Women's Sports Foundation/WBCA Graduate Assistant of the Year Award

Definition
The Women's Sports Foundation/WBCA Graduate Assistant of the Year Award, as selected by the Women's Sports Foundation, is awarded annually to a female graduate assistant coach in recognition of her contribution to a collegiate women's basketball program and her committment to becoming a coach of women's basketball. A donation of $1,000 from the Women's Sports Foundation is made in her honor to her Women's Basketball Program.

Eligibility
All female graduate assistant coaches who intend to pursue a career in coaching.

Criteria
*Work ethic
*Knowledge of the game
*Relationship to staff, players and administration
*Community work
*Commitment to the coaching profession, including knowledge of recruiting rules, and a commitment to ethical recruiting
*Intent to pursue a career in coaching
*Anonymous essay from nominees coach stating why she is deserving of the award (250 word essay).
*Anonymous essay from the graduate assistant stating why she is committed to coaching (250 word essay).

Nomination
Only active A and active B WBCA head coaches are eligible to nominate an individual for this award. Nominations include one anonymous 250-word essay from the nominating coach stating why his or her graduate assistant is deserving of the award and one 250- word essay from the nominee, explaining why she is committed to coaching. Nomination forms are made available to all eligible members via the WBCA website (WBCA.org) in January.

Selection
Nominations and essays for the Women's Sports Foundation/WBCA Graduate Assistant of the Year are reviewed and a recipient is selected by The Women's Sports Foundation according to the criteria above.

Presentation
The Graduate Assistant of the Year Award winner is presented annually at the WBCA Awards Luncheon during the WBCA National Convention. A representative from the Women's Sports Foundation will present the award to the recipient.

Past Graduate Assistant of the Year Award Recipients
2008 - Branden Lippy, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
2007 - Kim Edmondson, University of Arkansas, Monticello
2006 - Dana Ferguson, DePauw University
2005 - Allison Wooley, Trinity University (Texas)
2004 - Jeanette Wedo, East Stroudsburg University
2003 - Susan Blauser, Clarion University
2002 - Stacy Frese-Huber, University of Evansville
2001 - Angie Kristenson, Northwestern Missouri State University
2000 - Jennifer Zinn, Trinity (Texas) University
1999 - Linda Riedman, University of Portland
1998 - Darrah Metz, Marshall University
1997 - Shelly A. Respecki, Clarion University of Pennsylvania
1996 - Penny Michelle Roberson, Appalachian State University
1995 - Nichie Bendt, Bemidji State University
1994 - Krissi Davis, DePaul University
1993 - Missy Sallade, Virginia Commonwealth
1992 - Marla Uhler, Humboldt State University
1991 - Heather Podosek, Texas Woman's University