UConn women's basketball assistant Shea Ralph, of Fayetteville, is dynasty's darling

[Kaizen]

It’s said you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The one that Shea Ralph made on University of Connecticut women’s associate head coach Chris Dailey still sticks in Dailey’s mind. Even more than 20 years later, she vividly remembers coming to Fayetteville to recruit the Terry Sanford High basketball star.

“When I first saw Shea play, she was a scoring machine,” Dailey said, “But what really struck me was that she imposed her will on the game.”

Twenty-one years later, Ralph is still imposing her will on the game, if you will, as an assistant coach at UConn, where the Huskies have built a sports dynasty.

UConn women's basketball assistant Shea Ralph, of Fayetteville, is dynasty's darling

 

[pvdoggy]

Some really great pictures of Shea in that story!

 

[DaddyChoc]

good story... thanks

 

[UcMiami]

Great find!
Love the story about her highlight real presentation at the clinic.
And I would love to see it.
And I think it would be the best teaching tool for youth teams in any sport, and for the players families as well.
In effect saying: you can have the best skills on the field or on the court, you can be the best athlete or have the prettiest form, but the first thing I am going to look at in watching your games are the following, and if you don't impress me in these areas, I am going to move on to the next recruit quickly.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Great find!
Love the story about her highlight real presentation at the clinic.
And I would love to see it.
And I think it would be the best teaching tool for youth teams in any sport, and for the players families as well.
In effect saying: you can have the best skills on the field or on the court, you can be the best athlete or have the prettiest form, but the first thing I am going to look at in watching your games are the following, and if you don't impress me in these areas, I am going to move on to the next recruit quickly.

UcMiami, there are few people on this board whose posts I enjoy as much as yours. Your insights and your views are most often quite in line with my views and always informative. Very impressive.

 

[JordyG]

Great find!
Love the story about her highlight real presentation at the clinic.
And I would love to see it.
And I think it would be the best teaching tool for youth teams in any sport, and for the players families as well.
In effect saying: you can have the best skills on the field or on the court, you can be the best athlete or have the prettiest form, but the first thing I am going to look at in watching your games are the following, and if you don't impress me in these areas, I am going to move on to the next recruit quickly.

UcMiami, there are few people on this board whose posts I enjoy as much as yours. Your insights and your views are most often quite in line with my views and always informative. Very impressive.

(Non-attachment of JordyG shining an apple) You don't really need me to do this, but...

 

[UcMiami]

UcMiami, there are few people on this board whose posts I enjoy as much as yours. Your insights and your views are most often quite in line with my views and always informative. Very impressive.

As I mentioned in another thread - it is a particular rule of mine to judge another's level of brilliance by how much their views match my own - we are clearly very brilliant fellows!

 

[Kibitzer]

As I mentioned in another thread - it is a particular rule of mine to judge another's level of brilliance by how much their views match my own - we are clearly very brilliant fellows!

Give yourselves a highlight real.

 

[Husky1964]

I always date her arrival at Storrs as a turning point in our metioric rise. 1 She was our 1st recruit from out of our "area". 2. She attended Rocky Top's Summer camp for 2 years!!! 3. Her mother was a friend and former teammate of Pat Head Summit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!4 Lobo was a breakthrough, Sales was an area kid, but Fayetteville N.C. was a true turning. point .What followed?? Svet, TASSK, and then Dee. After 04 we were elite.

 

[BISweet]

It’s said you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The one that Shea Ralph made on University of Connecticut women’s associate head coach Chris Dailey still sticks in Dailey’s mind. Even more than 20 years later, she vividly remembers coming to Fayetteville to recruit the Terry Sanford High basketball star.

“When I first saw Shea play, she was a scoring machine,” Dailey said, “But what really struck me was that she imposed her will on the game.”

Twenty-one years later, Ralph is still imposing her will on the game, if you will, as an assistant coach at UConn, where the Huskies have built a sports dynasty.

UConn women's basketball assistant Shea Ralph, of Fayetteville, is dynasty's darling

I have many memories of Shea as a player, great stuff with Stevta--except when she injured her self when she and Svet played against guys. She was an amazing rebounder and fantactic put back thru trees, tough kid. She was an enforcer when an opponent took out a uconn kid. She gave a Norfolk college player an elbow to the gut--and the kid gave her a forearm to the throat--Sue was the Point Shea was the Capt --Sue ran the team when Shea wasn't in the game (per Sue). If Shea is half as tough as a coach--woe be the players who malinger

 

[Kaizen]

Dr. Lake played with Summitt (then known as Pat Head) on the University Games team, an organization comprised of America’s top collegiate players. Dr. Lake has deep, personal memories and feelings for Summitt, who retired at the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season at Tennessee due to early onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

“I have some fabulous memories of Pat,” Dr. Lake said. “I met her at tryouts for the World University Games in Iowa in 1972. We both made the team and won the silver medal in Moscow in 1973. She played the game exactly the same way she coached — total aggression and in-your-face.

“When I saw that Shea was going to be a special player at about age 9, I called Pat and asked her to take a look. She invited me to bring Shea to the UT basketball camp and to help coach while I was there. This went on for several years and Pat recruited Shea hard. I really thought that is where she would go until she visited UConn. She fell in love with the whole package and that was that. I have been crushed about Pat’s situation and continue to follow it closely and wish her the absolute best. She is a great person.”

BCC’s Lake and Daughter Share Hoops Pedigree |

 

[EricLA]

I really enjoyed the article. One thing I thought was interesting was the comment by Chris Dailey:

Dailey agreed that staff is critical for any coach starting a program.

“You need to hire people who are loyal and you need to understand your strengths and weaknesses and make sure to hire a staff that complements those strengths and weaknesses well,’’ she said.

Specifically the stuff about knowing the other coaches strengths and weaknesses and making sure to hire other coaches that complement those from the HC perspective. I know we, as fans, get to watch the coaches on the periphery, but I'd love to know what the staff feels each coaches' strengths and weaknesses are...