BEREA, Ohio – Baldwin Wallace University Women's Soccer Head Coach Jim Wojtkun has announced that Tara Bowen will join his staff as an assistant coach for the 2017 season. 

Bowen brings 12 years of coaching experience across the youth, high school and collegiate levels to BW.

Prior to joining the Yellow Jackets, Bowen worked at Force Sports for six years as the Force Soccer Academy Community Technical Director and Lead Soccer Trainer where she would train one-on-one and with groups of children to help them improve at the game of soccer. In addition to her work at Force Sports, she also worked for the North Ridgeville Youth Soccer League as the Girl's Technical Director where she would design the technical expectations for all age levels along with the Player Development Committee.

At the high school level, Bowen has been the Head Varsity Girl's Soccer Coach at North Ridgeville High School since March of 2017. She was also the Head Women's Soccer Coach at Lake Ridge Academy from June 2008 to January 2012 and again from May 2015 to January 2017 where she led the team to a district championship, making school history along the way.

Collegiately, Bowen brings experience from being both a player and a coach in the Ohio Athletic Conference. She coached at Heidelberg College from August 2006 to May 2008 while working on her Master of Arts in education and was instrumental in recruiting the largest freshmen class in over 10 years. As a player, Bowen started all four years at John Carroll University and was named team captain her senior year. She also received second-team All-OAC honors as a sophomore and honorable mention All-OAC honors as a senior.

Other soccer coaching experience includes time spent with Cleveland United from November 2009 to June 2011 and coaching in the Olympic Development Program in 2007-2008.

Bowen, a native of North Ridgeville, graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in English from John Carroll in 2006.