ATLANTA– Texas A&M University-Commerce senior point guard Princess Davis has been selected to participate in the 2019 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) 'So You Want To Be a Coach' program. The 2019 class was announced this week by the WBCA. Davis has long desired to become a basketball coach after her playing career.
 
The "So" program is a three-day workshop with presenters provided by WeCOACH. The workshop will take place April 3-5, in conjunction with the WBCA Convention in Tampa, Fla. Participants will learn about the administrative side of coaching, recruiting, how to get hired, skill development, the importance of compliance, and how to balance work and life.
 
"I am honored to be given the opportunity to attend the "So You Want To Be a Coach" program," Davis said. "This could open so many doors for me in the coaching field. I am looking forward to gaining knowledge and to network at such a great program. This is a unique program that will provide many opportunities."
 
Davis is one of just seven players from Division II to be invited to the conference. In total, 60 women's basketball players from across Divisions I, II, III and the NAIA have been invited to the conference. Qualified candidates must have exhausted their final year of basketball eligibility at a four-year institution or have graduated within the past year. In addition, the candidate's head coach has to nominate them and must be an active WBCA member. Each participant is selected based on her academics, contributions to women's basketball on and off the court, professional resume and a written recommendation from their head coach.
 
"This is a great opportunity for Princess to get a real view into what being a college coach fully entails as well as to network with administrators, college coaches and future college coaches to help jumpstart her career," said A&M-Commerce head women's basketball coach Jason Burton. "Mixing Princess' passion for people and basketball with her hard work and dedication to success, which she has demonstrated in the classroom and on the court, gives her the ingredients she needs to put to be a great coach. If she works as hard as she has as a student and athlete, and brings the same enthusiasm that she has day in and day out, not only will she be a great coach but she will changes many lives for the better."
 
Burton will join Davis at the conference, as he has been invited to be a presenter. Burton submitted a proposal to speak at the conference. Burton has previously presented for three consecutive years at the NCAA's "Career in Sports" forum.
 
"My topic is 'What's your why?'," Burton shared. "I've had the opportunity to speak on this three years in a row at NCAA headquarters for the "Career in Sports" forum and now I get to present to future basketball coaches. I couldn't be more excited to share my love for what I do with this next generation of coaches. It's so important to know the value of what we do as coaches extends far beyond the court. Why we coach always has to be about developing young, productive adults. We just happen to do it through sport. When you know your why, what you do has more impact."
 
The objectives of the "So" program are to increase the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women's basketball, increase the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduce female basketball players to coaches and administrators, and raise awareness of the existing talent pool of female basketball players who have a passion and interest in coaching the game of women's basketball.

For a complete list of this year's participants, click HERE for the complete WBCA press release.