Basketball Manitoba would like to acknowledge the accomplishments of female basketball players, recognize the influence of women leaders, and advocate for equity for women and girls in sports. Women in sport should be celebrated year-round for the legacy and impact they have left and continue to create for young girls.
Basketball Manitoba is excited to introduce a new weekly social media initiative called "Women in Basketball Wednesdays." This feature will showcase various coaches, officials, board members, league coordinators, and volunteers that make up our basketball community. Every Wednesday, Basketball Manitoba will be posting one individual to feature on our social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).
If you would like to nominate an influential female coach, official, league coordinator, or volunteer, for this type of recognition, please contact Tiffany at tiffany@basketballmanitoba.ca.
Women in Basketball Wednesday - Cheryl Jean-Paul
Cheryl is a University of Manitoba alumnus. She played 5 years with the Bisons and was recognized with multiple conference all-stars and Team MVP honours. In 1998, the team finished with a Silver medal at the Canadian University National Championships.
Cheryl has been the head coach of the Trinity Western Spartans Women's Basketball Team in Langley, British Columbia, since 2010. They recently had their best statistical season, including the program's best 8 games winning streak. She was named the 2017-18 Canada West Coach of the year after a solid 16-4 record and being nationally ranked for the first time in the program's history. Before that, she coached at Red River College, River East Collegiate, and was an assistant coach with the University of Manitoba Bison's women's basketball team.
In 2018, she was named head coach of Canada's FIBA U16 Women's National Team, which won 2 silver medals at the FIBA Americas Championships in the summers of 2019 and 2021. This summer, she will continue with the U17 Women's National team heading into the 2022 World Cup in Hungary.
Additionally, she coached with Manitoba's and British Columbia's Provincial Teams and was a USport level referee. In 2018, Cheryl graduated from Royal Roads University with a Master of Arts in Leadership and is completing an NCCP Advanced Coaching Diploma.
She is currently mentoring young female coaches through the Coaches Association of Canada's Enhanced Female Mentorship program and the Black Canadian Coaches Association's Mentorship program. Cheryl serves as the president of the Canada West women's basketball group and the chair for the BIPOC committee within Canada West's EDI group and consults for various groups from a coaching, mentorship, and leadership perspective.