In light of some Title IX concerns expressed by Fullerton College’s softball program, Marcia Foster was promoted to the newly created position of Senior Coordinator of Athletics.

Foster hears these concerns and looks forward to addressing them.

“[Things] are going to change because they need to change. They need to improve, so I hear them, and I understand their frustration. But hopefully, they know that I’m on their side,” said Foster.

Foster’s promotion and newly created role were a part of several initiatives that a third party athletic expert recommended to FC President Cynthia Olivo.

“I’m taking steps to identify how we’re going to address solutions,” said Foster. “I wish that everything could happen in two weeks or a month but that’s not necessarily how things work.”

The guidance included conducting Title IX professional learning, creating two new department level committees- Athletics Facilities and Gender Equity in Athletics, holding a PE Division wide training on Title IX, and having a large team attend the ATIXA national conference and a pre-conference dedicated to athletics, said Olivo via email with The Hornet.

Foster is in charge of both of the new Athletics Facilities and Gender Equity Committees. Her goal is to provide a worthy experience for all student athletes.

“There are other things that we need to do here as well, but making sure our young women participate in a sport of softball [and] have an experience that is worthy of what your experience should be when you come to Fullerton College is my goal,” said Foster.

Foster described her role as one that helps facilitate and assist the athletic department headed by Athletic Director Scott Giles.

Prior to this hiring, she was the Hornets’ women’s basketball head coach for nine years as well as making collegiate stops as a head coach at Cal Tech and Cal State Fullerton. She also served as an assistant coach at Arizona State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal State Fullerton.

“I like to think that the young women that walked out of my program learn life lessons, learn how to compete even when we’re failing, and learn what it meant to be a part of a family and somebody who cared about them,” said Foster.

Foster wanted to be a champion as bad as the next coach, but says she is more grateful that she is a champion of life.

She has coached basketball for 32 years, as her leadership and experience played a huge role in being chosen for this promotion.

In fact, Foster was a result of Title IX herself. She played collegiate basketball for Seton Hall, where she played from 1980-1984. Foster remains top 10 in scoring, field goals made, rebounds, and free throws made in Seton Hall’s women’s basketball history.

“I’m a product of Title IX” said Foster. “We are going to do things with whatever I can do to facilitate us being in compliance with Title IX all across the board. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Foster comes from a family where barriers are broken. Her father, Hank Foster, was the first African American basketball player in Butler University’s history.

Foster was a revered man in his community. When the Plainfield Riots began and 46 automatic weapons were reportedly stolen, Foster along with Olympic Gold Medalist Milt Campbell went door to door in their community, encouraging anyone with stolen guns to toss them away.

“He was very influential in working with the authorities and trying to bring calm to the city because everybody in Plainfield knew Hank and respected him,” said Canon Lyons, Foster’s friend and minister of his church for 41 years according to Foster’s obituary written by Wilson Moore for the Indianapolis Star in 2023.

Marcia Foster continued her family’s legacy of breaking barriers when she coached Garden Grove’s Girls Varsity basketball team from 1991-1995.

In an article written by Mike Terry in the LA Times in 1995, Terry wrote, “Foster doesn’t know if she is the only Black woman coaching basketball at the high school varsity level in the county. She can say, however, that she has not faced another one in her four years at Garden Grove.”

Eight years later, Foster received an opportunity to coach women’s basketball at Cal State Fullerton. From 2003-2009 she was an assistant and an associate head coach, then from 2009-2013 she served as head coach.

In her 10 total years of coaching at CSUF, she led them to 100 wins and double-digit win totals in six of her last seven years. However, Foster was always much more than just a coach.

Throughout her life she stood by the belief in helping others, to inspire young people and to live with passion.

“I’m passionate about young people and serving young people,” said Foster. “I love people in general but the desire to serve and to inspire young people leads to the creation of things, to try to bring people together.”

Foster has participated in a plethora of community service programs and organizations, even creating her own program “I’ll Tell 2”, which spreads awareness of breast cancer and the importance of screening.

Walking into a new role and immediately addressing Title IX concerns is a tall task for anyone, but Marcia Foster believes she’s the right person for the job.

“So why am I a good fit? Because I care and because I’m willing to be uncomfortable as we try to establish some new things we want to do in this department,” said Foster.