Off the Backboard: January, 2010
Welcome to our online version of "Off the Backboard."
Happy New Year from the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame! 2009 was a great year for the WBHOF and we are hopeful that 2010 will be even better. This issue, just our third electronic version, will give you a glimpse into what's ahead in women's basketball and at the WBHOF.
Don't forget, if you would still like to receive a hard copy of this newsletter please click here to email your request, along with your updated contact information.
As always, thanks for your support of the WBHOF!
A Letter from our VP
Happy New Year Women’s Basketball Fans!
At the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, we are excited about 2010 and all that comes with it. Plans have already begun for our 2010 Induction weekend, 4Kay Run/Walk, Select Camp, State Farm Tip-Off Classic, as well as multiple other events at the Hall or around Knoxville. Before we get too far into 2010, I want to take a moment to look back at 2009.
I am pleased to report that we have had another successful year of business at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. As you know, 2009 was a difficult year for many, including the WBHOF. With our nation experiencing tough economic times, we knew it would hit close to home, but we stayed focus on our goals, remained positive and used some creative marketing techniques to reach out to customers, old and new. After all was said and done, we hosted another wonderful Induction Weekend, State Farm Tip-Off Classic, a couple of new events (our inaugural 4Kay Run/Walk and 2009 Select Camp) and were involved in countless other initiatives as we worked to fulfill our mission statement to “honor the past, celebrate the present and promote the future” of women’s basketball.
The WBHOF hosted 59 corporate events, 6 weddings, 66 birthday parties, 32 time-out camps, 20 group tours, 13 education programs and 6 Girl Scout badge programs – a total of 202 events – during our 2009 fiscal year. We were pleased to see some repeat business, as well as some new faces throughout the year. Our annual Girl Scout Sleepover, Covenant Senior Day and Clayton Homes Boomsday events were held again in 2009 and the Girl Scout Sleepover and Covenant events are already scheduled for 2010. In fact, already in the first quarter of the new fiscal year, we have hosted 90 total events and are looking forward to the next seven months.
I am proud to report that the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame was able to impact the community in many ways throughout 2009. We participated in the Knox County Inner-City School Reading Program, Junior Achievement, Toys for Tots, United Way Fund Drive, Medic Blood Drive, Butterfly and Bowties Fund and The American Heart Association Go Red for Women Campaign. Giving back is something we take very seriously and will continue to be involved in our community with in the New Year.
During the last few months of 2009, we also became actively involved in a couple of different social media outlets and our support has been growing fast. We have over 1,000 fans on our facebook page and 100 followers on twitter. If you haven’t found us already, follow us!
Most of all, I’m excited to say that the atmosphere at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame throughout 2009 and looking ahead into 2010 is better than ever. In addition to our full-time staff, we have a great group of part-time employees and interns that make the WBHOF a great place to work and a fantastic spot to visit, or host an event. Our team continues to be committed to our mission at the hall.
Lastly, I want to extend a big “Thank You” to our WBHOF and SMI board members, past inductees, and business partners! We appreciate you and all of your support. Enjoy the rest of the 2009-10 women’s basketball season and we look forward to seeing you all in June for our 2010 Induction Weekend!
Best wishes,
Dana Hart
Vice President/General Manager
2010 Induction - Save the Date!
The WBHOF announced its Class of 2010 during the 2009 WNBA All-Star Game on ABC July 25th. The inductees were honored during halftime at the 2009 State Farm Tip-Off Classic at the University of Tennessee on November 15.
The Class of 2010 includes former WNBA standouts and Olympians Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Edwards and Teresa Weatherspoon, former Maryland Coach Chris Weller, longtime high school girls' basketball coach Leta Andrews and Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation President and CEO Gloria Ray.
The Class of 2010 will officially be inducted into the WBHOF on June 12, 2010 at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville, TN. Tickets will go on sale in the next few months, but be sure to mark the date on your calendar now so that you can be a part of this prestigious event.
Congratulations Class of 2010 Inductees - We look forward to getting to know you over the next year and welcoming you into the WBHOF family!
2nd Annual 4Kay™ Run/Walk
The WBHOF will host the second annual 4Kay™ Run/Walk in Knoxville on June 12. Last year, approximately 300 people were in attendance to lace up their shoes for a good cause! Proceeds will benefit women's cancer research through the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund™.
Click here to view a video on the legacy of Kay Yow and information on this year's event. tter from our VPSh
2010 Select Girls Basketball Camp scheduled
Last summer the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame hosted its inaugural Select Girls' Basketball Camp at Maryville College. Players representing 14 different states participated in three days of skills instruction, games, classroom seminars, guest speakers, plyometrics, SAQ and a lot of fun.
With the success of the 2009 Select Camp we have decided to bring it back for another year. The WBHOF is excited to host the 2010 Select Girls Basketball Camp.
The 2010 Select Camp will be held on July 24-26.
Stay tuned for upcoming details!
Faces in the Hall
With the start of basketball season and the State Farm Tip-Off Classic, the WBHOF has hosted many special visitors.
The following women's basketball teams have visited the WBHOF recently:
• Wheaton Academy
• Covenant College
• Rogers High School
• University of Louisville
• Greensboro College
• Old Dominion University
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• George Washington University
• Baylor University
• Methodist University
• Delta State University
• Augusta State University
• Christian Academy of Knoxville
During the SFTOC, 2010 inductees Chris Weller and Leta Andrews visited and in December, Mayor Ragsdale was at the Hall to host a breakfast with East Tennessee regional mayors.
We welcome all future teams and special guests to the WBHOF!
2009 State Farm Tip-Off Classic
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is pleased to have been involved in the 2009 State Farm Tip-Off Classic that was held in our hometown of Knoxville, TN on November 15. The University of Tennessee Lady Vols hosted Baylor as the SFTOC proudly celebrated its 17th year.
Results of the game: This year marked Tennessee's seventh appearance in the State Farm Tip-Off Classic. Tennessee defeated Baylor 74-65 in frnot of 12,824 at Thompson-Boling Arena to claim its fifth win of the SFTOC. Baylor was making its third appearance in the SFTOC.
During this year's game, the WBHOF's Class of 2010 inductees were introduced and honored during halftime. The inductees in attendance included Leta Andrews, Teresa Edwards, Rebecca Lobo, Gloria Ray and Chris Wheller. Not able to attend was Teresa Weatherspoon. They will be formally inducted into the WBHOF on June 12, 2010.
The 2009 SFTOC was a success thanks to State Farm, ESPN and Intersport - thanks for all your hard work!
Stay tuned for information about the 2010 State Farm Tip-Off Classic.
Website Updates
It has been over a year since we launched our brand new website. We hope you have enjoyed the new look and committment to keeping you updated through this fantastic site. We are proud to say that since we went live with the new website on October 20, 2008, there have been over 40,000 hits!
In the past few months, we've added some new features to the site: multimedia page and youth programs page.
The multimedia page includes links to videos from our 2009 Induction, a slideshow of our 2009 Select Camp, interviews from the past few classes of inductees and a special section of interviews from the 1976 Olympic team. The youth programs page includes information on our education programs, timeout camps, birthday parties and Girl Scout programs.
Follow us...
With the launch of our new multimedia page, the WBHOF is excited to join a number of social media outlets!
• Become a fan of the WBHOF on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Visit our page on 360Knoxville
• Stay tuned for information on the WBHOF's Blog
The WBHOF is still looking for past inductees or board members that may be interested in contributing to the WBHOF's blog. Posts can be done weekly, monthly or just as a one-time deal. Blog entries can be about your life in basketball, a story you would like to share, what is currently going on in your life, your opinion on an aspect of women's basketball, etc.
If you are interested, please email Karen Tucker. Thanks in advance for your help!
Support the Hall
Good Search
Search the web and help support the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame!
Next time you need to search the internet use Good Search. Choose the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame as the cause and every time you search for something, a donation is made to the Hall.
Giving Campaign
The WBHOF has completed its 2009 giving Giving Campaign and would like to thank all of you that particiapted! Without your financial support, it would not be possible to reach our goals.
We would love to see those contributions grow in 2010 in order to continue our mission to "Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present and Promote the Future" of women's Basketball.
Click Here to read the Special Edition Giving Newsletter, with more details on the donation options. Thank You in advance for your continued support of the WBHOF!
