Phyllis Templin’s life-long work has been highlighted by extensive advocacy and support of women’s sports. The advancement of athletic opportunities for females during her career has been remarkable. She spent decades spurring that growth.

Templin has been a champion for women’s sports as a softball coach, athletic director and conference administrator, mostly at Tacoma Community College and the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges. She was the first female athletic director at Tacoma Community College as well as the NWAACC’s first female athletic director. Emerging from the new freedoms presented by the passage of Title IX in 1972, she helped grow women’s athletics at TCC. She was also a member of the NWAACC’s Executive Board for eight years (including two as board chair) helping bring more equality to men’s and women’s sports.

Templin chaired several sports committees and was on the Basketball Officials Advisory Board. She retired from TCC in 1998, having spent 18 seasons as the school’s women’s athletic commissioner.

“Having the opportunity to be right in the middle of college athletics as Title IX began to provide women with equal opportunity,” was a highlight of her career, Templin said. “And the wonderful coaches and staff at TCC for 32 years spent working there.”

Her athletics involvement advanced a long way from the days in the 1950s when tennis was the only sport offered for girls at her high school (Wahkiakum in Cathlamet, Wash., along the lower Columbia River). In addition to coaching and administration roles, she continued to play tennis for decades, wrapping up her competitive play in U.S. Tennis Association senior circuit events at age 77.

After graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in 1959, Templin taught physical education classes at PLU for two and a half years. She then went on to earn a master’s degree from Oregon State University. After a few years off from work to have children, she began working at Tacoma Community College, teaching PE classes. From there, her administrative role kept growing.

Templin’s work and accomplishments as TCC’s athletic director didn’t go unnoticed. She was named the Dutch Triebwasser Athletic Administrator of the year in 1998. She also worked with NWAACC on many special projects, investigations and advisory committees. She fought very hard for equality for women’s sports and the issues of women’s athletics.  

In addition to her work as an AD at TCC, Templin also managed the office in the Tacoma Dome for high school state basketball championships for over 20 years.