On Thursday, April 3rd, the basketball world descended on San Antonio for the culmination of the college basketball season—the Final Four.
Soldiers To Sidelines had several activations starting with inclusion in the Milwaukee Bucks Scouting Department Coaches Reception on Thursday. This event gave access to several of the Bucks’ full-time personnel, including Ryan Hoover, the VP of Global Scouting.
On Friday the Soldiers To Sidelines mixer was at Lackland Air Force Base, where new and experienced Soldier Coaches gathered to watch the NCAA Women’s Final Four over a few cold drinks and appetizers. There was a fierce game of dominoes with Coach Mike Richardson, the Associate Head Coach All Air Force Men’s Basketball, dominating the competition. Coach Mike Muse of Wake Forest Men’s Basketball imparted his decades of coaching experience to each Soldier Coach spending time individually with each coach. Other highlights include a visit by (Ret.) Major General Alfred K. Flowers and Wells Fargo Head of Military Veteran Initiatives Sean Passmore.
For the third year in a row, a Soldier Coach was able to attend the Final Four games courtesy of a ticket donation. Uriah Hunter was the recipient of the ticket and had an up-close view of the incredible action. Carl Little and Leigh Klein hosted a handful of Soldier Coaches at the Lucky Duck, which provided a very entertaining atmosphere with several basketball luminaries in attendance.
The highlight of the weekend was Sunday’s Coaching Workshop powered by The Wounded Warrior Project and supported by Wells Fargo.
For the second year, the Coaching Workshop went deep on the coaching profession, including strategies to move ahead and trends within the industry. On the first panel were Pepperdine Head Coach Ed Schilling, Towson Head Coach Pat Skerry, Clemson Associate Head Coach Billy Donlon, and Western Illinois Assistant Coach Kam Street. The second panel’s theme was resilience and sacrifice, with Soldier Coaches who have progressed up the coaching ranks and Nevada Assistant Coach Nate Dixon. Coast Guard vet. Justin Cardoza, currently an assistant coach for St. Thomas University, and Army vet. Uriah Hunter, currently an assistant coach for Mary Hardin Baylor University, gave insight into their pathways.
Overall, an incredible experience was enjoyed by our Soldiers To Sidelines Soldier Coaches, with a lot of anticipation for the upcoming Soldier Coach Summit and Basketball Certification Seminar.
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