Ethel Walker School
Our lacrosse program provides our varsity-level athletes with interscholastic competition at the very highest level allowing experienced players to continue on their path elevating their play, while providing our JV team with an introduction to the skills and strategies needed to develop as a player. Our program explores the sport across generations to deepen our players’ understanding of the sport’s growth and popularity among girls.
Walker’s lacrosse team competes in the Class C Western New England Prep School League (NEPSAC). Walker’s won the Class C title in 2005, 2008, and 2009 and placed second in 2007. Walker’s lacrosse also competes in the prestigious Founders League. League competitors include Choate, Taft, Hotchkiss, Loomis, Westminster, Kent, Kingswood Oxford, and Miss Porter’s.
Head Coach
Mimi Duran has 30 years of coaching experience, both in independent and public schools. She began her tenure at Walker’s in fall 2007 leading an aggressive field hockey effort, winning seven CISAC League titles, six CISAC Tournament titles, and the Class C WNEPSA Championship title in 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. Her teams have appeared in the WNEPSA Field Hockey Tournament in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2014 through 2019.
Mimi most recently worked as varsity field hockey coach at Cheshire High School where her team was a finalist in the State Tournament. Prior to that, she was coach at Wamogo High School in Litchfield, CT. While coaching at Wamogo, her teams made six CIAC semi-final appearances, and won six Berkshire League Championships. Mimi is a Coach of the Year recipient from both CHSCA and CFHCA. She is a NFHCA 200 Victory Club Award recipient, and has been selected to membership in the New Agenda: Northeast Women’s Hall of Fame. In 2015, Mimi was inducted into the Connecticut Field Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2019, Mimi received recognition from the NFHCA for her 300th career win and recently was awarded the M.D. Nadal Award for Sportsmanship, given annually by heads of school and athletics directors from the Founders League.
Mimi holds a Connecticut coaching certification, Level 2 United States Field Hockey Association (USFHA) coaching certification, and is a member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (USFHA), the Connecticut Field Hockey Coaches Association, and a USFHA “future’s coach.” Mimi has taken nine teams to the National Field Hockey Festival and has traveled with her teams to play in Europe and South America. Several of her former players have earned Founders All-League, WNEPASFH and NEPSAC Field Hockey recognition, Regional All-American recognition, NFHCA All–Academic recognition and have played Division I, II and III field hockey at the collegiate level. Several alumnae have pursued coaching and currently coach at the high school level.
In addition to her coaching duties, Mimi Duran is Associate Athletic Director. She holds a Master’s degree in Professional Sports Management from Georgetown University.
