Women's Basketball Coaches Association
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| Abbreviation | WBCA |
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| Location |
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Executive Director
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Danielle Donehew |
| Website | http://www.wbca.org/ |
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.
The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.
The mission of the WBCA is:
...to promote women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport of women's basketball and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls
The WBCA provides education for coaches, and promotes the coaching profession with awards for coaches and players. While many of the awards are related to basketball activities, the WBCA recognizes the need for academic as well as athletic excellence and recognizes academic excellence with their Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.
An organizational meeting was held at the Olympic Festival in Syracuse, N.Y. in 1981. Jill Hutchison was named the first president of the organization, before the organization even had a name. Later that year, Betty Jaynes was named the interim executive director of the organization. Jaynes was the head coach of the James Madison University women's basketball team, but she resigned her position to take on the responsibilities of the WBCA. She would serve as the Chief Executive Officer until retiring in November 2000, turning over the position to Beth Bass. Bass joined the organization as Executive Director in 1997, and assumed the role of CEO after the retirement of Jaynes, who continues to serve as a consultant to the WBCA.
The membership is open to virtually all, including institutions. The main membership category is "active" comprising the coaching staff of NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, as well as NAIA, USCAA, junior college and community college coaches. In addition, there are membership categories for high school, AAU and recreational league coaches, as well as coaches on professional teams. Institutions are allowed to become members. Finally, there are affiliate categories for "administrators", "industry professionals" (including media), players, and "fans" (including anyone who is a friend of women's basketball). An "international" membership category is available for individuals, regardless of category, living outside the U.S. and its territories. All members are eligible to attend the WBCA's annual convention except for high school and college players.
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