Lady Lions Coach Experiences Success During Summer

The traditional basketball season may be played during the winter months but for Bryan College's head women's basketball coach, the coaching never stops.  During this past summer, Jamy Bechler successfully coached teams consisting of high school athletes at two separate basketball events. At the end of June, Bechler was invited to coach an all-star team at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. The tournament is organized and sponsored by Competitive Sports International headquartered in Oklahoma. The team consisted of players from Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, and Kansas. They finished with the second best record with the only loss coming to the "Hawaii Select" team. After spending most of July focusing on recruiting in Tennessee, Bechler then headed to Columbus, OH at the end of the month for the USA Junior Nationals “International Sports Festival”. Bechler was invited back after his team won the national championship last summer. This year he coached a team from Oklahoma and a team from Colorado. The Oklahoma team ended up reaching the Final Four where they lost to the eventual 2008 national champion Texas-Gold team. There were 21 girls teams participating in the week-long event. “It was truly an honor to be involved in these events”, said Bechler. “They are well run and attract quality athletes. I have also been able to learn a lot and stay sharp as far as basketball strategies and philosophies go. It is also very useful for recruiting and developing contacts throughout the country.”