camps. Prior to moving to the Poconos, Kelsey worked as a recreational supervisor of adult and teen sports at the Durango Parks and Recreation in Durango, Colo. She implemented tournaments and leagues and developed advertising plans to promote leagues, among other duties. She graduated with Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from Minot State University.
"I'm very much looking forward to hearing Tricia and Kelsey share their story together and the lessons they've learned along the way." said ESU Director of Athletics Dr. Gary R. Gray. "I know the topics of sexual orientation and same sex marriage open up new components within our diversity/equity/inclusion discussion topics beyond gender, race, and religion, and we want to discuss as many areas of this important topic as possible."
Past presenters include Delaware Valley men's basketball head coach Muhamadou Kaba '15 M'18, ESU swimming head coach Fan Yang, ESU acrobatics and tumbling head coach Miles Avery and ESU field hockey alumna Domineque Scott '08 M'09.
For more information on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in College Athletics: A Call to Action speaker series and to view past presentations, visit esuwarriors.com/DEI.
