University of British Columbia Athletics

Eighteen years UBC women's field hockey coach -- six Western Canadian titles in eight years. Six years guided Women's Athletics at UBC. Acknowledged as perhaps the foremost builder of women's field hockey in this province.

Barbara "Bim" Schrodt, a 1947 graduate of Vancouver, BC’s, Magee High School and later a UBC field hockey player, was in 1957 announced as UBC's newly appointed women's field hockey coach. She was taking over from her mentor, May Brown. Schrodt would guide this successful program for the next eighteen years, eventually stepping down to continue her teaching at UBC until retirement in 1994.

It was in 1957/58, that "Bim" would begin to lay the foundation for the development of the women's athletic program at UBC. For the next six years, she served as UBC Women's Athletics Executive Secretary, helping develop opportunities for women and moving the program toward what it is today. She established the groundwork for what Marilyn Pomfret so successfully accomplished for women's sports later in the 1960s and '70s. Schrodt was dedicated to women's sports, to teaching and to UBC and maintained high expectations and high standards in all these areas.

As UBC's coach for 18 years, Schrodt's teams carried on the school's successful record, registering for ten years prior to entrance into Canada West, championship victories at the annual Northwest Collegiate Grass Hockey Tournament. Many times UBC would be undefeated and sometimes unscored upon at this multi-university international competition.

With the introduction of the Western Canada Field Hockey Conference in 1967/68, Schrodt proceeded to guide UBC to WCIAU and Canada West titles in 1969, 70, 71, 72, 73 and also 1974, before retiring as coach after the 76/77 season. Schrodt's winning record of six championships in her eight WCIAU/Canada West years advanced to her successor Gail Wilson, a prized tradition, one that has afforded women's field hockey a special place in UBC history.

Schrodt was passionate about field hockey. Her team was her family. She also ran clinics for coaches and umpires, which resulted in the game of field hockey along with its coaching techniques taking hold throughout the province, particularly at the school level. She became instrumental in the application of the international field hockey rules, both here in BC and across Canada. 1999 saw her acknowledged by the province of BC as she was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder. In 2021, Bim was selected for induction into the Canadian Field Hockey Hall of Fame.

During her 37 years of teaching at UBC, Schrodt also served as an athletic historian, the area in which she received her Doctorate. Over the course of 41 years with the Blue and Gold as a player, coach, administrator and teacher, it has been the game of field hockey, women's athletics and students from across the province who have been the beneficiaries of the work and dedication of Dr. "Bim" Schrodt.

Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian