Basketball Building Character

March Madness has been just that MADNESS! The Lady Bears made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament but lost a heartbreaker to NC State in Raleigh, NC. Just yesterday, NC State lost to UConn in the Sweet 16. There are some terrific women who coach women's basketball. Besides our flashy Coach Mulkey...there's the amazing story of Kay Yow, 31 year head coach of NC State who is in stage 4 cancer but came back to coach her team to the Sweet 16. In 1987, Yow was diagnosed with breast cancer, which went into remission. In 2004, the cancer returned, and she underwent diet changes, oral hormonal therapies and radiation. However, in November 2006, it was reported that the cancer was progressing and Yow announced that she would take a leave of absence from the team for an indefinite period of time to focus on her health, including chemotherapy. On January 22, 2007, Yow returned as head coach for the Wolfpack. Her players vowed to play each minute of each game like it was their last, emmulating their coach.



Then, last night, the Lady Blue Devels, coached by Duke coach Gail Goestenkors, ranked #1 in the country all year long, lost by one point to Rutgers. They were down by one point with .1 second to go with their best player, Lindsey Harding on the line with two shots. She missed both. Coach G's post game talk was short and directed straight at Harding: "I will not allow you to let this one moment define who you are. You have never taken credit for our wins, when without you we would not have been here; so you will not take the blame for this loss. It does not define you or your career here at Duke, and it does not define our team."

These two coaches are more interested in coaching young women to be women of character...not just basketball players. Oh if such could be said of all of us who work with young men and women.