“Seeing the whole process and how much I grew in my first year here, I realized how much of an influence all of my coaches had on me not only in basketball, but in my life,” said Jump, a senior guard for the Raiders.
The Union Ky., native earned a degree in organizational leadership in three years and is working on her master’s in sports management while helping WSU to a 19-7 record. And she recently was selected to the 2015 class of the Women’s College Basketball Association’s “So You Want To Be A Coach” program.
“It’s something I’m really proud of,” Jump said. “It’s a big deal and something I’m looking forward to.”
The program runs April 3-5 in Tampa, the site off the women’s Final Four.
As part of the application process, Jump had to write an essay in which she tied her desire to be a coach into her favorite childhood book, “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein.
“My mom (Tammy) used to read that to me all the time, and it’s something that’s always stuck with me,” Jump said. “I want to be a giver and someone who will always be there to help people.”
Jump’s father, Jeff, coached Scott High School while she was growing up and later coached her in middle school. But during that time she never gave much thought to one day following in his footsteps.
“When I told him I wanted to be a coach, he kind of laughed and smirked,” Abby said. “I guess he always wanted me to be one, but he never tried to force me to follow in his path.”
But as big of an influence as her parents have been in her life, Abby said it was WSU coach Mike Bradbury and his assistants who really kick-started her dream to coach when she’s finished playing.
“I don’t know if I would’ve wanted to be a coach if I didn’t play for Coach Bradbury and his staff,” she said. “They really opened my eyes up to a lot of things. They made me a better player, and more importantly they helped me grow as a person.
“Hopefully I can make them proud and become as good of a coach as they are.”
Baseball: The Raiders kicked off the season in strong but chilly fashion last weekend by winning three games in two days at Belmont. WSU knocked off the host Bruins in the opener and swept a pair from Toledo before the cold weather canceled Sunday's finale against Belmont.
The Raiders are in Oxford, Miss., for a three-game series this weekend.
Men's basketball: Senior guard Chrishawn Hopkins has advanced to the quarterfinals of the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker contest, where he is paired against Barry University's Jevoni Robinson.
Winners are determined by fan voting at darkhorsedunker.com through Wednesday.
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