For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-992-0687
sports@stlouissports.org

SIU-EDWARDSVILLE COACHES ARE FEATURED INSTRUCTORS FOR COACH IT RIGHT!
BASKETBALL COACHES CLINIC OCT. 30

ST. LOUIS — Oct. 15, 2004 — Youth basketball coaches have the opportunity to learn from two of the best college basketball coaches in the area on Saturday, Oct. 30. Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville head coaches Marty Simmons and Wendy Hedberg will be the featured instructors for the free Coach it Right! coaches clinic at the Vadalabene Center on the SIUE campus.

The instructional clinic takes place from 1 – 4 p.m. and is hosted by the St. Louis Sports Commission's Sports for Kids program, SIU-Edwardsville, and the Taco Bell Coaches Club. Simmons and Hedberg will show coaches how to properly teach basketball fundamentals and techniques to their young athletes. Coaches will receive tips on half court and transition defense, set plays on offense, the fast break, sportsmanship, and much more. David Strickfaden, managing partner of Fitness Designs Physical Therapy Sports Rehab, will also be on hand to talk about training, nutrition, and conditioning for basketball.

To register, call 314-992-0689 or visit www.stlsports.org/kids . Every coach that attends the clinic will receive a free Sports for Kids clipboard.

Under the banner of Coach it Right! , Sports for Kids organizes free coaching clinics that educate, and motivate volunteer youth coaches in various sports. The clinics emphasize the value of sportsmanship and develop coaching skills to help participants become better coaches, and in turn, lead to more positive experiences for area children on the playing field. The mission of Sports for Kids is to help young people from St. Louis live healthier, happier and more productive lives through sports. This year, Sports for Kids has joined forces with the Taco Bell Coaches Club to produce the Coach it Right! clinics. For more information on the Taco Bell Coaches Club visit www.coachitright.com.

In addition to producing Coach it Right! clinics for baseball, soccer, and track & field coaches this year, Sports for Kids hosted an NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) wrestling clinic at Savvis Center, a volleyball recruiting roundtable & sportsmanship seminar at Washington University, and a Sports Career Day for more than 200 students in the Fort Zumwalt School District.