Hello WBCA members!

I am here with another installment of Net.News - the bi-monthly account of my travels and activities as your CEO of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

It has been a few months since I last shared my excursions throughout the country visiting and meeting with colleagues and friends of the WBCA.  Of course my ventures in the women’s basketball realm were capped off with the 2008 WBCA National Convention in Tampa Bay.

Women’s basketball is in such a great position for growth, as you have seen with the momentum behind the WBCA’s breast cancer awareness initiative, with increased attendance throughout the NCAA Tournament, and record television ratings through ESPN’s support and hard work. Now is the best time for us to hit the streets and sell our product – women’s basketball!  

Last year, I shared my top ten highlights from Convention. Tampa Bay brought new experiences and was quite a bit different than Cleveland.  It reminded me of the 2002 event when attendance was up, television ratings were up, we had a Connecticut vs. Tennessee match-up and a great backdrop in San Antonio.   I would like to share with you my top ten most poignant and insightful moments from our time in Tampa Bay:

1. Being the great wordsmith and writer that she is, WBCA President Sherri Coale (Oklahoma) found the word that I had been looking for all year to describe Kay Yow (N.C. State).  Sherri talked about how when you go into a room and Coach Yow’s name is mentioned, the whole countenance of the room changes.  I remember the very first time that I heard the word “countenance”.

It is scripturally based and comes from the story when Moses goes up to meet God.  When he came back down, he had to cover his face because people were scared to look at him because he had been in the presence of God and his whole countenance had changed. Coaches sometimes become so engrossed and myopic in their own programs.  But mention Coach Yow and coaches seem to galvanize around a cause for a higher good.  She keeps us all looking upward toward a fight that is bigger than one coach and any one program. 

This was evident when I was on the stage of the 4Kay Run Presented by The Hartford and looked out in the sea of runners and saw Stanford’s assistant Amy Tucker in attendance on the eve of the semifinals. Then I scanned the participants and saw the University of Florida staff in Gators 4Kay shirts.  It is amazing to watch our coaches rally behind the battle against a disease that affects each of us in some way.

Sherri Coale speaks during the 4Kay Events-in-a-Box Event.

2.During the 4Kay Events-in-a-Box campaign rollout, Coach Yow spoke about how Jim Valvano never got a chance to see his foundation (The V Foundation for Cancer Research) make a difference and how she feels so blessed that she gets to see the work that our nation of coaches is putting into the fight against cancer. 

N.C. State Head Coach Kay Yow during the 4Kay Events-in-a-Box campaign rollout.

3. I ran into C. Vivian Stringer (Rutgers) in the lobby of the Marriott and we had a lengthy terse conversation about her frustrations, feelings of unfairness and anger toward so many of this past season’s happenings. It was a bit uncomfortable, yet much needed for both of us.  The only way to learn and grow from our problems is to engage in honest dialogue.  I let her know that I hear her, and may not have the answers, but she does have my attention.

As I turned to walk away, she grabbed my arm and asked when the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Foundation Board of Directors was meeting and that she would be in attendance.  This again shows that despite the frustrations in our game, Coach Yow pushes us to see the bigger picture in our responsibility to make a difference both on and off the court. 

C. Vivian Stringer during the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund Board meeting.

4. Coach Yow riding the pedcart during the 4Kay Run Presented by The Hartford has to go down in the books as one of my all-time favorite moments from Convention.  She was almost late to the ESPN press conference because she wanted to touch all 800 runners as a gesture of thanks for their support in the fight against cancer.  I think she had her own 4Kay run in order to make it to the press conference just in the nick of time.  Thanks to The Hartford and the NCAA for giving us all this moment!

Debbie Antonelli chauffers an enthusiastic Kay Yow during the 4Kay Run Presented by The Hartford.

5. Pat Summitt (Tennessee) and Tara VanDerveer (Stanford) took time out of their busy schedules in preparation for the semifinals and participated in our first live broadcast of “Shootaround with Beth & Debbie”.  There was standing room only at the event as both Tara and Pat shared with us laughter and insight into the upcoming days of competition.

Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer pays a special visit to the live broadcast of "Shootaround with Beth & Debbie".

6. After losing to the Lady Vols in the semifinals, Coach Van Chancellor (LSU) fought through tight security to get on the Tennessee bus.  He wanted to congratulate them and told them now they have to represent the SEC and bring home the crown.  He also said if they want to win, they are going to have to shoot the ball better!  Obviously, they took his advice. 

LSU head coach Van Chancellor during
the LUS vs. Tennessee semi-final game.

7. The WBCA Board of Directors had the privilege of having Brigadier General Michelle Johnson share a few words during their in-person meeting.  It was hard to even introduce someone so accomplished.  The Executive Committee stood at attention the entire time she spoke. 

Brigadier General Johnson shares an inspirational message with the 2008 High School All-Americans.

8. I called Doug Bruno (DePaul) just before he left for the State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team in-person meeting and asked him to bring an extra suit.  Without hesitation, he agreed to head to San Antonio during Monday of our Convention to represent the WBCA, per an invitation from Myles Brand, at a press conference announcing a new Youth Basketball Initiative (YBI).

Doug Bruno makes a guest appearance at "Shootaround with Beth & Debbie".

9.It was very refreshing when LaVonda Wagner (Oregon State), Jolette Law (Illinois), Coquese Washington (Penn State), Tia Jackson (Washington), Charlene Thomas-Swinson (Tulsa) and Shann Hart (IUPUI)   approached the WBCA leadership and wanted to see how they could get more involved and engaged with the WBCA as minority coaches of our game.

10. It was great having my 81-year-old mother, Hylda, in Tampa Bay.  She had the time of her life.  At the 4Kay Events-in-a-Box campaign rollout, it was priceless when Debbie Antonelli asked for Coach Yow’s former players to stand, and my mother stood up.  She is now an honorary alumni of Coach Yow’s women’s basketball squads! (Again - Coach Yow has that affect on people.)

Hylda Bass with Coach Kay Yow.

A post-convention highlight for me was realizing that my staff is much better at running an amazing convention than at kickball.  Since I am still on the injured reserve list, I was the pitcher for both teams.  What a great sendoff for our interns! 

WBCA staff finishes an exciting game of kickball.

Another post-convention notable is that we used to have trouble finding enough people to populate our ballot for elections.  This year we had 21 nominations for the Division I At Large Representative opening.  That is a far cry from begging people to run for an elected position of the WBCA.  This just shows that people want to get more and more involved in our sport.  We need to continue to capitalize on these opportunities and grow our great game.  Thank you all for finding your niche in the WBCA and using your voice to make a difference!

One thing that I really took away from this year’s convention was realizing that what I love about women’s basketball is that we have an “emotional intelligence”.  We connect with each other, with our student-athletes and with our fans, and that is sacred in our game.  This “connectivity” is what separates us from all other sports.  That is where I feel a very positive infusion in our game at this time, and we cannot lose that unique quality. 
 
As I close, let me insert one business item.  With the end of a great season of women’s basketball also comes the end of the Betty F. Jaynes Internship for six members of our staff.  Hopefully you had the opportunity to meet them at the WBCA National Convention! If any of you are interested in hiring one of our interns or a So You Want To Be A Coach participant, please contact Stephanie Baron for more information.

Also, do not forget that the WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll nomination forms go online on May 19! Thank you all for making the 2007-2008 season an unforgettable one!

Until next time…

Your CEO,

Beth Bass

Be a part of the solution! Join in the fight against cancer by supporting the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. Click here for more information.

Make your tax deductible donation now!

Nike honors Stringer
Nike will name a new development center on its Oregon campus after Rutgers women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer. The C. Vivian Stringer Child Development Center will house 26 classrooms for 300 children beginning in June.

Women’s Tournament Viewership Increases
This year’s women’s basketball tournament was the most viewed ever, according to ESPN. Overall, viewership on ESPN was up 42 percent from last year and ESPN2 saw a jump of 31 percent.

Pac-10 stresses diversity initiatives
The Pacific-10 Conference is recommending that its members adopt a policy to include ethnic minorities and females in searches to hire coaches and administrators. The league recommends that for all coach and administrator searches, institutions should make good-faith efforts to include at least one ethnic minority candidate in the pool of interviewees when hiring an administrator, a head football coach or a men's/women's basketball coach.

Bentley Pulls Away for 800th Win All-Time
Bentley became just the second NCAA Division II women’s basketball team to reach the 800 win mark with a 63-40 Northeast-10 Conference win over St. Michael’s College on February 25.

Three former NJCAA Players Selected in WNBA Draft
Three former NJCAA All-American women’s basketball players were chosen in the WNBA draft. Amber Holt (Southeastern Illinois College/Middle Tennessee State) was taken in the first round, ninth overall. Shannon Bobbitt (Trinity Valley Community College/University of Tennessee) was drafted in the second round, 15th overall and Bobbitt’s teammate Alberta Auguste (Central Florida Community College/University of Tennessee) was taken in the third round, 35th overall.

Parker Signs With Adidas and Gatorade
Former University of Tennessee standout and WNBA top draft pick Candace Parker has signed her first two endorsement deals. Parker, who will play with the Los Angeles Sparks, has agreed to a multi-million dollar shoe deal with adidas as well as a sports drink deal with Gatorade.

Gulf Coast Fights off Central Arizona for NJCAA Division
I National Title With a 10-4 run late in the second half of play, Gulf Coast Community College defeated Central Arizona College 62-61
for the Lady Commodores second national title.

Kirkwood Claims Back-to-Back NJCAA Division II Titles
Kirkwood Community College repeated as NJCAA Division II National Champions with a 78-53 win over Kankakee Community College on March 22.

Monroe College Captures NJCAA Division III National Championship
The Monroe Lady Mustangs took care of business taking down Mohawk Valley Community College 79-48 to claim NJCAA Division III National Championship honors.

Mt. San Antonio College Captures Third Consecutive Title
Mt. SAC (37-1) captured its third consecutive state championship, and fourth in the past five seasons, by defeating Foothill, 65-57, in the championship game of the California
State Championship tournament.

Columbia Basin Hawks win the 2008 NWAACC
Women’s Basketball Championship
The Columbia Basin Hawks won the 2008 NWAACC Basketball Championships 49-37 and complete a successful season with a 28-3 record. Tournament MVP Nikki DePeel was the
highest scorer of the game with 18 points for the Hawks.

Red Team Scores Record 114 Points to Win WBCA High School All-America Game
The future stars of tomorrow shined in Tampa Bay in the 2008 Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School All-America Game presented by Nike, as the Red Team set a new team scoring record in the 114-79 win
over the White Team.

Laney starts women’s basketball program
Laney College will begin fielding a women’s basketball team starting in the 2008-09 season. Ron Williams, a former assistant at San Francisco State and former head coach at El
Cerrito High, will serve as the interim head coach while the school conducts a search for a full-time, permanent coach.

May 19, 2008
WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll Nomination Forms online @ WBCA.org

May 28 – 31, 2008
BCA National Convention in Atlanta, Ga.

June 2, 2008
DI Conference Captains Call (Noon ET)

June 13 – 14, 2008
Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Festivities

June 28 – July 2, 2008
CoSIDA Workshop in Tampa, Fla.

June 30, 2008
Deadline for WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll Nominations

Attention! Remember, you must be a current WBCA member to participate in the WBCA Awards Programs. Please check to make sure your membership is up-to-date!

As you have coaching changes, please keep the WBCA informed.

The WBCA is in search of a Marketing and Sales Intern! For more information, please click here.

Still seeking a coach or camp assistant? Check out the career section by AthleticLink at WBCA.org.

Attention! So are you looking for your next assistant coach?

If you have a coaching vacancy, Nike’s So You Want To Be A Coach participants are the best place to start. For participants’ contact information, please contact Stephanie Baron.

For information regarding these dates, the WBCA, or any of the WBCA programs,
please contact:
WBCA
4646 Lawrenceville Highway
Lilburn, GA 30047
(770) 279-8027 :: Office
(770) 279-8473 :: Fax
wbca@wbca.org