Feb. 7, 2014
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky women’s basketball senior guard Kastine Evans has been selected to participate in the 12th annual Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, “So You Want To Be A Coach” program. The three-day workshop will be held April 4-6 in conjunction with the WBCA National Convention in Nashville.
The objectives of the “So” 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, 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.
“The interest in the ‘So You Want To Be A Coach’ program has been phenomenal and we are glad to see the benefits it has had on so many females,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. “The WBCA continues to improve and develop the program year in and year out and we look forward to seeing these future coaches develop into great leaders for the game of women’s basketball.”
Evans, a native of Salem, Conn., ranks fourth on the team in scoring this season for the No.15/13 Wildcats with 9.9 points per game to go with 3.2 rebounds per game. She is shooting 36.9 percent from 3-point range and 37.9 percent overall this season and has started in all 21 games she has played. Additionally, Evans was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 2 First Team by CoSIDA last week and she is a nominee for the prestigious Allstate WBCA Good Works Team.
“Just understanding the people who have been through the program, it’s definitely an honor,” Evans said. “They’ve developed a lot of coaches who are coaching now and some of our former players like Crystal Riley and Amber Smith have been a part of the program. They are people who I look up to, so it’s really important knowing that I’m kind of in the group they are in. They are really great people and it’s a great program and they take a lot of time out to improve us young women who aspire to be coaches, so I’m just really excited for the opportunity.”
Evans is one of three student-athletes from the Southeastern Conference, joining Florida’s Jaterra Bonds and LSU’s Jeanne Kenney. “So” participants will learn about recruiting, the administrative side of coaching, how to get hired, skill development, the importance of knowing the rules and how to balance work and life.
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 must be an active WBCA member and nominate them. 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 her head coach.
Sponsors for the “So” program are the WBCA and the NCAA Matching Fund for the Advancement of Ethnic Minority Women Coaches and Officials.
Follow UK Hoops on Twitter and Instagram at @UKHoopCats and on Facebook by liking University of Kentucky Women’s Basketball.
