Senior Katie Paganelli has never had a better time sitting in a classroom than she did during Easter break.
The communication major was one of 78 women selected from across the country to participate in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program. This program is designed to increase the number of women in coaching.
“It was the best experience I’ve had thus far,” Paganelli said. “It makes me want to put the work in to be one of them.”
“Them,” of course, refers to the variety of women coaches that spoke during the program in San Antonio, Texas. The coaches spoke on a wide range of topics, from dealing with angry parents to the recruiting process and balancing between being a coach and being a mom.
“I’m a big proponent for women coaching women,” head coach of SLU’s women’s basketball team, Shimmy Gray-Miller said. Miller was one of the speakers at this year’s event. “It’s important for women to impact other women.”
Gray-Miller has been coaching at SLU for five seasons, and Paganelli was the first of her girls to be selected for this program.
“I’m very particular about who I send,” Gray-Miller said. “She has a gift for it. Coaching is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle.”
The coaching lifestyle is not new for Paganelli. She’s been coaching younger girls on her own time for the past three years.
“I’ve always loved kids and giving back,” Paganelli said. “People have given me so much in my years of playing.”
One of these people is Amanda Kemezys, a fifth-year senior and teammate of Paganelli’s.
“We’ve grown up together these past couple years,” Kemezys said. “[Paganelli] inspires other teammates and brings an intensity to the game.”
Kemezys said that women like Paganelli are needed to coach because there is a need for “women who have played to assert themselves, too.”
“[This program] prepares young ladies to step into their own,” Kemezys said. “Sports, in general, are male dominated.”
Paganelli echoed this sentiment, saying that it’s a common misconception that “women don’t know as much.”
“This creates awareness that there’s a lot of great coaches who are women,” she said.
Paganelli finished her career as one of the most decorated women’s basketball players in Billiken history.
She is tied for 10th on the Billikens’ all-time scoring list, and finished second in 3-point field goals, third in free-throw percentage, seventh in steals and tied for 10th in assists on the SLU career charts.
“[Paganelli] stands out,” Gray-Miller said. “She’s what you want in a player and what you need in a coach.”
