Putting her one step closer to achieving her goal of becoming a college women’s basketball coach, Payton Cronen, a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Sport Administration program at Wittenberg, was recently accepted to the 22nd annual “So You Want to be a Coach” program sponsored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Pictured above: Payton Cronen, center amongst three Tiger players kneeling at the scorer's table, gets instruction from Head Coach Melissa Kolbe '99 before entering a recent Wittenberg women's basketball game.
Cronen, who hails from Louisville, Kentucky, is a transfer student using her fifth year of eligibility to play basketball for Wittenberg while pursuing her master’s degree.
According to a news release from the WBCA, the “So” program increases the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women’s basketball, increases the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduces female basketball players to coaches and administrators, and raises awareness of the existing talent pool of female basketball players who have a passion and interest in coaching the game of women’s basketball. Each student-athlete chosen, including Cronen, will participate in a two-day workshop April 3-4 during the WBCA Convention in Tampa, Florida.
“I have known about this program for the past two years or so and have had my eyes set on applying and hopefully getting accepted for a little while now,” said Cronen, a guard for the Tigers who has played in all 16 games and is averaging 20.6 minutes, 6.4 points, and 3.2 rebounds per game. With the help of Cronen, the Tigers are currently 11-5 overall and 3-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
“There are not enough words or emotions to describe how excited I am to be going to this convention,” she added. “I am beyond grateful for this opportunity! At the convention, I will be around other student-athletes who are aspiring coaches just like me learning from current coaches and administrators about what it takes to be a women's college basketball coach along with building relationships with all those involved. I know that this is going to be an experience that I will never forget, and it will help me tremendously in my future.”
Cronen planned to apply last year but instead decided to use her remaining year of basketball eligibility this season. Wittenberg Women's Basketball Head Coach Melissa Kolbe '99 is grateful that Cronen was able to be a part of both experiences.
“We are thrilled that Payton has this opportunity, and I am certain it will be something that prepares her well for a professional future as a coach,” Kolbe said. “I can’t wait to hear about everything she learns through this experience, and I’m grateful to the WBCA for putting this program together.”
Qualified candidates must have exhausted their final year of basketball eligibility at a four-year institution or have graduated within the past year and must be nominated by their WBCA-member head coach. Each participant is selected based on academics, contributions to women’s basketball on and off the court, professional resume, and a written recommendation from their head coach.
“I knew I wanted to apply, and I am beyond fortunate enough that Coach Kolbe took the time to talk about the program with me,” Cronen added. “I want to be a college coach one day and I know this program is going to not only teach me so much about the world of coaching but also be a place to build relationships with so many great people. I am extremely excited about this amazing opportunity as I want to be a women's college basketball coach in the future. I also hope to be a reliable assistant coach who learns from the best that will one day prepare me to be a head coach if that is in God's plans.”
Approximately 80 student-athletes were chosen to participate in the program. Each will learn about the administrative side of coaching, recruiting, how to get hired, skill development, the importance of knowing the rules, and how to balance work and life at the convention.
“The WBCA community of coaches each year invests in young, aspiring coaches through the ‘So You Want To Be A Coach’ program,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “We have high expectations for these graduating student-athletes and the future contributions they will make to the game of women's basketball."
Visit WBCA.org for more information on the “So” program.
About the WBCA
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
