Jen Jordan

Congratulations to Jen Jordan, longtime PAL Cross Country coach and mentor, on being named Nashua PAL’s 2026 Coach of the Year!

Jen’s impact on PAL Cross Country began even before she became a coach. When her husband, Tom, became volunteer Director of the Cross Country program in 2011, Jen jumped in to help with the enormous amount of organization that happens behind the scenes. Two years later, when the Girls 8U team needed a coach, Jen saw an opportunity to provide consistency and create a space of their own for PAL’s youngest female runners. She was nervous as her own children had long since passed that age, but she stepped up. More than a decade later, she’s still making a big impact!

For Jen, coaching has never been just about running. At the beginning of each season, many of her young athletes arrive nervous and shy, but by the end of the week, they are best friends. Jen says, “I love to watch their growth together. Providing that space for the girls is so important, and it’s not all about running. It’s building teamwork, friendships, and learning how to support each other. It’s doing something you didn’t think you could do, and having fun.”

Jen’s hope for every girl she has coached: “I hope that they remember that I believed in them. I believed they could do hard things and they keep that with them when things get hard.” The results speak for themselves: Jen has qualified a team for the USATF Youth National Championship every year she has coached. But another measure of her success is how many girls keep running long after leaving her team, and how many eventually come back to give younger athletes the experience Jen gave them.

Elsie Goyette first ran for Jen at age 8 and returned nearly a decade later to help coach Jen’s U8 team. “As my first coach, Coach Jordan built the foundation for my passion for running,” Elsie shared. Coaching with Jen this year gave Elsie a new perspective on the coach who had influenced her own childhood. “After working with her young athletes, I have truly seen and understood the kindness, patience, and encouragement she brings to every practice. Through PAL, I not only had an amazing coach but also an incredible role model and inspiration. One day, I hope to be half the person Coach Jordan is.”

When asked about moments she’ll never forget, Jen couldn’t choose just one. She remembers Emma, a young lacrosse player who joined PAL simply to get better at running. At first, Emma alternated between running and walking, and Jen just consistently encouraged her to try running the entire course alongside her. A few weeks later, she did it! Emma returned to PAL year after year. Jen also remembers one Nationals race, where snow, ice, and mud made for a difficult course. When one young runner, later discovered to have a double ear infection, couldn’t finish and was devastated that she had “let her team down,” Jen reminded her that showing up and doing her best was enough, and watched with pride as her teammates rallied around her! Then there was another Nationals, where Jen encouraged her fastest runner to recognize her potential without putting pressure on her. The young athlete rose to the challenge, inspiring her teammates and helping every girl on the team achieve a personal best while chasing her. What Jen remembers most was how genuinely excited that runner was for her teammates’ success, not just her own.

Outside of PAL, Jen serves her community as an elected Ward Clerk and has a professional background in supply chain management. She and Tom have five children and a very full house that includes two dogs, five cats, chickens, and the occasional rescue dog from Aruba that Jen fosters until they find their person.

Being named Coach of the Year isn’t attention Jen ever expected. “I get more from the kids than they get from me. My favorite kind of transformation isn’t a finish time or placement, but a child realizing “I can do this.”” she said. And for anyone thinking about coaching, her advice is simple: “Do it! If you’re thinking about it, do it! It’s rewarding, challenging, and fun. Juggling everything in life is a lot, but it’s so fun to see these kids push themselves and grow as athletes and little humans.”

Congratulations, Jen, on being named Nashua PAL’s 2026 Coach of the Year!