Wikipedia

Robelyn Garcia

Robelyn Annette Garcia (born September 16, 1965) is a former collegiate All-American and professional All-Star basketball player.[1] She was the Big Six Championship Game MVP on the Kansas Crusaders of the Women's Basketball Association (WBA). Garcia was inducted into the Black Archives of Mid-America WBA Hall of Fame on February 22, 2020.[2][3] Robelyn, nicknamed "Robbie" by her junior college coach, also led the nation in scoring[4] while playing at Dodge City Community College where she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.[5][6]

Robelyn Garcia
Personal information
Born (1965-09-16) September 16, 1965 (age 58)
Phoenix, Arizona
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Career information
High schoolWichita East High School
Enid High School
Elkhart, Kansas High School
CollegeUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
Dodge City Community College
Friends University
Playing career1990–1996
PositionShooting Guard
Career history
1990-91LBA, Guadalupe, British Columbia
1992WBA All-Star Exhibition Team
1993Kansas Crusaders
1994-95Kansas City Mustangs
1996Tulsa Flames
Career highlights and awards
WNBA awards
  • 4X WBA All-Star (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
  • WBA Big Six Champion (1993)
  • WBA Championship Game MVP (1993)
Career awards
Medals

Senior Olympics Gold Medal (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
World Senior Games Gold Medal (2017)

Garcia with her WBA 2017 Gold-Star Vision Award

High school edit

Garcia played at five different high schools; she had a high scoring game of 56 points[7] while playing six-on-six basketball in Oklahoma. She 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. Garcia 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.[8] Garcia also played softball, soccer, volleyball, ran cross country and track and field in high school.[9]

College career edit

Garcia had a stellar collegiate career with high scoring games of 46 and 40 points in her first year as a college player.[7][10] 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.[11] She is the career all-time leading scorer at Dodge City College after scoring 1,298 points in just two years.[12] She has held this title for over 33 years.[13] "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."[14] Garcia played at the University of Nebraska her junior year[15][16] 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.[17] Friends University Lady Falcons won the KCAC conference and made the NAIA National Tournament. Her Friends University Hall of Fame[18] 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".[7]

Garcia was a multi-sport athlete in college; she also played softball, soccer, ran cross country and track.[19] She was honored in May 2015 with her induction into the Dodge City College[20] Athletic Hall of Fame.[5][21]

Professional career edit

 
Robelyn Garcia on Kansas WBA Championship Team

Garcia played on several professional basketball teams and leagues, including the 1993 Champion Kansas Crusaders, Kansas City Mustangs and Tulsa Flames of the WBA.[22] She also played in The Pro-Am, AAU Women's League, Guadalupe, Mexico, British Columbia,[23] and was chosen to play in the Liberty Basketball Association (LBA) professional league.[24] 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.[25] Garcia was a 4-time WBA All-Star[26] and is featured on the collector WBA All-Star Card Set by Fair Play Sports.[27][28] She is quoted several times and highlighted with five photos and a three-page spread in the 2017 best-selling book and documentary film The Vision: The Untold Story of the Women's Basketball Association by Lightning Ned Mitchell.[29] In addition, Garcia was awarded the oldest women's sports award of Women's Basketball AAU Athlete of the year in 1992[30] while playing on her Championship Kansas City AAU Team.[31][32]

Garcia also received the 2015 WBCBL Women's Professional Basketball "Trailblazer" Award on August 2, 2015, along with 9 other female basketball icons including Cynthia Cooper, Nancy Lieberman, Sarah Campbell, E.C. Hill, Dr. Geri Kay Hart, Lynette Woodard, Kandi Conda, Lisa Leslie and Tamika Catchings.[33] The award recognizes some of the most influential people in professional women's basketball, specifically those who helped blaze the trail, shape the overall landscape and pave the way for women's professional basketball.[34] These 10 women have prevailed to greatness in a male dominated sport and give hope to young girls who inspire to be professional players, coaches, and team owners.[35]

Garcia, her Kansas City Mustangs undefeated team, Kansas Crusaders Championship team and the entire Women's Basketball Association have a permanent display at The Black Archives of Mid-America Women's Pro Basketball Hall of Fame.[36][37]

Coaching career edit

 
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 Fighting Indians freshman team to an undefeated 20–0 season in 1992. Garcia also coached several semi-pro, exhibition and club teams including the touring team Christian Basketball.[38]

Higher education edit

Garcia, a lifelong scholar, finished her eleventh college diploma of twelve at Harvard Extension School on May 26, 2020[39] with a Harvard professional graduate certificate in Web Technologies.[40] Her eighth college degree and third master's degree was a Master of Arts in criminal justice and criminology at Arizona State University, which also inducted her into the Arizona State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi for her academic and scholarly achievement in May 2014.[41] In addition, she has a Ph.D. in education administration,[42] a Master of Science in kinesiology/exercise science, a post-doc graduate certificate in gerontology, a master's in aging and lifespan development, an Associate of Arts and Sciences and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and General Studies from Wichita State University.[43] 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.[44] Garcia began her twelfth college degree in the summer of 2018 at Harvard University studying for a master's degree in digital media and museum technology at Harvard Extension School.[45] Garcia is also pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) at Walden University where she serves as the MPH Representative on the Curriculum and Instruction Council on Education for Public Health Task Group. Further, Garcia completed a Bachelor of Metaphysical Science, Master of Metaphysical Science, and is pursuing a third doctorate degree at The University of Sedona and The University of Metaphysics to add metaphysician to her list of titles.[46]

In 2018 Garcia became an Arizona State University faculty affiliate in the biomimicry department.[47] In addition to her post-secondary degrees, research and teaching she has several publications, including her Guide to Coaching Youth Basketball.[48]

Other activities edit

Garcia began competition in 2014 for the Senior Olympics, 2015 regional Senior Games and the 2016 World Games. She won her first gold medal in the Senior Games in 2015 and won gold medals in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Senior Olympics.[49] Robelyn also won a gold medal at the World Senior Games in October 2017.[50] Garcia is the president emeritus of the Jr. NBA-WNBA[51] and the Vice President of American Community Team Sports. She has been a professor in various academic fields for over twenty years.[52] Dr. Garcia began offering Jr. NBA - WNBA scholarships in 2011 in honor of her late Mother and launched her new Dr. Robelyn Garcia Scholarships in 2015.[53] She is the official team sponsor for the new Kansas City Pro WBCBL team and also provides scholarships for Seniors 50+, Jr. NBA-WNBA Players, WBCBL Teams and College Scholar Athletes.[54][55] Her volunteer work includes work with Bicycle Charities,[56] The Arizona State University Doctor of Behavioral Health Student Forum, Special Olympics, Harvard University DCE Accessibility Services, Beatitudes Healthy Aging Adult Center and Senior University.[57] Garcia was also a radio announcer for the WBA, DCCC, University of Nebraska, Friends University and Kansas City Public radio.[58] Dr. Garcia was featured in and authored the afterword for the 2015 book "It's Your Go Season" by Kandi Conda.[59][60] She released a Kindle book titled "Consumer Health Awareness: A Guide to Intelligent Decisions for Selecting Integrative Holistic Medicine" in 2018.[61]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Robbie Garcia WBA All-Star Card". WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. ^ "WBA News Watch". The Vision WBA Official Web Site. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  3. ^ "Black Archives of Mid-America". Black Archives of Mid-America Web Site. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  4. ^ "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records" (PDF). Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Dodge City Athletics News Release". Dodge City Conqs Athletics. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  6. ^ "Dodge City Athletics 2015 RECAP". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  7. ^ a b c Bill MacKay. "FU's Garcia Tough to Miss" (PDF). Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  8. ^ "The Salina Journal". Newspapers.com Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  9. ^ "Elkhart High School". Elkhart High School. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  10. ^ "Woodard and Garcia Honored at 2015 WBCBL "Trailblazers"". Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  11. ^ "Dodge City Lady Conq Career All-time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web" (PDF). Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  12. ^ "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web". Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  13. ^ "Dodge City College Career Scoring Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web". Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  14. ^ "Robelyn Garcia Bio - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved January 20, 2024. 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.
  15. ^ "Husker Women Recruit Kansas Shooting Guard; Robelyn Garcia". University of Nebraska. March 26, 1985. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  16. ^ "WOMEN'S BASKETBALL - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  17. ^ "The Salina Journal – Newspapers.com Official WebSite". 4 March 1988. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  18. ^ Jim Littell Bio – OSU Athletics Official Web Site – OSU Athletics Official Web Site
  19. ^ "SU HEALTH PROFESSOR ROBELYN GARCIA PHD: FASCINATING PEOPLE". 18 February 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  20. ^ "Hall of Fame - Robelyn Garcia". Dodge City Community College Athletics. Retrieved 2023-10-29.
  21. ^ "DC3-Conqs 2015 athletic hall of fame honoree Robelyn Garcia". DC3 Conqs Official Website. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  22. ^ "WBA All-Star Players". WNBA Cards Fair Play Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  23. ^ "A League of Their Own". KC STAR Magazine. March 26, 1994. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  24. ^ "Garcia Serious About Education". KC Star. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  25. ^ "Women's Pro Basketball on Fox Sports". Fox 4 TV. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  26. ^ "WBA All-Star Set" (GIF). WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  27. ^ Bonner, Mike (1999). Collecting Basketball Cards. United States: iUniverse. p. 117,119,120. ISBN 978-1583486153.
  28. ^ Collecting Basketball Cards. iUniverse. 1999. ISBN 9781583486153. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  29. ^ "The Vision: The Untold Story of the Women's Basketball Association". CreateSpace. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  30. ^ "Lawrence Journal World Archive". 21 November 1992. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  31. ^ "WBA Article Archive". Kansas City Star, WBA Media Guide, Star Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  32. ^ "Mustangs Running Strong out of the Gate - Undefeated Team". USA Today, WBA The Vision. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  33. ^ "WBCBL to Honor 10 trailblazers in Women's Professional Basketball". WBCBL News. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  34. ^ "Woodard and Garcia Honored as trailblazers in Women's Professional Basketball". WBCBL News. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  35. ^ "2015 WBCBL Trailblazer Award in Women's Professional Basketball". Arizona Athletics Official Website. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  36. ^ "WBA Black Archive News and Photo". The WBA Official Facebook Page. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  37. ^ "Black Archives of Mid-America Official Facebook". Black Archives of Mid-America. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  38. ^ "FASCINATING PEOPLE: ROBELYN GARCIA,PHD". Salon Chair Therapist Official Website. 18 February 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  39. ^ "Harvard Scholar Official Website". Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  40. ^ "Harvard Extension School Official Website". Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  41. ^ "ASU Phi Kappa Phi Merit Official Web Site". Retrieved Jan 1, 2015.
  42. ^ Anna M. Jones (September 22, 1994). "Garcia serious about education". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  43. ^ "Wichita State University Commencement". Facebook. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
  44. ^ "Arizona State University Official Web Site Directory". Retrieved Oct 1, 2014.
  45. ^ "Harvard University Scholar Official Web Site". Retrieved Oct 1, 2021.
  46. ^ "University of Metatphysics Official Website". Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  47. ^ "Arizona State University Faculty Affiliate: Biomimicry Center". Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  48. ^ Coaching Youth Basketball by Dr. Robelyn Garcia. Precision Printing. January 1994. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  49. ^ "Arizona Senior Olympics". Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  50. ^ "World Senior Games". Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  51. ^ "Jr. NBA – Jr. WNBA". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  52. ^ "Senior University Press". Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  53. ^ "Dr. Robelyn Garcia Scholarships". Facebook. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  54. ^ "Kansas City Majestics Official Sponsors". Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  55. ^ "Kansas City Majestics Uniform Sponsor". Facebook. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  56. ^ "Cancer Ride 2018". Facebook. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  57. ^ "Senior University Feed". Retrieved February 4, 2024.
  58. ^ "Dr. Robelyn Garcia Official Mixcloud". Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  59. ^ "WBCBL official Website News". Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  60. ^ "Amazon Books It's Your Go Season by Kandi Conda, Afterword by Robelyn Garcia". Amazon. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  61. ^ Kindle Books. Dr. Robelyn Garcia. 28 May 2018. Retrieved June 1, 2018.

External links edit

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