Utah female collegians get a league of their own
"We'd play pick-up ball or rec ball when we could find something," said Shannon Evans, who will be a senior at Westminster this fall.
This summer, however, the Evans sisters, both guards for the Griffins, have a league of their own. For the first time, collegiate women have a basketball league that allows them to play against each other in a legitimate, competitive league.
The 2008 Salt Lake City Women's Collegiate Summer League is certified by the NCAA and runs from mid-June to mid-August, with a tournament at the end. Former club and high school girls basketball coach Cedric Williams conceived the idea after talking with some of his former players about how difficult it was to stay in shape and remain sharp in the long, lazy days of summer.
"I kind of got burned out at coaching, but I couldn't sit still," he said.
Williams donates his time to the league, which is funded by the players, who each pay $85 to play in the league, which ends next week, Aug. 7 and 8, with a tournament. The last league game will be a day earlier, Wednesday, Aug. 6.
For the Carver sisters, it's a chance to play together again, as they play for different college teams. Jessica Carver is leading the league in scoring with about 24 points per game and is in the top five of every statistical category.
The experience Carver is gaining is exactly what her coach hoped she'd acquire by signing up.
"Any time they can get a chance to play with and against Division I players, they like to do it," said Dixie State coach Angela Christensen, who has two players in the league. "It's a chance to play with different kids, and you're not always beating up on your teammates."
Williams said men's players have pro-ams to keep their skills sharp, but traditionally local women college players "have nothing to do all summer."
He ran the idea of a summer league past some college coaches, who were receptive to the idea, and he also found out it's not such a rare thing in other cities.
"I did some research and found out some other places have a league like this," he said. "There are a ton on the East Coast."
The league is especially helpful to players like Dani Hosking, of Davis High, and Amanda Farish, from Lone Peak, who graduated last year and will both begin their freshman season at Southern Utah University this fall.
"For those two, the experience to play against other college players is invaluable," said coach Steve Hodson. "The size, the physicality of the game. ... That's a big positive step in them getting a chance to play here."
Recent comments
nice story but it would be better if the writer spelled DSC coach…
Rebel fan | July 30, 2008 at 9:08 a.m.
