UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio — There's no shortage of talent within girls' high school basketball in Northeast Ohio, and that was on full display Saturday at the first ever Pink Power Preview. But the event wasn't held just to highlight the teams preparing for their upcoming season—it was also a showcase of the women leading the way for them.
Held at John Carroll University Saturday, the all-day event celebrated area programs with women head coaches. The day featured an impressive 22 teams from across the area, 11 games between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., a three-point contest, and a special address from Bowling Green Women's Basketball head coach Robyn Fralick.
The showcase was created in collaboration with Saint Joseph's Academy girls' basketball head coach Karen Swanson Haan and Cornerstone Christian Academy girls' basketball head coach Lisa Stopp.
"I don’t think there’s anything like it in the state, even nationally, of giving women head coaches a platform," Stopp said.
Both coaches wanted to create an event where the girls could not only get some work in before their season tips off, but to provide an environment that shows them possibilities around the game as they think about their future.
"When we compiled the list of who we were inviting it was really powerful to see those names because there are some truly incredible coaches in our area," Swanson Haan said.
Throughout the day, women were on the sidelines leading their teams while also seeing that from the opposing bench. Players got their first looks at some of the competition they'll be challenged with this year and families got to see a united front of girls and women thriving in the basketball world.
Saturday's event was the first of its kind, but if Swanson Haan and Stopp have their way—and they are already planning to—it certainly won't be the last.
"We deemed this the first annual so that means there will be subsequent annual pink power preview and we kind of hope this is just a springboard for the future and this event will get bigger and bigger each year," Swanson Haan said.
And there's a bigger goal in mind as they see the Pink Power Preview begin what hopes to be a long-lasting run in Northeast Ohio.
"I’m hoping these young ladies who are playing ball on the floor right now are going to be coaching in this in a couple years," Stopp said.
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