Granny’s New York Bound!

How cool!

The world premiere of Granny’s Got Game is next week on Friday, February 8th as part of the Athena Film Festival.  The screening will be held at at 6pm at Barnard College in New York City.  Do you live near New York?  Do you have any friends and family in the area?  Please help us by spreading the word about the screening.  I will be attending the screening along with the team captain, Judy Barton, who is featured in the film.  We will do a Q&A session after the film and would love to meet our supporters in person! Tickets are still available here:

http://athenafilmfestival.com/program/2013-films/grannys-got-game/

You can use the promotional code “BUSTAFF21” to save $2 on the adult tickets.

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Granny’s so cool!

“Granny’s Got Game” gets Mechelle’s attention.

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Granny’s Got Game’s got Debbie

From the fundraising site indiegogo:

Who else is involved

Debbie Antonelli, one of the nation’s most esteemed women’s basketball analysts, has agreed to narrate the film.  Bill Jackson, an Emmy-winning Hollywood sound mixer, has agreed to do the sound mix for the film.  They are both very talented and I’m excited to have their help.

Missed the first post about this documentary by Angela Gorsica Alford (Vandy/USA Basketball)

Granny’s Got Game is a documentary film about a senior women’s basketball team in North Carolina. These seven fiercely competitive women in their seventies battle physical limitations and social stigma to keep doing what they love. They started playing 6-on-6 basketball in the 1950s but stopped after high school as there were no opportunities to keep playing in those pre-Title IX days.  Now they must learn a new, physical style of play while overcoming the skepticism of their peers. The team has had great success together over the last two decades, winning a multitude of medals in tournaments across the country.  Just like so many younger sports teams, this one includes a bossy captain, a guard who never runs the plays correctly, a tentative post player, and a benchwarmer who wants to play more than anyone.  As teammates and friends, they support each other off the court through the difficulties that accompany aging, such as breast cancer and widowhood. These women are more than a team…they are a family. The film follows them for a yearlong season culminating in a nearly disastrous trip to the National Senior Games Championship in Houston, Texas.

If you want so support the film (donation amounts start at $10) click here.

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Stats are great,

but emails are even better.

Two arrived in my mail box yesterday, and I’m pleased to share them.

First, a combo WATN? Angela Gorsica, documentary alert and fundraising alert:

I enjoy reading the Women’s Hoops blog.  I was a player myself at Vanderbilt University from 1994-1997 – probably best remembered for being a 6’6″ shot blocker.  Go ‘Dores!  

These days I’m a documentary filmmaker and I’ve been working on a project for the last year and a half that you and your readers may really enjoy.  “Granny’s Got Game” is a documentary film about a senior women’s basketball team in North Carolina. These seven fiercely competitive women in their seventies battle physical limitations and social stigma to keep doing what they love. After two decades together, these women are more than a team…they are a family.

I hope that the film will not only honor these pioneers of our sport, but inspire people of all ages to stay active. You can watch a trailer for the film and find out more here:

http://www.indiegogo.com/GrannysGotGame

Please consider contributing and sharing this with your readers, friends, and contacts in the women’s basketball world. The fundraising campaign runs until April 29th, so if you are swamped with March Madness stories, please consider writing about this after the Final Four.  I’ll be glad to answer any questions or provide more details about the film and its backstory.

Thank you very much!
Angela Gorsica Alford

Second, more thoughts on “D1 ADs Thinking Outside of the Box” when they’re looking for new head coaches.” from reader and head coach at Martin Methodist College (TN), Jamy Bechler.

Best Basketball Coaches Not on TV

A recent blog posting by Helen Wheelock got me thinking about coaching job searches and who administrators hire.  Seems like most of the talk always centers around the DI coaches, especially the “up-and-comers”.  I do not profess to know exactly what makes a good coach in all situations.  Good coaches in a bad situation can lead to struggles and failures, whereas unproven coaches (i.e. assistants) in good situations can lead to success and excitement.  I decided to put together a list of some of the best coaches I know.  These coaches are not necessarily up-and-comers.  They are just individuals that know what they are doing and have proven they can get the job done.  Isn’t that what is important for an A.D. anyway?  Coaching X’s and O’s are pretty much a common language across the divisions.  In fact, often at the lower levels, a coach needs to be even more diverse and versatile in their coaching strategies because they are not always able to hand pick the exact team that they’d like to have each year like their Division I counterparts. 

In terms of recruiting, it all is a game of salesmanship.  What is the product that you are selling, how much do you believe in the product and how will you best sell it.  For a small college coach, there are numerous obstacles (cost, lack of name recognition and branding, less gear, less television exposure, etc…).  Small college coaches are like the paper salespeople in the hit TV show “The Office” when going up against Office Depot and Staples…they have to be creative, persistent, and truly believe in what they are doing.  I would suggest that small college coaches can coach at the DI level successfully.  A lack of DI experience by the head coach can be made up by a competent staff that does have some DI experience. 

So, without further a due, here are some of the best coaches that I know (I’ve been around a lot of places over the years and have met some great coaches that aren’t on this list…that doesn’t mean they can’t coach or that I think less of them, I’ve just limited it to those that come to mind right away).

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