Winter 2001
Winter 2001
by D. Lyn Hunter
At the height of recruiting season last July, Cal's new women's basketball coach Caren Horstmeyer was in the hospital about to deliver her first child. But that didn't stop her efforts to bring top talent to Berkeley's program.
"During labor, I was on my cell phone talking to my assistants and prospective players," recalls Horstmeyer. "I finally had to turn the phone off so I could concentrate on having my baby."Horstmeyer, 38, gave birth to a boy, becoming a rarity among those in her profession - a coach who also is a mother. Horstmeyer, the winningest women's basketball coach in West Coast Conference history, was hired last April to replace Marianne Stanley. Before coming to Berkeley she was head coach at Santa Clara University.
"It had to be a perfect fit for me to even consider a change," she said. "The thought of having a baby, finding a new house and building a new basketball program at the same time was daunting."But Horstmeyer was also excited by the challenge. The new Haas Pavilion, the opportunity to compete nationally and the high level of support from Cal's athletic program convinced her that a move to Bear territory was the right choice. Horstmeyer inherited a Cal team coming off its sixth straight losing season. But she has a reputation for turning things around: after losing her first two seasons at Santa Clara, she led the team to a 10-year winning streak.
With six seniors returning, Horstmeyer's Bears aren't lacking in experience, but whenever a new system is put into place, "everyone has to start from scratch." By the end of December the team had an overall 4-6 standing. The first of the Pac-10 games were scheduled for the beginning of January. When asked how she will juggle motherhood and coaching, Horstmeyer said that with a lot of help from her family, she'll "work it out somehow." She plans to bring the baby with her when traveling to away games, with grandma in tow as nanny. As often as possible, Horstmeyer brings her son to the office and to practices. "The players love him," she said. "They hold him and feed him and get all gushy."
Caren Horstmeyer begins her first season as the Bears' women's basketball coach this year.
Women's Basketball 2000-2001 Season
Admission for games is $8 for adults and $3 for children under 17, seniors and persons with disabilities. Tickets may be purchased by calling 800-GO-BEARS. Home games are held at the Haas Pavilion.
Women's Basketball Remaining Home Games
Saturday, January 20: Stanford, 12:00 pm
Thursday, January 25: Washington State, 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 27: Washington, 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 8: Oregon State, 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 10: Oregon, 7:30 pm
Thursday, March 1: UCLA, 7:30 pm
Saturday, March 3: USC, 1:00 pm
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