Working Up A Sweat Women’s Summer League Allows Area College Players To Stay Home And Hone Their Basketball Skills

Admission is free. But on game nights, a dozen fans - tops - sit in the stands.

There are no practices. And gone are the gung-ho coaches with chalkboard in hand and loads of constructive criticism ready to dish out during timeouts.

Save that stuff for the winter.

This is the Spokane Women’s College Basketball League, one notch above ratball, but several rungs higher on the talent scale.

“It’s rec league ball for adult women out of high school who want to come out and have a sweat and have some fun playing basketball,” said Garry Perno, league organizer.

The concept is nothing new for area players, but unlike the past, Perno went through the process of getting the league sanctioned by the NCAA.

In past years, the Community Colleges of Spokane ran a successful women’s adult league under the guidance of women’s coach Bruce Johnson. However, Division I players were prohibited from playing because the league was not sanctioned. Perno’s daughter, Syndey, who will begin her sophomore season at Gonzaga University this year, would have been forced to hit the bumpy blacktop this summer.

“He (dad) organized it and it’s legal,” said Syndey, a 1996 University High graduate. “It’s the best thing you can do to improve your game while you’re in college.”

The league meets Wednesday and Sunday nights at U-Hi for seven weeks. About 50 athletes make up four teams. But with busy summer schedules, Perno said he never knows who’s going to show up. Next year, he’s looking to expand to six teams.

Although there is nothing official about the rosters - for starters, there are no team names - the teams can be categorized as Old Spokane (mostly women in their 20s and 30s), New Spokane, Whitworth College, and CCS.

Perno has hired referees and youngsters who run the scoreboard. He also has the financial aid of three sponsors and the organizational aid of Bob Carr.

“It’s nice, because you get to play against players who you play against in the season,” said Sydney, a 6-foot-1 center. “And now you can play with them on a team.”

On any given game night, the gym is filled with who’s who in area hoops.

However, at least one college player, Washington State guard Jen Kerns of Coeur d’Alene, is missing. She was hoping to play, but broke her wrist during the Cougars season and it hasn’t healed correctly. The 5-8 guard from Lake City High School had to have surgery and miss the summer league.

“(Before that happened), I was talking with her dad,” Perno said, “And he said she’s going to Portland to play basketball.”

But Perno’s league allows homegrown talent to stay put. Many have decided to do so.

Aside from the older players such as Whitworth women’s coach Helen Higgs (Oregon), Tammy Tibbles (Gonzaga University) and former Ferris High coach Janet Wolkey-Skaife (CCS), the league is loaded with young talent.

There are athletes from GU, Eastern Washington and Whitworth, along with locals who play at out-of-state schools such as Stacy Clinesmith (UCSB), Jennifer Swinton (Portland), Heidi Umthun (Boise State), Kari Hutchinson (Notre Dame) and Melissa Dodge (Vermont).

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo