Jenny Williams has a Bachelor of Education in Physical Education and a Master’s degree in Psychology.
Being infused with the genes of skilful and competitive parents set Jenny Williams on a life’s path imbued with a love of elite sport and all its components.
She is driven. She loves achievement in the high-performance arena. She loves the glory and satisfaction of the win. She revels in the company of elite achievers.
But in equal measure, she loves the climb to the mountain top. She loves the bond created with teammates along the way. She loves analysis of what comprises success. And she loves empowering others.
Take a look at these qualities and what emerges is a leader, an inspirational, over-her-dead-body leader, whose instincts are to take risks, understand threats, break barriers, and embrace others.
Jenny Williams added to her Bachelor of Education degree specialising in teaching physical education, skill acquisition and game analysis, by graduating with a Masters in Psychology.
Decades of her own experience of performance success and leadership were fueled into the psychology study, manifesting in a well-rounded mentor and motivator.
She could draw on proven success with the Australian lacrosse team – winning the 1986 world championship against the mighty US.
This victory was based upon refined skills in a new game plan, championed by Jenny Williams, Wendy Piltz, Mary Pickett, Shirley Ploog and others here in SA. The attacking, running, dodging, fitness-based style had taken the US by surprise.
Three years later, selectors acknowledged the galvanising influence of Williams, selecting her as a co-captain of Australia, the Aussies ultimately winning a bronze medal at the 1989 World Cup.
Few players get to captain their country and also coach their country – under the pressures of the best competition on Earth.
In 1997, Jenny Williams was appointed Australian coach for the World Cup in Japan. Along with an ‘army’ of South Australian players, in the minor round, the Aussies had the better of archrival the US 6-4, ultimately leading to a monumental matchup once again in the final.
Such was the ferocity and evenness of that contest; the score was locked at 2-2 at full time. In overtime, the US scored once to take the world cup 3-2.
Amid the heartbreak, there is always much to take away from such a loss, ultimately adding to the knowledge bank of the now well-established mentor.
Jenny Williams was also at the forefront of SA’s dominance of the national championship, winning 11 consecutive titles, something that led to the team’s induction into the SA Sports Hall of Fame.
With any eye to the future, she coached the SA underage lacrosse side to a national title and also earned state umpiring certification.
Jenny Williams irrefutably stands as an icon of women’s sport in South Australia.
