Bay Port girls’ basketball coach Kati Coleman will help coach the D2 North squad in the WBCA all-star game June 15 in Wisconsin Dells (Rich Palzewic file photo).

BY RICH PALZEWIC
CORRESPONDENT

SUAMICO – Bay Port girls’ basketball coach Kati Coleman led her team to within a whisker of reaching the WIAA D1 state tournament this past March.

Now Coleman will be one of the coaches for the D2 North all-star squad in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association all-star game June 15 in Wisconsin Dells.

“This is my first time coaching in the all-star game,” said Coleman, who led the Pirates to their first-ever Fox River Classic Conference title this past season and a 20-6 overall record. “I played in it 13 years ago. It will be fun coaching with (Pulaski head coach Jeff) Charney and coaching good, local talent.”

Even more important that being able to coach some great high-school athletes, the game raises funds for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund.

“The coaches and players are asked to raise money for the MACC Fund,” said Coleman. “When I played, I didn’t think much of it. Now that I’m older, reading more about the MACC Fund, it’s amazing what a group of student-athletes and coaches can accomplish, and what we can do for the community. Everyone is impacted by cancer in some way. If the game of basketball can help fund a cure for cancer or help young kids – it makes it all worth it.”

Although no Bay Port players made the D1 roster, Coleman will see some familiar faces on her squad in Ashwaubenon’s Autumn Schlader, Pulaski’s Emily Higgins and West De Pere’s Brehna Evans. Schlader and Higgins played in the Fox River Conference Classic along with the Pirates, while the Phantoms faced off against Bay Port in a non-conference game early last season.

The last day to donate funds for the MACC Fund is May 22. You can CLICK HERE to contribute in Coleman’s name.