LILBURN, Ga. - Emory & Henry College senior Tessa Johnston has been selected to this year's class of the "So You Want To Be A Coach" program offered by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in partnership with WeCOACH.
Johnston, a senior on the women's basketball team, will participate in the three-day workshop on April 3-5 in conjunction with the WBCA Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida. The objectives of the "So You Want To Be A Coach" program are to increase the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women's basketball, increase the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduce female basketball players to coaches and administrators, and raise awareness of the existing talent pool of female basketball players who have a passion and interest in coaching the game of women's basketball.
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"It's hard for me to express how excited I am about being chosen to attend the 'So' program," said Johnston. "I've been following the program since my freshmen year of college and to now say I am going to be a part of it still feels surreal. It's a huge opportunity and I can't wait for all that I am going to learn from this experience."
This year's class includes 60-women from all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA. Johnston is one of only 10 student-athletes chosen from the Division III level. Participants will learn about the administrative side of coaching, recruiting, how to get hired, skill development, the importance of knowing the rules, and how to balance work and life.
"I have been very fortunate to play for such impactful coaches throughout my basketball career and I aspire to one day have the same impact on the upcoming generation of women's basketball players," added Johnston. "I also want to be a strong female leader for young women through basketball, and not only help them grow as players but as people too."
Qualified candidates must have exhausted their final year of basketball eligibility at a four-year institution or have graduated within the past year. In addition, the candidate's head coach has to nominate them and must be an active WBCA member. Each participant is selected based on her academics, contributions to women's basketball on and off the court, professional resume and a written recommendation from their head coach.
"The program is the longest-running education program the WBCA offers, and it remains as popular with member coaches and student-athletes today as it was when it began 16 years ago," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "It is the entry point for women's basketball players who want to coach. Because of their participation in it, more than 400 former college women's basketball players are currently working as coaches or in some role in our sport. Our partnership with WeCOACH enables us to make this program even better."
"Congratulations to these young women who aspire to be future coaches. The WBCA has done a tremendous job in growing this into a premier program, serving a critical need by providing opportunities for former female student-athletes to stay in basketball," said WeCOACH Executive Director Megan Kahn. "We look forward to jointly serving them with a first-class experience and professional entry point into the game they love."
The "So You Want To Be A Coach" program has graduated 874 participants in its 16-year history.
Visit www.WBCA.org for more information on the "So" program.
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