Robelyn Garcia

Robelyn Garcia
WBA Player - Shooting Guard
Born September 16, 1965
Phoenix, Arizona
Nationality United States American
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
High Schools Wichita East High School
Enid High School
Colleges University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Dodge City Community College
Friends University
Allocated 1992, to the Kansas Crusaders
WBA Career
Teams Kansas Crusaders (1993)
Kansas City Mustangs (1994 - 1995) )
Tulsa Flames (1996)
Awards 4X WBA All-Star (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
WBA Big Six Champion (1993)
WBA Championship Game MVP (1993)

Robelyn Annette Garcia (born September 16, 1965, in Phoenix, Arizona) is a former collegiate All-American and professional All-Star basketball player.[1][2] She was the Big Six Championship Game MVP on the Kansas Crusaders of the Women’s Basketball Association (WBA). Robelyn, nicknamed "Robbie", also led the nation in scoring[3] while playing at Dodge City Community College where she is being inducted in to the 2015 Hall of Fame.[4]

High School

Garcia played at five different prep schools; she had a high scoring game of 56 points[5] while playing six-on-six basketball in Oklahoma. Robelyn also played two years for Wichita East High School and was an All-State Player at Elkhart High School in Elkhart, Kansas where she led her team in scoring. She played on two All-Star teams her Senior-year including the Kansas vs Texas All-Star Challenge. In addition, she was the leading scorer in The Boot Hill High School All-State game in 1983.[6] Garcia also played softball, soccer, volleyball, ran cross country and track and field in prep school.[7]

College career

Garcia had a stellar collegiate career with high scoring games of 46 and 40 points in her first year as a college player.[8][9] She was a Region NJCAA All-American and led the Nation in scoring as a freshman averaging 31.5 points per game before the implementation of the three-point line in the college game. Many of her points came from beyond what would have been the three-point arc. [10] She is the career All-time leading scorer at Dodge City College scoring 1,298 points in just two years.[10] She has held this title for over 30 years. [10] “At Dodge City, Garcia earned All-America honors and was ranked as one of the top junior college swing guards in the country when she averaged 28 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1984-85. She ranked as the nation's fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore.” [11] Garcia played at The University of Nebraska her junior year[12][13] and Friends University her senior year where she averaged 20 points per game and led her team and league in assists. She was a unanimous KCAC First-Team selection and NAIA Region All-Star her senior year.[14] Friends University Lady Falcons won the KCAC conference and made the NAIA National Tournament. Her Friends University Hall of Fame[15] Coach Jim Littell, now the head coach at Oklahoma State University, said "She's the greatest offensive talent I have ever coached. Passing, scoring, handling the ball".[8]

Garcia was a multi-sport athlete in college; she also played softball, soccer, ran cross-country and track.[16] She is being honored in May 2015 with her induction into the Dodge City College Athletic Hall of Fame.[17]

Professional

Robelyn Garcia on Kansas WBA Championship Team

Garcia played for several professional basketball teams and leagues, including the 1993 Champion Kansas Crusaders, Kansas City Mustangs and Tulsa Flames of the WBA.[18] She also played in The Pro-Am, AAU Women’s League, Guadalupe, Mexico [19] and was chosen to play in the Liberty Basketball Association (LBA) professional league.[20] Garcia’s Kansas Crusaders team won the first WBA Championship in 1993. Her Kansas City Mustangs team won the regular WBA season going undefeated 15-0 in 1994.[21] Garcia was a 4-time WBA All-Star and is featured on the collector WBA All-Star Card Set by Fair Play Sports [22][23] In addition, Garcia was awarded the oldest women's sports [24] award of Women's Basketball AAU Athlete of the year in 1992 [25] while playing on her Championship Kansas City AAU Team.[26][27]

Coaching career

Owner/Player/Coach for Christian Basketball Team Garcia

Garcia coached two seasons at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas while she was working on her Doctorate at The University of Kansas. She coached the Haskell Indian Nations Fighting Indians freshman team to a 20-0 undefeated season in 1992.[16] Garcia also coached several semi-pro, exhibition and club teams including the touring team Christian Basketball.

Higher education

Dr. Garcia finished her third Master's of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Arizona State University on May 16, 2014. She was also inducted in to the Arizona State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi for her academic and scholarly achievement in May, 2014. [28] In addition she has a Ph.D. in Education Administration,[29] a Master’s of Science in Kinesiology/Exercise Science, a Post-Doc Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, a Master's in Aging and Lifespan Development, an Associates of Arts and Sciences and a Bachelors of Liberal Arts and General Studies.[30] Garcia began her second doctorate program at Arizona State University in Fall 2014. She is a post doc in the Doctor of Behavioral Health program with an anticipated graduate date in 2017. [31]

Other Activities

Garcia began competition in 2014 for the Senior Olympics state, regional, national and world games. Garcia is the President of the SW Jr. Pro Basketball Program of the Jr. NBA-WNBA[32] and the Vice President of American Community Team Sports. She has been a Professor in various academic fields for over twenty years. Her volunteer work includes work with Special Olympics, Beatitudes Healthy Aging Adult Center and Senior University. Garcia was also a radio announcer for the WBA, DCCC, University of Nebraska, Friends University and Kansas City Public radio.[33] Dr. Garcia has been featured in and authored the afterword for the 2015 book "It's Your Go Season" by Kandi Conda. [34] [35]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Robbie Garcia WBA All-Star Card". WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Women's Basketball Association Set". Angelfire Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records". Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Dodge City Athletics News Release". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  5. ↑ Bill MacKay. "FU's Garcia Tough to Miss" (PDF). Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "The Salina Journal". Newspapers.com Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Elkhart High School". Elkhart High School. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bill MacKay. "FU's Garcia Tough to Miss" (PDF). Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  9. ↑ Bill MacKay. "FU's Garcia Tough to Miss" (PDF). Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Dodge City Lady Conq Career All-time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web". Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Robelyn Garcia Bio - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.   At Dodge City, Garcia earned All-America honors and was ranked as one of the top junior college swing guards in the country when she averaged 28 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1984-85. She ranked as the nation's fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore. 
  12. ↑ "Husker Women Recruit Kansas Shooting Guard; A league of their own". Omaha World-Herald. March 26, 1985. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Robelyn Garcia Bio - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  14. ↑ "The Salina Journal – Newspapers.com Official WebSite". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  15. ↑ Jim Littell Bio – OSU Athletics Official Web Site – OSU Athletics Official Web Site
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Fan Base Robelyn Garcia Bio – Fan Base Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Dodge City Athletics News Release". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  18. ↑ "WBA All-Star Players". WNBA Cards Fair Play Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  19. ↑ "A League of Their Own". KC STAR Magazine. March 26, 1994. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Garcia Serious About Education". KC Star. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Women's Pro Basketball on Fox Sports". Fox 4 TV. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  22. ↑ Bonner, Mike (1999). Collecting Basketball Cards. United States: iUniverse. p. 117,119,120. ISBN 978-1583486153.
  23. ↑ "WBA All-Star Set" (GIF). WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  24. ↑ "History of Women in Sports Timeline". AAUW. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  25. ↑ "Lawrence Journal World Archive". Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  26. ↑ "WBA Article Archive". Kansas City Star, WBA Media Guide, Star Magazine. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  27. ↑ "Mustangs Running Strong out of the Gate - Undefeated Team". USA Today. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  28. ↑ "ASU Phi Kappa Phi Merit Official Web Site". Retrieved Jan 1, 2015.
  29. ↑ Anna M. Jones (September 22, 1994). "Garcia serious about education". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Wichita State Shocker Magazine – Wichita State University Alumni Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  31. ↑ "Arizona State University Official Web Site Directory". Retrieved Oct 1, 2014.
  32. ↑ "Jr. NBA – Jr. WNBA". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  33. ↑ "NBA Programs NBA.com". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  34. ↑ "WBCBL official Website News". Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  35. ↑ "It's Your Go Season by Kandi Conda, Afterword by Robelyn Garcia". Retrieved March 1, 2015.

External links