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Chat Reel: Kay Yow NC State coach talks about her 25 year anniversary
Posted: Friday February 11, 2000 04:31 PM
CNNSI Host: Hello everyone! Welcome to today's chat with NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow. Thanks for joining us, Coach Yow. Kay Yow: Thanks for having me. CNNSI Host: On with the first question... From Guest: Can you tell us how you feel about the quality of play so far this season? Kay Yow: We have a very young team. Seven freshman. Therefore I think that they have played very well as young players and have helped our team to perform well early. From Guest: Are you expecting Summer Erb to play again this season? Realistically, when could she come back? Kay Yow: She is out for six weeks and should be able to play in the NCAA tournament. Definitely for the ACC regular season and the tournament. Could give us quite a boost for the NCAA tournament. From Guest: Who is going to have to step up to fill the void left by Erb? Kay Yow: No one player. We are really calling on a number of players to make up for her rebounding and scoring. Sunday five players scored in doubles figures and last night four players scored in double figures. Talisha Scates is starting in place of Summer but in the No. 4 position and we've moved Kaayla Chones to the No. 5 position. From Guest: Do you think that Amy Simpson and Kaayla Chones can continue to perform on the level they did against Maryland? Kay Yow: I hope so. I believe so. Kaayla only got to play 14 minutes in the Maryland game ... she fouled out. Amy Simpson is one of our most competitive players. Kaayla is also very competitive, and I think their competitive natures lend them to play that way a lot. From Guest: What big-name players are coming back for the 25 year celebration this weekend? Kay Yow: We have a large number of players returning. Our first Kodak All-American, Susan Yow, my younger sister. Trudi Lacey is also coming back. Sharon Manning. Andrea Stinson. There's a number. That's just a few. From Guest: You and both your sisters have been involved in coaching basketball. Who or what was the biggest influence on the three of you growing up? Kay Yow: I would say our parents. They both played basketball, were very sports minded and it was something that was okay for their daughters to do. They always encouraged us in sports at a time when everyone didn't encourage women in sports. From Guest: Whose jerseys are you retiring this weekend? Kay Yow: Susan Yow. Genia Beasley. Trudi Lacey. Andrea Stinson. Linda Page. Trina Trice. Chastity Melvin. Melvin graduated in 1998 is the most current, and Yow is the oldest, she graduated in 1976. From Guest: What was the state of women's basketball at NC State when you first started as compared to now? Kay Yow: Wow. Everything has changed. For example the number of full-time coaches on staff, the support staff that we have...director of operations, people working the videos, equipment. Everything has improved. There is no comparison in the budget we have now. The way we fly, take charters. I can't think of anything that hasn't change. We have our own strength and conditioning coach now, and when I first came women weren't even lifting that much. I and my staff took care of that sort of thing. From Guest: To what do you give credit for the changes in women's sports over the past 25 years? Kay Yow: Title IX is the first thing. It made a big difference for women in sports. After that I think administrators across the country started hiring better coaches. And when the pay became better more people became interested. But I think it has to start at the top...when administrators and athletic directors put an emphasis on women's sports. They hire people to market women's sports, and I think that is a key right now. That's a loaded questions. So many people, including the WBCA, have had an impact on the growth of our sport. Having coaches like Coach Summitt have made a difference for our sport. From Guest: 25 years is a long time at one school... do you see herself ever coaching anywhere else? In the WNBA? Kay Yow: At the present time I have no desire to coach anywhere else. I want to help bring a national championship to NC State. I have tunnel vision for that goal right now. NC State and myself have been a great fit. I feel we are a perfect match. From Guest: I heard they are going to have a special Kay Yow 7-Up can? How did that come about and how do you feel about it? Kay Yow: *Laughs* I have one sitting here on my desk. Someone brought me. I was overwhelmed. The university and Raleigh community have combined to make this a tremendous event. We have 600 people attending a banquet, we have several receptions. It's special to me because of all the people who are sharing in celebrating the 25 years. I think our marketing people approached the 7-Up people, and they wanted to do something for the celebration. Because we are retiring seven jerseys they went with the 7-Up can. I'm very grateful and appreciative that they would celebrate with me in that way. From Guest: Do you think that in the near future we'll see a movement like men's basketball where young women will begin leaving college early to join the WNBA? How do you feel about that? Kay Yow: Yes, I think that could occur. I would not like to see that happen. I don't believe the amount of money could really justify that at this time. The men, when they are making millions, it would be easy to see why some people need to do that. I think there would need to be more money involved. If there is enough money involved your future can be secured and you can return to college because you choose to do so. But it is a personal choice. From Guest: What's the biggest obstacle for your team this year and how can you overcome it? Kay Yow: We are probably safe in saying our biggest obstacle is being without our starting center who was leading the conference in scoring in rebounding. We know that everyone will have to do a little more. We have now had some experience playing without her and that was crucial for us. The other is that we have so many young players who have not played together a lot. Our offensive timing is really effected by that. From Guest: What has been the most memorable moment of your career? Kay Yow: Wow. I don't think I can pick out one. The most memorable part have been the people... players, managers, support staff. That is what has made my career -- the people who I have shared victories and major disappointments with. It's the people who will always be the most memorable. CNNSI Host: Thanks for joining us today, Coach Yow. Congratulations on your 25th year at NC State. Kay Yow: Thank you very much.
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