DETROIT -- Wayne State University senior women's basketball player Maxine Moore was selected for the prestigious program "So You Want To Be A Coach and participated in a two-day workshop on March 30-31 during the 2023 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Convention in Dallas.
The "So" program, in partnership with WeCOACH, increases the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women's basketball, increases the understanding and awareness of competencies necessary for success in coaching, introduces female basketball players to coaches and administrators, and raises awareness of the existing talent pool of female basketball players who have a passion and interest in coaching the game of women's basketball. "So" participants learned about the administrative side of coaching, recruiting, how to get hired, skill development, the importance of knowing the rules, and how to balance work and life.
Qualified candidates must have exhausted their final year of basketball eligibility at a four-year institution or have graduated within the past year and must be nominated by their WBCA-member head coach. 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.
Moore and Cornerstone's Danielle Hopkins were the only representatives from Michigan Universities selected to participate in the program. Moore is currently majoring in Communication Studies and is graduating this month. She is also currently the head coach of the AAU team Michigan Storm Elite.
When asked about coaching aspirations, Moore said she fell in love with coaching during her freshman year. "It wasn't until the summer after my freshman year, my teammates and I had an Elite camp and that experience allowed us to have our mini teams do scrimmages. I just fell in love with it at that moment," said Moore. "Part of me knew that I was going to get that experience. I was kind of excited about it, but I didn't really think too hard into it. Obviously, my uncle (Scott Perry) being a part of the coaching side as well, I knew that I could potentially have a path to follow."
Before reaching her senior year of college, Moore was a well-decorated student-athlete in high school. While attending Detroit Country Day, Moore was a four-year starter, helping the Yellowjackets to three state championships. While dominating on the court, Moore would also graduate Magna Cum Laude.
Moore went on to attend Western Michigan University for her freshman year of college. While attending WMU, she continued to excel in both athletics and academics. Moore was named the Broncos Sixth Player of the Year and was a member of the Dean's List both semesters.
After her freshman year, Moore transferred to University of Detroit Mercy. During her sophomore year with the Titans, she took her offensive game to the next level. Moore said her time at Western Michigan prepared her for that following season.
"Being at Western prepared me to come in and be able to say 'I'm not a freshman anymore. I have experience playing as a freshman, so now I can help these girls,' said Moore. "We were a brand-new team when I transferred there. We had five transfers and three freshmen, so that's eight new people to a team. I think we also had three returners from the old program. I also need to give a lot of credit to my coach (Bernard Scott) at the time."
During her sophomore year with the Titans, Moore once again excelled in sports and school. She would score in double figures 12 times, rank second in scoring, and earn Academic Honor Roll accolades.
After her time at Detroit Mercy, Moore transferred to Wayne State University. She would continue the trend of succeeding in both basketball and books. Moore scored a career-high 24 points and was named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team.
She would also make history during her senior year at Wayne State. Moore finished 23rd in Wayne State University history for career field goal percentage. At the time of the interview, Moore wasn't aware she had officially made history.
"I didn't know that I would make any kind of record book," said Moore. "I didn't score a thousand points or anything. You know, all those normal, big accolades that people normally brag about. That wasn't important to me. What was important was making my family and myself proud, and helping make the ones around me even better. To know that I was able to do a little something and make a little history, makes it that much sweeter."
The great amount of work she put in athletically and academically, would lead to her nomination. Moore spoke about where she was when she learned about being selected.
"I think I was just getting ready for the day at my apartment when I received the e-mail," said Moore. "I was on FaceTime with my mom and I was just like, 'no way.' I was stressing trying to get everything that I needed for the application done in time. I had been down on myself. When I found out that I made it, I felt like I could do it and that God must have a purpose for me. I was extremely happy."
Wayne State's women's basketball head coach, Carrie Lohr, spoke about what she saw in Moore from the beginning regarding playing and coaching. She said Moore has never wavered from her passion for the game.
"Max shared her career goals with me over two years ago during the recruiting process," said Lohr. "She wanted to become a college coach. I believe Maxine's college journey will be instrumental in shaping her coaching success. She has played for various coaches, maintained high academic standards for herself, battled through injuries, and embraced all of her teammates. Maxine is great with people and people are drawn to her. She will be a natural leader from the coach's box."
Moore also talked about the two-day coaching workshop that happened during the WBCA Convention in Dallas. She said it was an amazing experience.
"I learned so much in a short, few days that I didn't know, even being a five-year college player," said Moore. "You think being a player prepares you to be a college coach and it doesn't. There's so much more that goes into it. I have a new respect for all the head coaches that I've ever had. It also makes me excited to enter the field myself."
Moore went on to credit the coaches she's had in the past. She said they've done a great job at giving her guidance and admires their coaching style.
"For sure, coach Bernard Scott," said Moore. "He's the one that gave me reassurance that I'm a good player. The way he coached us with so much emotion and passion, is something that always stuck with me. I'm always going to look up to him. Coach Shareta Brown has also been a mentor to me since I was fourteen. She was a Hall of Fame player here, and we would go at it in the gym. It made me feel that if I could score on her, being an All-American, I know I can score on any of these ladies."
Moore earned the chance to talk about her experience broadcasting MHHSA games at the Breslin Center. Moore said it was a surreal moment.
"The opportunity came pretty much out of nowhere," said Moore. "A friend of mine from Detroit Mercy, Denny Kapp, asked me to do my own segment interviewing my teammates. He remembered me having a natural flow of how I talk to my teammates. He called me one day and asked me to fill in for someone. I showed up and had a great partner, Carolyn Binder, who taught me a lot. It was a super fun experience."
A lot of coaches at Division 1 schools have started their careers through the WBCA. Moore hopes to become next on that list.
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