Thiel's Vormelker to attend NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy
May 9—Staff Report
GREENVILLE, Pa. — First-year Thiel College women's basketball head coach Jessica Vormelker has been selected to participate in the 2023 NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy.
The three-day academy is going on this week at the NCAA National Office in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Vormelker is a Grand Valley graduate.
The NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy affords men's and women's basketball coaches at NCAA member institutions the opportunity to broaden and develop their knowledge of intercollegiate basketball coaching.
Participants will be trained in multiple areas that encourage effective coaching at the intercollegiate level with an emphasis on the holistic well-being and development of student-athletes.
"I'm very thankful for the opportunity to attend this year's NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy," Vormelker said. "I feel so blessed and humbled to be selected to learn from other coaches and leaders in the profession. I look forward to gaining leadership skills and bringing those skills back to Thiel College."
The theme for the 2023 NCAA Basketball Coaches Academy is "The Backboard Basics" The Art of mastering the fundamentals to becoming a great coach. Each day, participants will learn about the following topics:
—Day 1: Trusting the "Bricks"
—Day 2: Build your Leadership Playbook
—Day 3: When the Shoe Fits: Navigating the Realm of Higher Coaching
Vormelker was hired as Thiel's head women's basketball coach in April. A Thiel alumna, she spent the last two seasons as the assistant women's basketball coach at Allegheny. Prior to her time at Allegheny.
Vormelker was the graduate assistant coach at Waynesburg for two seasons. She was one of the most decorated players in Thiel women's basketball history. Vormelker was a member of the D3hoops.com 2019 All-America team.
An honorable mention selection, she was the first player in Thiel history to be named to a D3hoops.com All-America team.
Vormelker was a two-time D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region Team honoree, including Second Team accolades in 2019.
A two-time finalist for the prestigious Jostens Trophy (2019, 2018), Vormelker was the first women's basketball player in Thiel history to be named the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Player of the Year (2019).
Vormelker earned a bachelor's degree in early childhood and special education from Thiel in 2019. She received a master's degree in special education from Waynesburg in 2021.
