Iowas First Paid Womens Basketball Coach Lark Birdsong Pays

In 1976, Iowa became the first state to pay a woman to coach women’s basketball when they hired Lark Birdsong. She was a pioneer in the sport and helped pave the way for other women to get paid to coach. Today, we continue to celebrate her legacy by honoring her as one of Iowa’s first paid women’s Basketball Coaches

Who is Lark Birdsong?

Lark Birdsong is the first paid women’s basketball coach in Iowa. She is also the Head Coach of Lakeside High School’s girls’ basketball team

Birdsong began her coaching career at the University of Iowa where she was an Assistant Coach for the women’s Basketball team She then became the head coach at Lakeside High School in 2015.

During her time at Lakeside, Birdsong has led the team to two State Championships and has been named Coach of the Year three times.

What is the significance of her being the first paid women’s basketball coach in Iowa?

In 1982, Lark Birdsong made history by becoming the first paid women’s basketball coach in the state of Iowa. She coached at the University of Iowa for two seasons before moving on to the University of Northern Iowa where she coached for another seven seasons. In total, she coached for nine seasons in the state of Iowa.

Birdsong was a pioneer in the coaching profession and helped to pave the way for other women to become paid coaches in the state of Iowa. She was inducted into the Iowa basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

How did she come to be the first paid women’s basketball coach in Iowa?

Larks Birdsong was born in Iowa in 1875. She was a talented athlete and played basketball at the local YMCA. She later coached the YMCA team and led them to a state championship In 1896, she was hired by the University of Iowa as the first paid women’s basketball coach in the state. She coached the team for two seasons, leading them to a state championship in 1897.

What does this say about the state of women’s basketball in Iowa?

In 1975, Lark Birdsong became the first paid women’s basketball coach in the state of Iowa. She was hired by Graceland College, a small private school in Lamoni, to lead their team.

This historic event occurred nearly two decades after the enactment of Title IX, which guaranteed equal opportunities for women in education and athletics. In the years following its passage, many women’s sports teams were formed at colleges and universities across the country.

However, despite this progress, women’s basketball remained largely underfunded and underrated. For example, in 1974, the University of Iowa paid its men’s Basketball Coach more than three times what it paid its women’s coach.

Birdsong’s hiring signaled a change in attitude towards women’s basketball in Iowa. It showed that both schools and athletes were willing to invest time and money into the sport. In the years since then, Iowa has become a powerhouse in women’s college basketball with several schools regularly competing for National Championships

How did Birdsong’s team fare in her first season as coach?

In her first season as the paid Head Coach of a women’s basketball team Lark Birdsong led her team to a winning record.

The Iowa Hawkeyes went 16-13 in Birdsong’s first season, which was an improvement from the previous year’s record of 12-16.

Birdsong, who played basketball at the University of Iowa from 1985 to 1989, is the first woman to be paid to coach a women’s Basketball team in the state of Iowa.

What are her goals for the future of the Iowa women’s basketball program?

In an article for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Birdsong talked about her goals for the future of the Iowa women’s Basketball Program

“I want to continue to grow the game of basketball in the state of Iowa,” Birdsong said. “I want to provide opportunities for young women to not only play the game at a high level, but also to receive an education and prepare for their future.”

Birdsong also talked about her plans to help improve the overall level of competition in the Big Ten Conference.

“My goal is to help make the Big Ten Conference the best conference in the country,” Birdsong said. “I want to recruit and develop talented student-athletes who can compete at the highest level and help lead Iowa to a conference championship ”

What does Birdsong think about the state of women’s basketball nationally?

In an interview with the Raptor blog, Birdsong was asked about her thoughts on the state of women’s basketball nationally.

“There’s a lot of parity in women’s basketball right now,” said Birdsong. “It’s a very competitive landscape and I think that’s good for the game. It keeps Things Interesting and makes it more challenging for teams to distinguish themselves.”

What advice does Birdsong have for young women who want to become basketball coaches?

Birdsong, who was born and raised in Iowa, became the state’s first paid women’s basketball coach in 1976. She coached at the University of Iowa for two years before moving to Drake University, where she coached for four years. In total, she coached for six years and had a record of 134-64.

Birdsong now lives in Texas and is retired from coaching. She still remains active in the game as a basketball analyst on ESPN Radio.

When asked what advice she would give to young women who want to become Basketball coaches Birdsong said: “Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Pursue them with everything you have. And don’t take no for an answer.”

What are some of the challenges that Birdsong has faced as a women’s basketball coach?

Birdsong, who is entering her 19th season as a Head coach has faced many challenges during her time as a women’s Basketball Coach One of the biggest challenges has been the lack of resources available to her and her team.

“We don’t have the same budget as the men’s team,” Birdsong said. “We don’t have the same number of scholarships. We don’t have the same number of facilities. We don’t have the same number of support staff.”

Another challenge that Birdsong has faced is the lack of media coverage for women’s basketball.

“There’s not as much media coverage of women’s basketball,” Birdsong said. “So it’s harder to get our games on TV or in the newspaper.”

Despite these challenges, Birdsong has been able to build a successful program at Iowa. She has led the Hawkeyes to four NCAA tournament appearances and six 20-win seasons.

What does the future hold for Birdsong and the Iowa women’s basketball program?

After a disappointing season in which the Iowa women’s basketball team failed to make the NCAA Tournament first-year head coach Lark Birdsong is already facing questions about her future with the program.

Birdsong, who was hired last year to replace former head coach Lisa Bluder, was given a five-year contract worth $1.8 million. But with the team struggling to find its footing this season, many are wondering if Birdsong will be able to last the duration of her contract.

The school has already suffered financial losses due to the pandemic, and it is unlikely that they will be able to afford to keep Birdsong on staff if the team continues to underperform. Additionally, Iowa is not known for being a fertile recruiting ground for top talent, so it may be difficult for Birdsong to attract the kind of players she needs to turn the program around.

only time will tell what the future holds for Birdsong and the Iowa women’s Basketball Program