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For three days in Indianapolis, three women’s basketball assistant coaches intensely prepared for a goal they all held in common: to be a head coach. They did so in ways they had never experienced.
Maryland associate head coach Karen Blair, Oklahoma associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Amy Wright and Iowa assistant coach Raina Harmon attended the inaugural Champion Forum for Women’s Basketball – an NCAA leadership development event planned for 2020 but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event’s first participants left the experience with more knowledge and growth than they ever imagined. The notebooks they received upon arrival were nearly filled by the time they left.
“These were probably three of the most important days of career development that I’ve done,” Blair said after the event, held May 1-3.
The three participants were selected in collaboration with conference offices, industry experts and NCAA consultants who analyze Division I coaches across the country using rigorous selection criteria. During their Champion Forum experience, they engaged with industry leaders on a variety of topics that included the various components of the head coaching interview process, personal messaging and the process of transitioning to head coach. With an emphasis on the holistic development of student-athletes, the Champion Forum aims for participants to engage in thoughtful, open dialogue about the challenges of coaching at the highest level.
“The thought process of the Champion Forum was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” Wright said. “You go to conventions, you go to different career development events, and you do try to better yourself, but the thought process at this event was specifically for women’s basketball head coaches. I’ve never felt like that before leaving an event.”
“I felt fully immersed in the whole process of it,” Harmon added. “To be able to talk things out with the leaders that were here, I feel confident going back.”
Part of that confidence stems from being better prepared in several ways to take that next step when the opportunity arises.
To enhance their familiarity with the hiring process, the trio participated in mock interviews and learned what to expect when a search firm is involved. Additionally, the group discussed how to navigate a contract negotiation.
“They talked about how many decisions you have to make as a head coach, but just going through that contract and learning how many decisions you have to make to become the head coach, how to negotiate the things that you want and what pieces of the the puzzle you want was eye-opening, “Harmon said. “There’s a lot of work that has to be done before you’re named head coach.”
Blair added: “It was great, though, because I’ve never had a conversation like that. You just don’t get that anywhere else.”
One theme of the Champion Forum focused on helping the coaches effectively communicate their vision for a program to different audiences. As assistant coaches, the participants have spent their careers following the visions and helping create cultures of other head coaches. This was their turn to start fully developing their vision and concisely sharing how they would lead others.
“In terms of that thought process throughout this experience, that was huge because now I know that vision and how to talk through it,” Wright said. “Getting feedback from other people, getting feedback from people in the industry or even feedback that I didn’t want to hear, it was great to have that.”
“We’ve heard this continuously: To be a really good leader, you have to be an effective communicator,” Blair added. “But that next part is who I want to be as a leader. I think I walk away from this knowing now I’m more confident in who I am and what type of leader I want to be.”
All the participants at the Champion Forum were pushed to think deeply about their personal values and the importance of aligning that with their missions as coaches. Memphis women’s basketball head coach Katrina Merriweather, in a conversation with the three participants, stressed the need for coaches to also make sure their values fit any job they’re considering.
“It’s not often that we get to stop and think about what it is that we want as assistant coaches,” Harmon said. “Being able to take that task back and spending some time with myself this summer, figuring out when I get a head coaching opportunity, what is it that I want to do, who am I and what culture am I going to create in my own the program is really important. ”
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