The summer of 2015 saw something interesting happen in professional basketball; former pro baller Becky Hammon was handed the reigns of the San Antonio Spurs summer league basketball squad. In doing so, Hammon, already the first full-time, paid female coach in any of the big four men’s sports in North America (NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL), became the first female head coach in summer league history. The story could start and finish there, but it doesn’t, because not only did Hammon coach the team, she led them to the championship. Hammon came upon her coaching opportunity while rehabbing a knee injury as her playing days were winding down with the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars. She was invited into the Spurs practice facility and team meetings. Soon after she retired from competition, she was hired on as a full-time assistant. This has naturally led some to wonder when we will see a female head coach in the NBA. Quin Snyder, a second year coach for the Utah Jazz, feels the real focus shouldn’t be who or when, but the creation of opportunities. “And as opportunities come, hopefully they’ll be given the same consideration the men are. The primary thing that we can think about and talk about is just opportunity.”
Though the Algonquin Thunder aren’t in the business of cultivating coaches for the pro ranks, we are certainly in favour of generating opportunities for those that have earned them. Case in point, newly minted women’s basketball assistant coach, Lauren Carey. Carey, a former Thunder guard, is with the team this year as part of the Female Apprentice Coach Program. The program, in its eleventh year of existence, was created to provide former female student athletes with the opportunity to develop their coaching skills and, according to program chair Yvonne Becker, enable “women to ‘see’ a coaching career path which is so essential to pursuing it in a step-wise progression.” Becker, an Associate Professor of Physical Education at the University of Alberta, regards this as “a critical time to increase the number of women in coaching positions so that they can contribute to coaching methodologies and serve as role models for young women who have the desire to coach in the future.”
Thunder head coach Laura Bond recognized Lauren’s potential to contribute to the Thunder squad in the ways Becker outlined and more. “I chose Lauren because as a player, she had a great attention to detail and eye for coaching,” she says. “Lauren brings so much knowledge and passion to the program. Sometimes she doesn’t give herself enough credit for how much she can contribute. The players love her, they relate to her, she makes herself available to the team to help with school, skill development and their personal lives.” Lauren herself echoed Laura’s comments when asked why she wanted to coach; “First and foremost, basketball has been a huge part of my life for quite some time. I have been there as a player and I feel that with that knowledge and experience I have gained playing, it truly shapes the standpoint I take on coaching. I also want to coach because I take pride in seeing people thrive, and helping them achieve goals they have set for themselves both athletically and academically.“ All coaches worth their salt are driven to help players improve on the court; it is something else to make their lives off the court and in the classroom a priority as well.
For her part, Lauren attributes a good chunk of her approach to coaching to time spent playing for her mentor coach, Laura, and former Thunder head coach; John McInnis. “I have never met two people more dedicated in my life. As a player, the influence came from the energy and commitment they brought to absolutely everything. Whether it was an event off the court, practice or a game, it was hard not to match their commitment because you knew that whatever it was you were attending, they had put hours of preparation into it. This carries into coaching for me as well, I try to carry on their philosophies and methods specifically not being limited to helping people athletically and on the court, but also striving for success in their personal and academic lives.”
With half a season in the books, it seems clear that Lauren is learning from both what Laura says and what she does, and that can only benefit the athletes they are working with this year and any that Lauren may work with in the future. Though he was referring to the NBA when he was speaking, Quin Snyder’s words ring true; the growth of women in coaching depends largely on them being granted opportunities. In Canada, the FACP is creating entry-level opportunities for young female coaches, and schools like Algonquin, along with their athletes, are reaping the benefits of it. Who knows? There may even be a future coach on the Thunder bench that will cite Lauren as a role model someday. In many respects, that would be just as gratifying to the program as winning a championship. (Both would be ideal though!) Good luck to the women’s basketball team as they start second semester and the back half of their 2015-16 schedule. With Laura, Lauren, and the rest of the coaching staff looking out for you, we know you are in good hands. Go Thunder!