WNBA Women's National Basketball Association

Local Coach Named Coach of the Year

April 24, 2007 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) News Release


NEW YORK, Apr. 19, 2007 - The NBA and WNBA announced today that Janice Harrison of Beale Air Force Base was named Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year for the 2006-07 season. Harrison was chosen from the nearly 75,000 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA coaches in the United States and Canada.

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year program recognizes member coaches who stand out, both on and off the court, exemplify and teach Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA S.T.A.R. qualities (Sportsmanship, Teamwork, positive Attitude, and Respect), while representing the hard work and dedication that make youth sports a rewarding developmental experience for players, parents, officials and other coaches.

"Providing positive examples of sportsmanship and teamwork for youngsters to learn from, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches of the Year teach kids how to play the game the right way," said Bill Laimbeer, WNBA Champion Detroit Shock Coach and Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Advisory Council Member.

"The passion and commitment these coaches bring to youth basketball exemplifies the goals of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA," said Nadine Glinski, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Director. "It was a difficult selecting 30 coaches out of so many deserving candidates, but this group stood out above the rest."

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA member league directors had the opportunity to nominate up to three coaches (male or female) from their league as a 2006-07 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coach of the Year. The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Selection Committee evaluated the coaches on eight categories including preparation, teaching and ethics. The committee also examined the league directors' evaluation forms and letters from parents, players or other coaches associated with the nominee.

Following are the 2006-07 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Coaches of the Year:

Market Name Organization City State

Atlanta Lawrence Stallworth City of Marietta Parks & Rec. Marietta GA

Boston Cathy Maher Newport Recreation Department Newport RI

Charlotte Minor Wiggins Jr Boys & Girls Club of Halifax County Roanoke Rapids NC

Chicago Martin Tate Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks Ridgedale MO

Cleveland Cliff Hawkins Estabrook Recreation Cleveland OH

Connecticut Mary Margaret Manor Hamden Regional Youth Basketball Hamden CT

Dallas Bruce Hyul Rockwall County YMCA Rowlett TX

Denver Ed Budd Littleton YMCA Littleton CO

Detroit Janetta Hubbard Think Detroit PAL Detroit MI

Golden State Marvin Delos Santos City of Hercules Hercules CA

Houston Scott Davis Kids Kingdom Foundation Houston TX

Indiana Tim Maher Jorgensen Family YMCA Fort Wayne IN

LA Clippers Roger Squires Jim Gilliam Recreation Center Los Angeles CA

LA Lakers Andre Eagles Robison Community School League Las Vegas NV

Memphis William "Jo Jo" Smith Gallatin Leisure Services Gallatin TX

Miami Carlos Alamilla Miami All-Stars Miami FL

Milwaukee Jon Morgan Dane Tri-County Basketball Madison WI

Minnesota Peter Green Hancock Recreation Center St. Paul MN

New Jersey Byron Sampson Winslow Township Basketball Sicklerville NJ

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Todd Hughes Durant Junior Basketball Durant OK

New York Paul Hladick Wilton Recreation Wilton NY

Orlando Devonya Mills Orange County Parks & Recreation Orlando FL

Philadelphia Darryl Barkley Platinum All-Stars Basketball Philadelphia PA

Phoenix Mark Nelson Mesa YMCA Jr. Suns Winter League Mesa AZ

Portland Jim Williams Blaine County Recreation District Hailey ID

San Antonio Alfred "Elroy" McElroy Town & Country Optimist Austin TX

Sacramento Janice Harrison Beale Air Force Base Beale AFB CA

Seattle Dave Piland Monroe B&GC Basketball Monroe WA

Toronto Ed Turpin Melville Stars Minor Basketball Happy Valley-Goose Bay Canada

Washington D.C. Alvin Lee Andrews Air Force Base Washington DC

As part of NBA Cares, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA aims to develop a lifelong passion for the game of basketball by providing a support structure that not only encourages participation, but also makes the game fun and rewarding to over two million players, coaches, officials and parents involved in the program globally. Completing its sixth season, the league emphasizes fundamental skill development, S.T.A.R. qualities (Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect) for players, parents, coaches and officials and the importance of practicing a healthy and safe lifestyle.

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA provides instructional materials to players, parents, coaches and officials created by a distinguished group of experts, including nationally-recognized youth sports expert Rick Wolff, the National Association of Sports Officials (NASO), and the Jr. NBA/ Jr. WNBA Advisory Council comprised of Ray Allen (Seattle SuperSonics), Mike Bibby (Sacramento Kings), Sue Bird (Seattle Storm), Danny Crawford (NBA Official), Lisa Mattingly (WNBA Official), Bill Laimbeer (head coach of the Detroit Shock), Doc Rivers (head coach of the Boston Celtics), Tina Thompson (Houston Comets) and Bill Walton (Hall-of-Famer and ABC/ESPN analyst).

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