Mississippi Valley State University Receives Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching Grant from the Women’s Sports Foundation

By: MVSU Sports Information - Demetrius Howse

Women's Basketball | 9/10/2020 6:04:00 PM

Itta Bena, Miss.- September 10, 2020 – Mississippi Valley State Athletics announced today it received a Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching grant from the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF). Grants were awarded to institutions to support collegiate female coaches on the rise, assisting with living expenses, professional development and mentorship. MVSU is one of 10 universities and colleges to receive the grants, which will be designated for female coaching fellows across all three NCAA divisions in a wide variety of women's sports as well as strength and conditioning.

"Coach VanDerveer is such an inspiration, and the Women's Sports Foundation investing in Mississippi Valley State University women's basketball team – wow, what a way to pay it forward – women helping women. We are proud to be a member of the 2020 class of the Women's Sports Foundation VanDerveer Fund recipients," said Dianthia Ford-Kee, Director of Athletics at MVSU. "We recognize the critical importance of closing the gender gap in the coaching ranks and seeing more women in these influential roles helps inspire our female student athletes. This grant will allow another young fellow to achieve a dream of coaching on the collegiate level.

Jaquanna Murray inspires to build a career in coaching basketball. She is a former NCAA Division I basketball athlete who recently played professionally oversees for the SBS Ostrava in the Czech Republic. After returning to the states, she served as the Assistant Girls Basketball Coach at North High School in North, South Carolina.
Murray presents the work ethics of an aspiring coach. She has worked summer camps throughout her collegiate career teaching and developing skills of youth campers. Having had the opportunity to coach summer campers and intern with the strength and conditioning coach at South Carolina State has fueled Murray's dream of joining the coaching ranks.

"I am excited about being selected as a WSF VanDerveer Fellow. Coach VanDerveer is ranked among the best of the best in collegiate women's basketball coaches. She epitomizes excellence on and off the court. I am honored to have this opportunity to develop my skills as a coach and administratively at Mississippi Valley State University," said Murray.

Murray received her bachelor's degree in Physical Activity Management from South Carolina State University where she was also a four-year letter winner on the Lady Bulldogs basketball team.

WSF began awarding grants from the VanDerveer Fund in 2019 to address the lack of women in coaching positions at all levels of sport. Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, the percentage of women in head coaching roles for women's NCAA sports has steadily declined from 90% in 1970–71 to 41% in 2019. Black women are particularly underrepresented, comprising a mere 3% of all NCAA women's head coaching positions. This underrepresentation is systemic and cannot be attributed to just one sport or division. With the fellowships created through the VanDerveer Fund, WSF aims to create a pipeline that will give women the mentorship and experience needed to pursue a career in coaching.

"We are so inspired by the great work that our past VanDerveer Fellows have done within their respective institutions, and we are excited to continue supporting talented young women in the coaching pipeline," said Deborah Antoine, CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation. "Coaches play such an important part in young people's lives and development, and it is imperative that girls in sports have strong women role models to look up to. WSF is proud to honor Tara VanDerveer's legacy with these impactful grants."

Inspired by legendary Stanford University women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer, WSF designed the Fund to honor her history of trailblazing in the coaching space. Fellows continue to embody this legacy in a unique way amid the impacts of COVID-19. Undaunted by the challenges brought on by the pandemic, the inaugural class of 2019-20 WSF VanDerveer Fellows, used these transformative circumstances as an opportunity to learn and develop their coaching skills.

To learn more about the VanDerveer Fund and meet the 2020 grant recipients, please visit:
https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wsf_programs/tara-vanderveer-fund/

About The Women's Sports Foundation
The Women's Sports Foundation exists to enable girls and women to reach their potential in sport and life. We are an ally, an advocate and a catalyst. Founded by Billie Jean King in 1974, we strengthen and expand participation and leadership opportunities through research, advocacy, community programming and a wide variety of collaborative partnerships. The Women's Sports Foundation has positively shaped the lives of millions of youth, high school and collegiate student-athletes, elite athletes and coaches. We're building a future where every girl and woman can #KeepPlaying and unlock the lifelong benefits of sport participation. All girls. All women. All sports. To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, please visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org.

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Press Contacts:
Mississippi Valley State Athletics
Demetrius Howse
dhowse@mvsu.edu
662-254-3011

Women's Sports Foundation
Patty Bifulco
PBifulco@womenssportsfoundation.org
631-230-3322

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