| |
|
| |
Annual
College
and High
School
Coaches’
Forum
Celebrates
Industry
Excellence
By
Ellen
Chamberlain
Tell Us
Detroit
DETROIT
-
Coaches
and
athletes
alike
gathered
for the
10th
annual
Coaches
Forum
hosted
by the
Horatio
Williams
Foundation.
The
event
gives an
opportunity
for both
high
school
and
collegiate
basketball
coaches
to come
together
and
discuss
the
industry.
Horatio
Williams
is a
Detroit
native
who
played
for
Tuskegee4University
in
Alabama.
The
former
athlete
is now a
successful
businessman.
He
offers
academic
and
athletic
opportunities
to
Detroit
youth
through
his
foundation.
“It’s
all
about
building
relationships
and
their
(coaches)professional
development,”
Williams
says of
his
motivations
to begin
hosting
the
annual
forum.
“I
always
knew
that
coaches
needed
to be
educated.
We have
more
young
coaches
in the
industry…it’s
never
too late
to learn more
about
coaching.”
Best
practices,
recruiting
tips and
trends,
and
athlete
health
are all
discussed
at the
forum.
Coaches
who
usually
see each
other
across
the
court
are
given a
chance
to
exchange
information
and
ideas in
ways
that
were not
available
before
Williams’
foundation
began
hosting
the
annual
event.
Before
opening
the
forum
for
discussion
and
questions,
awards
were
given to
outstanding
Michigan
coaches.
Cass
Tech’s
Steve
Hall was
inducted
into the
Detroit
PSL
Coaches
Hall of
Fame.
Wayne
County
Treasurer,
Eric
Sabree,
who
sponsors
the Will
Robinson
PSL
Coach of
the Year
Award
made that
presentation.
This
marks
the
second
year for
the
award
and
Sabree
says
that he
wants to
sustain
Robinson’s
legacy.
(Photo
by HB
Meeks/Tell
Us
Detroit)
Wayne
County
Treasurer,
Eric
Sabree,
sponsors
the Will
Robinson
PSL
Coach of
the Year
Award.
This
marks
the
second
year for
the
award
and
Sabree
says
that he
wants to
sustain
Robinson’s
legacy.
“He
influenced
the
lives of
thousands
of young
people
and we
want to
keep his
name
alive.”
Robinson
– was
born in
West
Virginia
and
raised
in
Steubenville,
Ohio
– and was
the
first
African
American
high
school
head
basketball
coach in
Michigan.
He was
also the
first
African
American
to coach
a
Division
I team,
outside
of
historically
Black
college
and
university
coaches.
The
award
named in
his
honor
went to
Pershing
basketball
head
coach
Shawn
Hill.
Tom
Izzo,
head
coach
for the
Michigan
State
University
basketball
program,
sat on
the dais
along
with
head
coaches
from
colleges
across
the
state.
He
opened
the
forum by
reminding
his
colleagues
that
talent
can be
found
anywhere
as he
recounted
a story
of
recruiting
in
Detroit’s
Franklin-Wright
Settlements.
“I
think
this is
great
when you
get all
the
college
coaches
in the
state
and all
the high
school
coaches
(together).
I hope
we get a
lot done
tonight,”
Izzo
says.
The
dais
also
featured
Central
Michigan
University
head
coach,
Keno
Davis; U
of D
Mercy
head
coach,
Mike
Davis;
Western
Michigan
University
head
coach,
Steve
Hawkins;
Eastern
Michigan
University
head
coach,
Rob
Murphy
and
Oakland
University
head
coach
Greg
Kampe.
“Recruiting
is
obviously
the
lifeline
of our
program,”
says
Murphy.
“If we
can get
some of
their
(high
school
players’)questions
answered
tonight,
it’ll be
great.”
Coach
Kampe
summed
up the
sentiments
of many
of the
professionals
in the
room.
“If
Horatio
asks you
to do
something,
you do
it. He’s
the
man.”
|
| |
|
|
|
|
I
HI TECH NEWS
I
SPORTS
I
