Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern To Host Field Trip Day
12/12/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's women's basketball program hosts its second annual Field Trip Day Tuesday, Dec. 16, prior to its noon game vs. West Virginia. Featured in the morning's activities is an address by former US Olympic gold medal-winning basketball coach Nell Fortner. At halftime, the Jesse White Tumblers will perform.
With 10 schools participating in 2002, 24 grade, middle and high schools and approximately 2,400 students are scheduled to be in attendance this season. The co-ed event aims to reach out to area public and private/parochial schools, giving the students a day away from the classroom while discussing the importance of education to both athletes and non-athletes.
Northwestern is pleased to welcome Nell Fortner as this year's featured speaker. Fortner, the former head coach of the Women's National Team Program, led Team USA to gold at the 1998 World Championships as well as to a gold medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympic games. In three years, she coached her teams to a 101-14 overall record, the most wins of any coach in Women's USA Basketball history.
Fortner has coached for 20 years at the high school, college, pro and international levels. A 1982 graduate of the University of Texas, she also works with women's collegiate basketball as a TV analyst and is a nationally renowned motivational speaker.
The Jesse White Tumblers have performed during halftime shows for the National Basketball Association, the National Football League and Major League Baseball games. A number of the Jesse White Tumblers are residents of Chicago's Cabrini Green and Henry Horner housing developments. Other members of the team are residents from 10 communities within the Chicago metropolitan area.
Jesse White, founder and coach, created the team in 1959 to provide a recreational, athletic, educational and cultural enrichment experience for the team members. This is a juvenile delinquency prevention program that is designed to help youngsters grow tall and straight. The members are required to abide by Jesse White's strict rules, which include staying in school, maintaining a "C" average in academic coursework and staying away from gangs and drugs.
Participants will arrive at Welsh-Ryan Arena starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday for the addresses by NU Director of Athletics Mark Murphy, women's basketball coach June Olkowski and Fortner. Students can bring their own lunch to the event or make arrangements to buy lunch at the arena.
Admission to the NU-West Virginia game is free for all in attendance, including those spectators not directly involved with the Field Trip Day. Game time is set for noon.
For questions regarding this event, please contact Brian VanAcker in Northwestern's marketing office at (847) 491-7504.
