Letter from Mr. Jim Baker September 15, 2004
As the executive director of the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association I am writing to encourage you to join the KBCA. This organization exists for the purpose of promoting the game of basketball, the coaches and the student/athletes of Kansas.
Over sixty plaques were awarded to coaches who attained 15 or more years of service and/or to coaches who accumulated 300 or more wins in their career were given out at the KBCA awards reception in Topeka on August 4th. In addition, plaques were awarded to KBCA Hall of Fame recipients, The Clint Hill Service Award, the Don Jones Courage Award and the Media Award. These awards are on display in the KBCA Hall of Fame which is located in the Hutchinson Sports Arena. One hundred and sixty-five certificates were awarded to student/athletes who qualified for academic all-state and over one hundred and twenty certificates were sent to players who were selected to KBCA All-State teams.
Forty-eight players and twelve coaches traveled to Topeka for the 21st Annual KBCA All-Star games. Players and coaches arrived on August 3rd where they were housed in the AmeriSuites Hotel. The teams practiced in Lee Arena, Washburn University, and then played their games on August 4th in Lee Arena. Your membership dollars help to defray the costs of the programs that the KBCA sponsors.
Many coaches over the past several years have given time, hard work and personal finance to make the association a success. The KBCA is always looking for potential financial aid or scholarship sponsors. Through scholarship donors we were able to give 11-two hundred dollar scholarships and 1-two hundred and fifty dollar scholarship to scholar/athletes this past year. We would very much like to increase this number. If you are interested or someone you know that would be interested in sponsoring a scholarship please contact me or one of the KBCA officers or class representatives.
We are enclosing a KBCA membership form for 2004-2005. Please make this information available to your assistant and middle school coaches. Remember-its only $15. Several head coaches have been paying for their assistant’s memberships. We feel we have a lot ot offer and with your help and support we would like to do more for the coaches and student/athletes in this state. We want to point out that KBCA member coaches and their athletes only are eligible for the KBCA awards. The one exception to this is the all-state teams. All student/athletes will be eligible to be selected on a KBCA All-State Basketball team.
Most high schools and collages in Kansas honor KBCA member coaches upon showing his/her KBCA membership card to attend basketball games in their facility. Please encourage your administration to extend this courtesy to KBCA members if they do not already do so.
If you have suggestions or concerns for the KBCA please forward them to your class rep, KBCA officer, or to me. The KBCA class reps and officers are on this site.
Each year the KBCA is given the opportunity to meet with the KSHSAA to discuss possible rules changes regarding the basketball. The KBCA officers and reps will meet on October 10th. We need to discuss any proposals at this time. If a proposal is made by us to the KSHSAA through the KCA, we need to first survey the basketball coaches of this state. This all takes time, thus we need to receive any proposal by our October meeting. It is also imperative that you return a KBCA survey to us to substantiate the results of our survey. The KSHSAA wants and need data.
The KBCA Fastbreak magazine will be sent to member coaches in the later part of October.
I hope each of you have a successful school year and a successful basketball season.
Sincerely,
Jim Baker
Executive Director