Don't Wait---Nominate!

This season is flying by, isn't it? Seemed like just yesterday that we had an Auction--which was before Thanksgiving! Coming up real soon is the annual Fan Appreciation day on Saturday, February 21. This is a day to honor FBCers and volunteers at the Post Game tent.

There is always one very special presentation of the Margie Santillian Fan Spirit Award. This award was established in memory Margie, one of the original Uber Boosters for the WBB program. Margie was supremely dedicated to all things Cardinal and it is SO fitting that this award bears her name.

I have told this story before, but here is an example of Margie's fandom--we once traveled to Oregon State for the game. We were quite rushed and only had time to pick up tacos from a drive-thru before the game. This was when OSU was our main competitor in the PAC 10 and we were tense. But the Cardinal prevailed! After that, Margie insisted that we all eat tacos before every game until there was a game was lost. Wouldn't you know that a long winning streak would follow? It took me a long time before I could look a taco in the eye!

So what's the award all about?

This award is presented annually to a member of the Fast Break Club who has enthusiastically supported the team and coaching staff during the basketball season, participated in some volunteer aspect of the Fast Break Club, promoted camaraderie among the boosters,
solicited new game attendees, season ticket holders and Fast Break Club members, and
attended one or more away games (not including Cal or any other Bay Area locations).

Do you know someone deserving of this award? Let the Selection Committee know before February 6th! Submit your nomination by email to Jackie Anderson, or speak to her at a game or post-game tent before the 6th.

Last year's winners, Dave and Marian Cortesi, are pictured above. And I am proud to say I am a past winner as well. Nothing has ever honored me more.

Tara's Coaching Tree

With last week's visits by the Washington schools and their respective head coaches, it got me to wondering about how many coaches are a product of Tara's teachings. Spending a little time with the FBC Alumni site and remembering some stuff on my own, I have compiled a pretty impressive list! Any way you look at it, our Hall of Fame coach continues to have a large effect on the Game!

Former Players

Jennifer Azzi owns Azzi Training, a company that offers online personal coaching, basketball training camps, and Wellness Days around the country

Ann Adkins Enthoven was an assistant coach at Stanford

Christina Batastini was an assistant coach at Brown University for a season and is the president and head instructor of the Batastini School of Basketball in Providence, R.I.

Leslie Crandell was an assistant men's basketball coach at Westmont College for two seasons

Milena Flores is an assistant coach at Princeton and has been assistant coach at University of Pacific, Lehigh and Yale

Regen Freuen is coach of the girls' basketball team at Mead High School in Spokane, WA.

Molly Goodenbour is head coach at UC Irvine, after two years as head coach at Chico State, a year as assistant coach at the University of San Francisco and three years as head Coach at Santa Rosa Junior College

Tara Harrington was an assistant coach at Cal State Northridge and Montana State-Bozeman

Anita Kaplan was an assistant coach at Santa Clara

Bobbie Kelsey is an assistant coach at Stanford and has coached basketball at Virginia Tech, Western Carolina, Evansville, Florida, and Boise State

Vanessa Nygaard is an assistant coach for the WNBA Washington Mystics after coaching with the San Antonio Silver Stars and Pepperdine

Kate Paye is an assistant coach at Stanford and was assistant coach at Pepperdine University and San Diego State

Martha Richards is head women's golf coach at the University of Texas

Olympia Scott is the founder of A Wonderful Life! Coaching, a life coach, motivational speaker and author

Charmin Smith is an assistant coach at Cal, after three years as assistant coach at Stanford, and a year at Boston College

Katy Steding is an assistant coach of the WNBA Atlanta Dream and was head coach at Warner Pacific College

Trisha Stevens was head coach at Boise State for six years, after being assistant coach for three years

Angela Taylor is Vice-President and General Manager of the WNBA Washington Mystics and was an assistant coach at Texas A&M, the University of Arizona, and at Stanford for two seasons

Charli Turner Thorne has been head coach at Arizona State since 1996

Val Whiting owns GameShape, a sports performance training facility

Lindsey Yamasaki is head women's basketball coach at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco

Jill Yanke coached basketball at Boise State

Former Assistant Coaches

Beth Burns is head coach at San Diego State

June Daugherty is head coach at Washington State after a long stint at UW

Tia Jackson is head coach of the Washington Huskies

Carolyn Jenkins is an assistant coach with the Minnesota Lynx

Julie Plank is the head coach of the Washington Mystics

Karen Middleton is an assistant coach at Illinois

Julie Rousseau is head coach at Pepperdine

In the Tarasphere

Dawn Staley is head coach at South Carolina and has attributed much of her coaching success the lessons learned as a member of the 1996 Olympic team

Nikki McCray and Carla McGhee are both assistants to Dawn at USC

Teresa Edwards has coached in both the ABL and WNBA

Heidi VanDerveer is head basketball coach at Occidental College

Did I miss anyone? I thought about Marianne Stanley too,

but she pretty much stands on her own as far as coaching is concerned!

So how lucky are we to watch as each season unfolds with

this Legend on our sidelines?