IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 310 

Honoring the life of Coach Kay Yow in remembrance of her passing, and 

recognizing her dedication to the sport of basketball, her commitment 

to women and women’s health, and her contributions to the State of 

North Carolina. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 31, 2009 

Mr. SHULER (for himself, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. COBLE, Mr. ETHERIDGE, 

Ms. FOXX, Mr. JONES, Mr. KISSELL, Mr. MCHENRY, Mr. MCINTYRE, 

Mr. MILLER of North Carolina, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, and Mr. WATT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of Coach Kay Yow in remembrance of 

her passing, and recognizing her dedication to the sport 

of basketball, her commitment to women and women’s 

health, and her contributions to the State of North Carolina. 

Whereas in 1975, Coach Kay Yow was hired at North Carolina State University as the head coach of women’s basketball, women’s softball, and women’s volleyball, as well 

as the coordinator of women’s sports; 

Whereas, from 1975 to 2009, Coach Yow was head coach of 

the women’s basketball team at North Carolina State 

University; 


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•HRES 310 IH 

Whereas Coach Yow was a female leader amidst a mostly 

male coaching staff; 

Whereas Coach Yow found immediate success as she completed her first season as head coach of the women’s basketball team with a 19–7 record, and took her team to 

the Women’s National Invitation Tournament; 

Whereas Coach Yow coached some of the Nation’s most wellknown players, including WNBA All-Stars Andrea 

Stinson, Chasity Melvin (North Carolina State University’s all-time leading scorer), Genia Beasley, and current 

assistant coach, Trena Trice-Hill; 

Whereas Coach Yow served as an assistant coach of the 

United States women’s basketball team on 4 gold medalwinning teams, including the 1984 Olympic team, the 

1979 World University Games team, the 1983 Pan 

American Games team, and the 1984 R. Williams Jones 

Cup team; 

Whereas Coach Yow served as head coach of the United 

States women’s basketball team on 4 gold medal-winning 

teams, including the 1988 Olympic team, the 1981 World 

University Games team, the 1986 Goodwill Games team, 

and the 1986 World Championship Games team; 

Whereas Coach Yow was also a part of the 1983 World 

Championship United States women’s basketball team 

that earned a silver medal; 

Whereas Coach Yow was the first coach to win 2 Olympic 

Gold Medals since women’s basketball was added as an 

Olympic sport in 1976; 

Whereas Coach Yow is 1 of 6 Division I women’s head basketball coaches to achieve 700 career victories, and is 1 

of 8 Olympic coaches chosen to lead the United States 


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women’s basketball team in the pursuit of an Olympic 

Gold Medal; 

Whereas in April 2008, Coach Yow received the Mildred 

‘‘Babe’’ Zaharias Didrikson Courage Award from the 

United States Sports Academy, recognizing her achievements in the face of serious personal challenges; 

Whereas Coach Yow missed 16 games during the North 

Carolina State University women’s basketball team’s 

2007 season to receive treatment for cancer that was diagnosed in 1987; 

Whereas upon her return as head coach of the team in 2007, 

she led the North Carolina State women’s basketball 

team on an inspirational run to the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game and to the Sweet 16 in the 

National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament; 

Whereas Coach Yow had a winning coaching career even as 

she faced a 22-year battle with breast cancer; 

Whereas following her diagnosis, Coach Yow became an inspirational leader in the fight against cancer, and a strong 

advocate for raising awareness of breast cancer and expanding scientific research into cures for women’s cancers; 

Whereas the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association 

(WBCA), of which Coach Yow was a past president and 

founding member, launched the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer 

fund on December 3, 2007, to become part of finding an 

answer in the fight against women’s cancers through 

raising money for scientific research, assisting the underserved, and unifying people for a common cause; 


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•HRES 310 IH 

Whereas Coach Yow’s battle with breast cancer has brought 

awareness of the disease to women across North Carolina 

and throughout the Nation; 

Whereas, on January 24, 2009, cancer took the life of Coach 

Yow; and 

Whereas throughout her life, Coach Yow sacrificed to continuously be a mentor and friend to her players and to 

help them to achieve their personal best: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors 

2 the life of Coach Kay Yow in remembrance of her passing, 

3 and recognizes her dedication to the sport of basketball, 

4 her commitment to women and women’s health, and her 

5 contributions to the State of North Carolina. 

Æ 


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