BS: A different Coal Miner's Daughter-Rutgers BB

Subject: BS: A different Coal Miner's Daughter
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 04:27 PM

C. Vivian Stringer, the headcoach of the women's basketball team at Rutger's, the team that Imus used racial slurs against, has written an autobiography, "Standing Tall." I heard her on NPR, today and she is a remarkable woman. Young women, for that matter all women, can benefit from her example. She is the daughter of a coal miner and spoke often of her father and the examples he set, including going back to work right after rehab after losing both legs at 45. She has been through a lot of trials herself, but I found her to be one of the most positive and inspirational speakers I've heard in quite some time. Apparently other listeners did, too. One woman called to ask when she would run for President!

You can listen to the Talk of the Nation audio of it after 6pm, today, on THIS PAGE where you may also read an excerpt, a very touching one. Here is the blurb from npr:

C. Vivian Stringer, head coach of the Rutgers University women's basketball team, discusses her 800th career game win, bouncing back from radio host Don Imus' racial slur against her team, and her autobiography Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph.

"I am the last stop before the young women I coach take their place in society," Stringer writes, "and it is a responsibility that I take seriously. My goal is to give them the confidence to dream big and the skills to overcome any challenge they face, whether it's under the basket or in the boardroom."

Stringer talks with guest host Robert Smith about the challenges she has faced — from fighting for a spot on an all-white cheerleading squad, to the unexpected death of her husband, to her own struggle with cancer. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and has been named National Coach of the Year.

Subject: RE: BS: A different Coal Miner's Daughter
From: wysiwyg
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 08:42 PM

Saw interviews with her. Strong woman.

A friend of mine just retired from coaching collegiate swimming; she has said that coaching in today's culture is not generally as rewarding as it was say, 10 years ago.... that the me-me-me enculturation of so many of this generation's young women in particular makes it hard to coach in an environment where the coach has to be nice to the young ladies at the expense of honest assessment of the effort they put in and the commitment they demonstrate. Apparently not all uni's are as supportive of strong coaches as others, so I think some credit is due to the school as well.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: A different Coal Miner's Daughter-Rutgers BB
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 13 Mar 08 - 09:28 PM

She used to coach the Iowa BB team. After her husbad died she went back east to be closer to her family. We were very sorry to see her go. Not many like her to be sure.