The application for special interest groups is closed. The deadline to apply was 5 p.m. ET, Tuesday, Oct. 10.
The WBCA Convention — the nation’s largest meeting of women’s and girls’ basketball coaches — provides a unique opportunity for members and affiliated constituent groups to connect and share among themselves and with each other.
**A special interest group (SIG) is a community within a larger organization with a shared interest in advancing a specific area. This follows a "support group" format.**
Convention attendees benefit when they engage within smaller subgroups of the membership, especially concerning diversity of race and ethnicity, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or other expression of their unique experience. They also learn about the activities of affiliated constituent groups that work closely with the WBCA to promote and enhance the sport by interacting with representatives of those organizations.
Special interest group policy and application
The WBCA Board of Directors adopted a policy governing the application and approval of requests for meeting space at the WBCA Convention by not-for-profit special interest groups. This policy provides staff with guidance in processing requests from outside groups for space to hold educational gatherings, social gatherings or both — in conjunction with the WBCA Convention.
This policy encourages these diverse groups to come together as part of the larger convention by establishing clear and consistent guidelines and procedures that allow the WBCA to better accommodate, facilitate and help promote group meetings and social gatherings.
The policy:
- Ensures all requests are considered in an equitable and orderly manner;
- Minimizes scheduling conflicts with WBCA Convention programming;
- Requires the purpose of the group be compatible with that of the WBCA;
- Promotes inclusivity;
- Gives preference to groups with longstanding affiliation or that exhibit with the WBCA; and
- Protects the interests of WBCA corporate sponsors which provide significant financial support to the association.
To apply, one must:
- Be a WBCA member. Click here to become a member or call 770-279-8027 (prompt 2) to renew.
- Not represent a for-profit entity.
- Use, complete in its entirety, and submit to the WBCA office by the prescribed deadline the online application provided by the WBCA.
- Agree to hold your meeting on the date and during the time block the WBCA specifies within the WBCA Convention schedule for all such meetings.
- Agree to hold your meeting in the room assigned by the WBCA. The number of meeting rooms are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Agree that your meeting must be inclusive. No special interest group may deny any WBCA Convention attendee access to its meeting.
- Complete in its entirety the application provided online by the WBCA by the deadline prescribed.
Please direct all questions to Abby Davis at adavis@wbca.org.