MANHASSET, NEW YORK, AUGUST 17, 2023 — Nancy Erickson of Arcadia, Florida is honored as a Woman of the Month for July 2023 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized) for her outstanding achievements and contributions in the field of sports.
ABOUT NANCY ERICKSON
Nancy Erickson is known as a pioneer for women’s athletics during the evolution of Title IX. After a stellar career in baseball and softball – and at the age of 35 – Erickson decided to try her hand in the women’s professional tackle football team as a middle line backer for the Toledo Troopers.
Following her year with The Toledo Troopers, Nancy moved to Florida to work as the first recreation supervisor for Arcadia and DeSoto County. While there, she started the state’s first integrated girls’ junior high softball team. She continued to start girl’s sports teams of all kinds in Arcadia and was active in ensuring Title IX was installed in local schools. In addition, she advised high school and college students and graduates through educational and life transitions. Nancy and her partner owned the H&R Block in Desoto County from 1974-1992 before retiring. Currently, Nancy does public speaking and workshops with high schools, colleges, sport teams, and elite sport organizations.
As a trailblazer in her field, Erickson was part of the Toledo Troopers 1971-1977 World Champions NWFL and has earned countless honors for her achievements throughout her career. She was recognized as a member of Title IX Performance Team in 1978, was entered into the Florida Special Olympics Hall of Fame in 1993, received the Annette Lynch Lifetime Achievement Award in Coaching from Special Olympics North America in 2022, received the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the City of Arcadia Recreation Department for Community Service, was awarded the University of Michigan Lifetime Achievement Award in Kinesiology in 2016, and is in the Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the Kalamazoo Lassies.
In July 2014, Erickson, along with her Troopers teammates, was entered into the Women’s Football Foundation Hall of Fame. She is featured in the documentary, “We are the Troopers: The Women of the Winningest Team in Pro Football History.”
Nancy earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1966. In her spare time, she enjoys golf, the Special Olympics, and camping.
ABOUT P.O.W.E.R. (PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE RECOGNIZED) AND POWERWOE.COM
P.O.W.E.R.-Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized is an organization and an online community. P.O.W.E.R. Magazine is a digital and exclusive print magazine featuring celebrities and everyday hardworking professional women. Our mission is to provide a powerful network of women who will mentor, inspire, and empower each other to be the best they can be. Through our valuable services and collaborating with like-minded professionals, our members can potentially gain the recognition and exposure they deserve, as well as obtain knowledge from those who have already achieved success.