Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

ATLANTA - The 2008 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School All-Americans and members of the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team will visit children at the Shriners Hospital in Tampa Bay, Fla., on Sunday, April 6 as part of their weekend activities.

The 20 members of the WBCA High School All-America Team will visit with children at the Shiners Hospital located on the campus of the University of South Florida, along with members of the NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches' All-America Team who are participating in the NCAA Women's Final Four. The student-athletes will participate in various activities with children at the hospital including crafts and games. A wheelchair basketball game is in the process of being organized.

The visit to the Shriners Hospital is a part of a weekend itinerary for the WBCA High School All-America Team that includes the 2008 WBCA High School All-America Game presented by Nike on Saturday, April 5 held at the Sun Dome on the campus of the University of South Florida. Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Reserved seats are available for $15 and can be purchased by calling 813-287-8844 or by visiting wbca.org or ticketmaster.com.

This marks the 17th year that the WBCA has sanctioned a girls' high school all-America team. The inaugural WBCA's High School All-America Game was held April 17, 1992 at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn. The second and third annual games were also played at Oman Arena. The 1995 game, which marked the beginning of Nike's title sponsorship, was played in Altoona, Penn. The event moved east to Philadelphia in 1996 and south to Nashville in 1997. The game was then held in Hartford, Conn., from 1998 until 2002. The game made its debut as part of the "WBCA Night of All-Stars" in 2003 and now stands on its own at the sight of the WBCA National Convention each year.

About Shriners Hospital
Shriners Hospitals for Children is a one-of-a-kind international health care system of 22 hospitals dedicated to improving the lives of children by providing specialty pediatric care, innovative research and outstanding teaching programs. Children up to the age of 18 with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate are eligible for admission and receive all care in a family-centered environment at no charge - regardless of financial need.

About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport of women's basketball and to foster and promote the development of the game of basketball as a sport for women and girls.  For more information on the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.