KORBYN UKASICK OF COLORADO COLLEGE, a senior on the women’s basketball team, has been selected the SCAC Character Female Student-Athlete of the Week for the period beginning January 16, 2017.
During her first three seasons, Ukasick was a fixture in the Colorado College lineup, playing in all 76 games, including 69 as a starter.
Ukasick averaged 11.34 points and 4.4 rebounds per game and was an honorable mention all-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection as a junior. She currently ranks 21st in program history with 885 points and 30th with 349 rebounds.
Obviously, Ukasick’s experience and production proved difficult to replace.
Despite being sidelined for nine contests, the senior captain still was able to provide valuable leadership for a squad that has 13 underclassmen on its 18-player roster.
A clear indication of Ukasick’s importance to the Tigers was that while she was unable to play, she still travelled with team and contributed in her unofficial role as a student coach.
While it was difficult not being on the court with her teammates, seeing the game from a different perspective provide invaluable experience as she pursues a career in coaching.
In addition to providing input during games, Ukasick was given other behind the scene responsibilities such as running practices, developing game plans and helping plan and run a children’s clinic during the recent holiday break.
Supporting head coach Katherine Menendez is the latest in Ukasick’s quest for coaching experience.
She has volunteered as the summer junior varsity coach at Liberty Common High School since 2013 and worked for USA Basketball at the FIBA’s U18 Americas Championship in Colorado Springs.
Ukasick also has been involved with several community service projects, such as building houses with Habitat for Humanity, restoring trails in the Garden of the Gods with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, and volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House with her Colorado College teammates.
In December, Ukasick learned that she was selected to participate in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program, which provides female student-athletes with an experience that becomes the foundation for a successful coaching career.
Ukasick will travel to the WBCA National Convention in Dallas March 30-31, where she will learn from coaches and administrators, and take advantage of networking opportunities deigned to assist participants in securing a coaching position.
After graduating in May with a degree in psychology, Ukasick plans to pursue a position as a graduate assistant coach or an internship at the United States Olympic Committee in the international games department.