GRAND FORKS, N.D. - When asked to describe his experience at last week's Black Coaches Association (BCA) Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) program, associate head women's basketball coach Travis Brewster used just one word: "empowering." One of just a handful and coaches selected nationally to attend the four-day program in Indianapolis, Brewster underwent training in on- and off-camera interviews, on-court teaching, conducting home visits, budgets, leadership, networking, contract negations, and maintaining a quality of life.
"This year I was fortunate enough to be selected," said Brewster. "This is the best professional development of its kind. To be a part of such a hidden treasure is a true blessing. The BCA is truly devoting time as well as resources to developing dynamic individuals into strong leaders whom will make a difference in education, athletics and society. The ACE Program will continue growing and gaining support of minority business professionals. The program will also get the respect it deserves in the business community, athletics and most importantly the collegiate system."
The ACE Program mission is:
To promote the collegiate athletic coaching profession to ethnic minority basketball coaches and identify, recruit and retain ethnic minorities in the collegiate coaching profession. To provide professional development strategies for collegiate ethnic minority basketball coaches and enhances leadership skills.
The program strives to build professional profiles, improve interviewing skills, and teach how to manage your media message. It also touches on the importance of campus relations and the management of career objectives.
"I feel very lucky that I had the support of the athletics administration, our athletics director Brian Faison, and my head basketball coach Gene Roebuck," said Brewster. "I shared this experience with excellent people who have all made a conscious choice to take the next step in our profession."
In order to be selected to attend the BCA ACE program all applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, must be currently employed full time at an accredited college or university in the capacity of Division I assistant coach or Division II or Division III head coach, men's program applicants must have at least five years full time collegiate coaching experience, women's program applicants must have at least three years full time collegiate coaching experience, and all applicants must be available to attend all four days of the program sessions.
"Candidates get a phone call from one of the BCA directors when they are selected," said Brewster. "Last year I got an e-mail. This year I got a phone call."
At the conclusion of the 2009 ACE class, 90 coaches had completed this important BCA programming. Twenty-seven have been selected for head coaching positions.
"This is the closest thing to being a head coach without actually being one," said Brewster.
The Black Coaches & Administrators (BCA is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of ethnic minorities at all levels of sports both nationally and internationally. The BCA is committed to creating a positive enlightened environment where issues can be examined closely, debated sincerely and resolved honestly. The BCA's focus involves the concerns of its colleagues in professional sports, NCAA (Division I, II, and III), NAIA (Division I and II), junior college and high school levels.
- Go Sioux -
