Hello WBCA members!

After playing catch-up for a few weeks (I’m sure many of you can relate to that!), I am ready to shift into high gear in preparation for the upcoming season. I am always excited to have the opportunity to sit down and download you on the happenings at the WBCA and in the world of women’s basketball.

As I look back from the last time I talked to you, I am always astonished at how much is going on in our sport. It seems like just yesterday that we crowned the 2008 NCAA National Champions, and then brought home the Gold Medal from the Olympics. Soon we will have our 2008 WNBA Champs and then the 2008-09 collegiate season will be on the horizon starting the cycle over for another exciting year! Whoooo…the merry-go-round continues!

Before heading to Newport, Rhode Island, I trekked through my old stomping ground, Boston, and met with New Balance to discuss their plans for the 2009 WBCA National Convention in St. Louis.

Then it was off to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee meeting in Newport. As WBCA President Sherri Coale (Oklahoma) has already shared with you, we had outstanding meetings and 100% in attendance for our Executive Committee.

After the meeting, I headed back to Atlanta to buckle down and get prepped for what I call our “cerebral convention,” otherwise known as our yearly in-person WBCA Board of Directors meeting.

Past WBCA President, Doug Bruno, President Sherri Coale and WBCA CEO Beth Bass during the WBCA Board of Directors meeting.

I did sneak off on July 19 for the Liberty Outdoor Classic, the first ever outdoor WNBA game, where the New York Liberty faced off with the Indiana Fever. Though the three days were hot, humid and hazy, it was very poignant to watch these players compete in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. I truly believe without Billie Jean King’s efforts, these young women may not have had this amazing opportunity. Things do come full circle.

Beth and friends at Liberty Outdoor Classic.

I was very disappointed that I could not make it to San Francisco for the sendoff of the Olympic team to Beijing where they honored my pal Robin Roberts (ABC) – I heard that she was definitely on her A game! However, I was able to join the USA Basketball Board of Directors meeting by teleconference.

Nels Hawkinson (Basketball Travelers Inc.), my unofficial brother in the industry, was in town and I was able to have breakfast with him. It was great to take a deep breath from our Board of Directors planning and brainstorm and feed off of his positive energy and his love of the game. He has such devotion and earnest compassion for the coaches and what you all go through.

The WBCA Board of Directors meeting went well and was very productive, though most of the coaches were dead-dog tired from recruiting. As Sherri mentioned, having Myles Brand (NCAA), Greg Shaheen (NCAA) Lynn Holzman (NCAA) and Sue Donohoe (NCAA) in attendance showed the tremendous support that women’s basketball and the WBCA has from the national office. Now that we have started the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund™, it’s on to the development of the Leadership Institute.

Just like your crazy June and July, I was ready for a little R&R after the WBCA Board of Directors meeting! In August, I escaped to my favorite castaway spot, Key West, for a few days of rejuvenation.

Then I was off to my professional association’s conference, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Did you know that they have an association for associations? The three common themes were diversity, social networking and work-life balance. It is interesting how associations differ so much from business to business, but these topics are universal for all associations.

Next, I was engulfed in the Olympics. As I was in Connecticut for a wedding and watching the gold medal game, it made me reflect on our Olympic history and how things have changed so much over the years. Just as I am sure many of you can rattle off exactly where you were at certain prolific times in history, I can recall with such clarity where I was when watching each of the Olympic games over the years.

In '76, I remember sitting cross-legged on the floor at my home in South Carolina watching us bring home the silver medal and thinking to myself, "there is a future to this sport!" Then in '80, I felt the personal effects of the boycott as several friends were affected. In '84, I watched Pat Summitt (Tennessee) be carried out by Cheryl Miller and Anne Donovan after the USA captured their first gold medal. In '88 N.C. State's Kay Yow brought home the gold from Seoul and in '92 still capturing the bronze medal under the leadership of Theresa Grentz (Immaculata). In '96, it was amazing to be in Atlanta and spend two weeks with Nike from the start to finish experience of the Olympics.

I will always be grateful for the opportunity to see it and experience it from the corporate perspective. In 2000, seeing Nell Fortner (Auburn) win in Sydney and then sitting with Nell while recovering from my major surgery and watching Van Chancellor (LSU) win it in Athens for '04. I remember us calling Van, not expecting him to pick up and hearing the conversation between the two as they shared a heartfelt moment that it was the best thing that ever happened to them, but also the biggest relief! I am sure that's exactly how Anne Donovan felt this year.

While the entire bridal party was at a luncheon, I did not dare move from watching the gold medal game live. And I am sure as many of you did, I cried.

After watching the movie, "The Bucket List," Shannon Reynolds (WBCA COO) and I made our own "bucket list." One of Shannon's "bucket list" items was to go to a Willie Nelson Concert. While at the concert, we were able to check off one of mine as well, which was to meet former President Jimmy Carter. If you look closely at the fine print, you will see that the secret service agent was being distracted by a drunken woman giving me the perfect opportunity to sneak in for a picture. Now, I'm on the security watch list!

Beth meets former President Jimmy Carter.

Next on the agenda was a spectacular 48 hours; it was like winning life's lottery. I headed to the inaugural 4Kay Golf Classic presented by Nike. Only Marsha Sharp (Texas Tech) and Stephanie Glance (NC State) could pull this together and create such a phenomenal atmosphere.

At the Pairings Party, I was able to spend some time with old friends from the LPGA side. What an indescribable experience to serve as a conduit for bridging the gap between some of the best of my two separate worlds - my old LPGA pals and friends of women's basketball.

Coaches Stephanie Glance, Kay Yow and Marsha Sharp
during the 4Kay Golf Classic.

Some of the top coaches in our business would come up and ask to be introduced to LPGA greats Beth Daniel and Meg Mallon. On the flipside, the LPGA players wanted to be introduced to our coaches. It definitely got off to a great start and we look forward to making this Classic a women's basketball tradition in support of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund™.

N.C. State Head Coach Kay Yow, Marsha Sharp and Pat Summitt
visit Mary Kay headquarters.

Following the Classic, Kay Yow (N.C. State), Stephanie Glance, Pat Summitt, Marsha Sharp and myself headed to Mary Kay, a potential founding partner of the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund™. Their philosophy is so in-line with ours in empowering women and building self-esteem. You can imagine after playing in 90-degree heat, we really weren't ourselves. We go in this high rise, very formal business setting straight off of the golf course. Need I say more "without showers!" As we were walking out, Pat spilled her water. She said, "Boy, aren't we just the Clampetts coming to Mary Kay." Overall, the meeting went well and we hope to secure them as a partner in the near future for the Fund.

My life lottery continued. Shannon and I flew straight out to the C. Vivian Stringer Child Development Center dedication. I know how Nike does things and it was first class, but I did not truly expect the absolute pageantry of this.

Beth and Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer, during the C. Vivian Stringer Child Development Center dedication.

I had not recharged my emotional batteries to go from Kay Yow to C. Vivian and seeing the new center. She got to name and honor people in her life, and I felt so fortunate to be able to walk through the private tour as she saw it for the first time. A playground was named after her special needs child, Nina, her two sons and her niece. There was a room dedicated to her late husband. Her mother, two sons and so many people who were dear to her were in attendance. Be sure to read the entire story.

I then headed to the NCAA Corporate Partners Summit. My favorite part was the speed-dating session with the Corporate Partners. I have the speed down, but I am still trying to figure out the dating part! But seriously, it was a great exercise to get in front of six of the nine corporate champions and have some one-on-one time, and try to SELL women's basketball!!!

Make sure you continue to follow the WNBA finals and that you are registered for St. Louis! I know you are looking forward to another season of women's basketball just as much as I am!

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.

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Attention! Check out the WBCA bookstore where you'll find the new release Coaching Basketball Technical and Tactical Skills, plus other must-have basketball resources from the American Sport Education Program and Human Kinetics.

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Still seeking an assistant coach? Make your first stop the WBCA Career Center listed under Resource on WBCA.org. You can also view new job listings and post your resume, open dates and camps.

Alabama A&M Hall grows by 8
Eight members were inducted into the Alabama A&M University Athletic Hall of Fame on August 29, 2008. The Class of 2008 includes Michelle Byas (basketball), and former women's basketball coach Press Parham, who will be inducted posthumously.

Three Bulldogs elected to Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Three University current and former Bulldogs have been elected to the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.Georgia women's basketball coach Andy Landers, former men's basketball coach Hugh Durham, and former All-America football player Terry Hoage were among the nine elected to the State Hall Thursday by the GSHF Honors Court. The new class will be officially inducted on Feb. 28 during ceremonies at the Macon City Auditorium.

UConn recruit DelleDonne enrolls at Delaware for volleyball
Elena DelleDonne has enrolled at Delaware and joined its volleyball team as a non-scholarship member, less than one week after she was released from her basketball scholarship at the University of Connecticut. At a news conference DelleDonne said she has no intention of playing basketball at Delaware anytime soon. The 6-foot-5 DelleDonne said she was "burned out" on the sport and wanted to try volleyball.

Division II sets record for Make-A-Wish fund-raising
The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee set another fund-raising record in its relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation with a total of $283,693 for the 2007-08 academic year. Over five years, the Division II SAAC has collected more than $733,000, constituting one of the largest grass-roots contributions to Make-A-Wish.

Maryville OK'd for D-II
Maryville (Mo.) has received permission from the NCAA to reclassify from Division III to Division II, effective Sept. 1, 2008. The timeline to reclassify to NCAA Division II is a three-year process.

Council supports sport-safety certification for head coaches
Following the failure of two previous efforts to ensure broad access to emergency care for student-athletes, the Division III Management Council is taking a more straightforward approach this year by endorsing co-sponsorship of a conference’s proposal to require head coaches to be certified in first aid, CPR and use of an AED.

Report card underscores WNBA's diversity in ownership, coaches
The WNBA has received the first A-plus given in Richard Lapchick's annual diversity report card on race and gender. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport study, which grades professional leagues on the number of participating women and minorities, shows women own three WNBA teams, up two from 2007 and one the previous year. The number of minority head coaches and players increased, but there was a slight decrease in women and minority assistant coaches.

Mystics' assistant Kenlaw takes over as coach for fired Rollins
The Washington Mystics have fired Tree Rollins as coach and promoted assistant Jessie Kenlaw to the position on an interim basis.

C-USA Launches Classroom On The Court Conference USA and its 12 women’s basketball programs are proud to introduce Classroom on the Court to its fans, community and supporters. Classroom on the Court is a grassroots program that will introduce school children in grades four and five to their local Conference USA Women’s Basketball teams, as well as the entire league, through a curriculum-based program. This program will motivate students to learn in a fun way, using sports as the focus, and ultimately increasing attendance as their affinity for their local women’s basketball team develops and grows. The NCAA established a funding program "to grow women's basketball from the inside out and at a grassroots level." The NCAA also committed annual funding for a three-year program in an effort to specifically enhance Division I women's basketball attendance.

NCAA names women's basketball committee head
Duke associate athletic director Jacki Silar has been chosen chairwoman of the NCAA Division I women's basketball committee for 2008-09.

Basketball pioneer Haskins dies
Don Haskins, one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, died September 7, 2008 at the age of 78. Haskins, who was nicknamed “The Bear,” was the head coach at UTEP from 1961-99, leading the Miners to 719 wins, seven Western Athletic Conference championships, 14 NCAA tournament appearances and the national title in 1966.

Sun's Thibault receives coach of year honors
Connecticut Sun coach Mike Thibault was named the WNBA coach of the year. Thibault received 24 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. San Antonio Silver Stars coach Dan Hughes finished second with nine votes. Seattle's Brian Agler placed third with five votes.

Leslie wins defensive player of year for second time
Los Angeles Sparks center Lisa Leslie was named the defensive player of the year by the WNBA. Leslie received 20 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Tamika Catchings finished second with 16 points.

Hoffman easily wins WNBA's most improved award
The Indiana Fever's Ebony Hoffman was honored as the WNBA's Most Improved Player, earning 31 of the 44 votes from a national media panel.

Taurasi captures second scoring honor
The Mercury's Diana Taurasi, the Sparks' Candace Parker and the Sun's Lindsay Whalen were named the WNBA's Peak Performers for 2008. The Peak Performer awards are given annually to the league's leading scorer and rebounder, as well as the player who leads the WNBA in assists during the regular season. Taurasi, Parker and Whalen each will receive a Tiffany trophy for their accomplishments.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

October 15, 2008
Official start of practice - DII & DIII

October 17, 2008
Official start of practice - DI (5 p.m.)

October 20, 2008
NCAA DI Women's Basketball Committee Fall Meeting (St. Louis, Mo.)

November 3, 2008
USA TODAY ESPN Division I Top 25 Coaches' Pre-Season Poll released

November 4, 2008
USA TODAY ESPN Division II and III Top 25 Coaches' Pre-Season Poll released

November 10, 2008
WBCA High School All-American Nomination Forms available online (deadline is January 14)

November 14, 2008
First permissible contest date for NCAA DI

November 15, 2008
First permissible contest date for NCAA DII and DIII

November 16, 2008
State Farm Tip-Off Classic @ LSU

November 27, 2008
Paradise Jam @ University of the Virgin Islands

November 28, 2008
WBCA/Metro Sports Classic @ Marquette

Attention! 2009 WBCA National Convention Registration is now open! Register and secure your hotel reservations today!

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

The WBCA is in search of a Marketing and Sales Intern, Manager of Awards & Communications Coordinator, and five Betty F. Jaynes Interns! For more information, please click here.

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