The Women of Temple Football

It isn't news to anyone that the sport of football has been a very male dominated field. Recently, women everywhere across the country have been tearing down the notion that football is just for men. Four women within the Temple football program have done just that. Nadia Harvin, Katie Joiner, Kiera Miller, and Paige Shinberg have all worked their way to prominent roles within the program. All of them have faced obstacles in their journey but one thing has remained consistent: motivating and helping others.

Nadia Harvin, the Executive Assistant to the Head Football Coach, has spent an incredible 36 years at Temple including almost 28 in the football program. Harvin has been the assistant to six different head coaches and has held varied roles within earlier football staffs. With all of her experience in the field, Harvin recognizes her role in helping others, not just the student-athletes but especially other women in their journey. "Women, at times, have to stick together. Just as I was supported by a group of ladies in Temple Athletics, I now pay it forward and help others in any way I can." Harvin has seen some obstacles over the years, but she has remained confident in her abilities to learn, teach, and succeed.

Katie Joiner, the Director of On-Campus Recruiting, joined the team in July of 2021. In this role, she coordinates all prospect visits to Temple including game days, junior days, prospect camps, and unofficial visits throughout the year. She also coordinates outreach to prospective student-athletes and is responsible for scheduling and implementing all aspects of official visit weekends.

Joiner identifies the most important thing to her career has been building genuine relationships. "One of my favorite things about working in football is that it brings people with extremely diverse backgrounds and experiences together. There are so many incredible opportunities to impact and be impacted by those around you in this industry."

She takes the role of motivating other women to pursue a career inn sports very seriously. "I have encountered a lot of competitiveness amongst women in sports. It is easy to succumb to the idea that if one woman in sports succeeds that doesn't leave room for you to succeed, when in fact the opposite is true. The more women who establish their roles and exemplify their exceptional capabilities in sports, the more it breaks down the barriers to entry for other women."

Kiera Miller, the Director of Player Development, has spent three years at Temple. Part of what Miller does is assist the student-athletes both on and off the field. She builds a close relationship with the student-athletes and makes sure they are succeeding in football, academics, and life itself.

Miller speaks about how it is important on not losing sight of what's important in this business: the student-athlete. "We are here to promote the student-athlete agenda and make sure they are getting the best experience both on and off the field," she says, "regardless of if they're participating in a female sport or a male sport." Miller believes caring about the student-athlete and letting them know that you care about them is what's important.

She also emphasizes the importance of surrounding yourself around positive mentors. "It's all about surrounding yourself with people who want to make sure you are being the best version of yourself every day." She cites Coach Rod Carey as a major mentor in her life. Miller spent five years working at Northern Illinois University and has known Temple coach Rod Carey for 10 years. When asked how he has helped her throughout her career, she said "[Carey] has always made sure I had and have a seat at the table, he has always encouraged me, and I know I'm valued."

Paige Shinberg has a very distinguished role in the organization. She has worked her way up to be the Head Equipment Manager. A position held by just four women at the FBS level. Shinberg's responsibilities include inventory reporting, issuing gear, fitting equipment, equipment (helmets, shoulder pads, etc.) education, ordering, and providing laundry services. When asked what motivated her to be where she is today, she responded "I am motivated by the opportunity to help young men and women, and our student-athletes."

Shinberg mentions how she tries building personal relationships with the players saying, "[Student-athletes] talk to me about stuff outside of football going on in their lives." She is constantly trying to make a difference in their lives. Despite her high-ranking position, Shinberg has faced obstacles. These obstacles range in all types of ways. Shinberg has heard people tell her that she is not physically capable of doing the job. However, Shinberg has always kept her head up high. "It's all about getting creative and finding ways to overcome it and proving to people that just because not very many women have done this very much in the past doesn't mean they can't," she says. "Hopefully someday, someone doesn't see those obstacles and think this job isn't possible for a woman, it just means they might to get creative to do it a little differently."

Despite being women in the male dominated field of sports, the four have stood out among their male peers, not because of their gender, but due to their outstanding talents and skills. In fact, they each agreed to participate in this article not to draw attention to themselves individually, but to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Title IX. The one thing that they feel the most strongly about is motivating others, both men and women, to be the best they can be.

Temple University Athletics

The Women of Temple Football

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