Nancy Lieberman named Head coach of an NBA d-league team

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/art_garcia/11/18/lieberman/index.html

Nancy Lieberman was named Head coach of the Texas Legends, a NBA D-league team. She is the first woman in a position to coach NBA players. Players on her team such as Sean Williams (a first round pick for New Jersey) explained that it took some time to get used to this gender-reversing arrangement. “I definitely see her as a woman. It's hard not to notice that,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve never had a woman tell me what do on the court before. But she knows what she's talking about. She has an aura.”

Lieberman has been a student of the game her entire life, since she was 15 she explained. So she is no newbie to the sport. She knows what she is talking about, has an authoritative attitude, and knows how to win. Her résumé includes being an Olympian at 18; a three-time All-American, two-time player of the year and two-time national champion at Old Dominion; a pro career with stops in the men's USBL and WNBA. She played summer-league ball for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz.

Women for a long time even since the passage of title IX have not gotten the opportunity to be involved in men’s sports, playing or coaching. Even to be to be a head coach of women’s teams has been giving over to men. Nancy Lieberman has proved that there are plenty of qualified women out there that are capable of running a men’s program. That sports in general doesn’t have to be male dominated, there is room for equality. Hopefully with people like Nancy Lieberman in position of authority that this will start to open door and break down barriers for women to gain more opportunities in sports and that qualified women will stopped being over looked and be given equally opportunity.

Ben Ott
Kin 338I
TTh 9:30-10:45