POSTED: Wednesday May 13th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2009 USA Women's U16 National Team Coaches Announced

Wingate's Barbara Nelson To Lead USA Basketball's 2009 Women's U16 National Team Coaching Staff

From top to bottom: USA and Wingate University head coach Barbara Nelson, Mike Armstrong of Perry Meridian H.S. and Dorena Bingham of Team Alaska AAU.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (May 13, 2009)—  Wingate University’s (N.C.) Barbara Nelson was named head coach of the 2009 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team, with Mike Armstrong of Perry Meridian High School (Ind.) and Dorena Bingham of Team Alaska AAU serving as assistant coaches, USA Basketball today announced. The coaching selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s Developmental National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

“For the first ever FIBA Americas U16 Championship, it is important to assemble a coaching staff with experience leading young players to success, and the USA Basketball’s Women’s Developmental Committee has certainly done that,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball executive director. “This trio of coaches brings vast coaching experience from various levels, and we look forward to great things as we head into this new international competition.”

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to coach with USA Basketball,” Nelson said. “When you watch the Olympics and see the pride the athletes have in representing the USA, you realize how special it is to wear the red, white and blue and travel to represent your country. I’m extremely honored and extremely humbled.

“This has to be the number one opportunity a coach can have to represent your university and also your nation. Patriotic pride runs very deep in my heart and getting this opportunity to wear USA Basketball on my chest and walk into an arena as an ambassador of my country is thrilling.”

The 2009 USA Basketball Women’s U16 National Team will compete in the inaugural FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, with dates and the site for the championship to be announced. The tournament will feature eight U16 national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with the top three finishing teams qualifying for the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship.

Trials to select the 12-member USA team will be held May 28-31 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Following trials, the Women’s Developmental Committee will select the 12-member roster, and the team will remain in Colorado Springs through the morning of Thursday, June 4 for training camp. The USA squad will reassemble prior to the start of the FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Players eligible for the U16 National Team must be U.S. citizens born on or after Jan. 1, 1993.

The USA Basketball Women’s Development National Team Committee is chaired by Carol Callan (Women’s National Team Director, USA Basketball) in a non-voting position and includes NFHS members Jill Meerman (Decatur Central High School, Ind.) and Sue Phillips (Archbishop Mitty High School, Calif.); AAU appointees Jody Patrick (Vogues AAU, Va.) and Brian Robinson (Stealers AAU, N.C.); and athlete representative Jamie Carey (head coach, Legacy High School, Colo.), a member of the 2003 USA Pan American Games Team.

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Keywords · US Basketball · Wingate University · Barbara Nelson · Mike Armstrong · Dorena Bingham

Name: Craig Miller
Organization: USA Basketball
Email:
Phone: +1.(719) 590-4800
URL: http://www.usabasketball.com/

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