Samantha Sparks Ekstrand co-founded the Durham, North Carolina, law firm Ekstrand & Ekstrand with her husband in 2002. She specializes in sports law, advising college coaches on contract negotiations, investigations, crisis management, separation agreements and gender equity matters. Her work also includes supporting coaches associations through board advising, legislative drafting and NCAA lobbying efforts. Ekstrand frequently presents at conventions, conferences and athletic departments across the country. Her client base primarily consists of coaches in women’s sports, including softball, lacrosse, field hockey, soccer and ice hockey.
A native of New England, Ekstrand earned her B.A. in history and government, cum laude, from Dartmouth College, where she played on the women’s lacrosse team. She went on to earn both her J.D. and an M.A. in history from Duke University. She served for seven years as a volunteer assistant coach for the Duke University women’s lacrosse team, during which time she had the honor of coaching her youngest sister, Form of 2001 alumna and Loomis Medal winner Stefanie Sparks Smith, who captained the team to an NCAA Final Four berth and an ACC Championship in 2005.
A teacher and a coach at heart, Ekstrand has taught high school history in Connecticut and North Carolina, and Law & Governance at the SPS Advanced Studies Program. She loves sports and has coached many teams at all levels from youth, high school, travel, and college.
Ekstrand lives in Durham with her husband, Bob, and five children: Emmaline ’21, triplets William ’24, Eliza ’24 and Samuel ’24 and Eloise ’28.