June 8, 2007 Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University head women's basketball coach Terri Williams-Flournoy has been busy this summer. Just your typical summer for any college coach. Whether it's keeping track of her own children's summer schedules, the never-ending recruiting trail, speaking engagements - this is the path college coaches have chosen. Earlier this summer, and for the second straight year, Flournoy made an appearance in Fort Belvoir, Virginia at the Army Management Staff College for its annual Leadership Conference. Flournoy was one of a host of speakers giving her insight to the Army Management Staff College's theme, "Building the Bench, Developing Future Leaders." Coach Flournoy spoke about the qualities of leaders and the constant changes effective leaders must adapt to in a constantly changing and evolving world. She also touched on the challenges coaches face when trying to get the best out of their student-athletes by catering to their strengths. "The folks at Fort Belvoir asked me to talk about some aspects of coaching," said Flournoy. "But I also get to visit with leaders in other educational fields and military fields to see what works best for them." Flournoy also made a visit to Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon at the Villa 7 / Nike Coaches Consortium, where she was on a panel labeled, "The Young Guns." The panel included head coaches Michael Shafer of the University of Richmond and the University of Florida's Amanda Butler, where the trio spoke about the first 100 days of being a head coach. "In the first three or four months of becoming a head coach, you have to hire a staff, learn everything you can about the current student-athletes you're going to have on your roster, feel your way through the administrative side of the university, while recruiting," said Flournoy. "Any coaches convention is informative - you can always pick up a little tidbit that you may be able to take with you and use at your own school." Perhaps the highlight of the summer was seeing her brother and basketball guru, Boo Williams, have a recreation center named in his honor in their hometown of Hampton, Virginia. The new $13 million Boo Williams Sportsplex will include eight basketball courts, retractable seating for spectators, an indoor track, weight room and computer lab for academic study. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in early May. Boo founded a youth basketball league in the mid 1980's and it has grown tremendously. His basketball league that started with 50 players now has expanded to leagues with more than 2,000 competitors. The new sportsplex will be an ideal spot for regional and national AAU basketball tournaments but will also be a prime venue for aspiring gymnasts, track stars, volleyball players and wrestlers. Boo, a high school sports standout, insurance agent and youth group organizer, is a Hampton legend. "He does it because it's the right thing to do," said Hampton councilman Joe Spencer said. "He does it from the heart. This facility is in appreciation for what he does and what he means. It's all about service and giving back."
"I'm just so proud of all the opportuities he's given young people," said Coach Flournoy. "My big brother has always done what is best for his players. I remember when he started his Summer League and went door-to-door getting any sponsors he could to start his dream of helping the young people in the Tidewater area. I am happy he is being rewarded for his work."
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