Robelyn Garcia

Robelyn Annette Garcia (born September 16, 1965, in Phoenix, Arizona) is a former collegiate All-American and professional All-Star basketball player.[1][2] The famous athlete, currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona. [3] She was the Big Six Championship Game MVP on the Kansas Crusaders of the Women's Basketball Association (WBA). Garcia was inducted into The Black Archives of Mid-America WBA Hall of Fame on February 22, 2020.[4][5] Robelyn, nicknamed "Robbie" by her JUCO coach, also led the nation in scoring[6] while playing at Dodge City Community College where she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.[7][8]

Robelyn Garcia
Personal information
Born (1965-09-16) September 16, 1965
Phoenix, Arizona
Nationality American
Listed height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Career information
High schoolWichita East High School
Enid High School
Elkhart, Kansas High School
CollegeUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
Dodge City Community College
Friends University
Playing career1990–1996
PositionShooting Guard
Career history
1990-91LBA, Guadalupe, British Columbia
1992WWBA All-Star Exhibition Team
1993Kansas Crusaders
1994-95Kansas City Mustangs
1996Tulsa Flames
Career highlights and awards
WNBA awards
  • 4X WBA All-Star (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
  • WBA Big Six Champion (1993)
  • WBA Championship Game MVP (1993)
Career awards
Medals

Senior Olympics Gold Medal (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
World Senior Games Gold Medal (2017)

Garcia with her WBA 2017 Gold-Star Vision Award

High school

Garcia played at five different prep schools; she had a high scoring game of 56 points[9] while playing six-on-six basketball in Oklahoma. Robelyn also played two years for Wichita East High School and was an All-State Player at Elkhart High School in Elkhart, Kansas where she led her team in scoring. She played on two All-Star teams her Senior-year including the Kansas vs Texas All-Star Challenge. In addition, she was the leading scorer in The Boot Hill High School All-State game in 1983.[10] Garcia also played softball, soccer, volleyball, ran cross country and track and field in prep school.[11]

College career

Garcia had a stellar collegiate career with high scoring games of 46 and 40 points in her first year as a college player.[9][12] She was a Region NJCAA All-American and led the Nation in scoring as a freshman averaging 31.5 points per game before the implementation of the three-point line in the college game. Many of her points came from beyond what would have been the three-point arc.[13] She is the career All-time leading scorer at Dodge City College scoring 1,298 points in just two years.[14] She has held this title for over 33 years.[15] "At Dodge City, Garcia earned All-America honors and was ranked as one of the top junior college swing guards in the country when she averaged 28 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1984-85. She ranked as the nation's fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore."[16] Garcia played at The University of Nebraska her junior year[17][18] and Friends University her senior year where she averaged 20 points per game and led her team and league in assists. She was a unanimous KCAC First-Team selection and NAIA Region All-Star her senior year.[19] Friends University Lady Falcons won the KCAC conference and made the NAIA National Tournament. Her Friends University Hall of Fame[20] Coach Jim Littell, now the head coach at Oklahoma State University, said "She's the greatest offensive talent I have ever coached. Passing, scoring, handling the ball".[9]

Garcia was a multi-sport athlete in college; she also played softball, soccer, ran cross-country and track.[21] She was honored in May 2015 with her induction into the Dodge City College[22] Athletic Hall of Fame.[7][23]

Professional
Robelyn Garcia on Kansas WBA Championship Team

Garcia played for several professional basketball teams and leagues, including the 1993 Champion Kansas Crusaders, Kansas City Mustangs and Tulsa Flames of the WBA.[24] She also played in The Pro-Am, AAU Women's League, Guadalupe, Mexico, British Columbia,[25] and was chosen to play in the Liberty Basketball Association (LBA) professional league.[26] Garcia's Kansas Crusaders team won the first WBA Championship in 1993. Her Kansas City Mustangs team won the regular WBA season going undefeated 15-0 in 1994.[27] Garcia was a 4-time WBA All-Star[28] and is featured on the collector WBA All-Star Card Set by Fair Play Sports.[29][30] She is quoted several times and highlighted with five photos and a three page spread in the 2017 best selling book and Documentary Film The Vision: The Untold Story of the Women's Basketball Association by Lightning Ned Mitchell.[31] In addition, Garcia was awarded the oldest women's sports[32] award of Women's Basketball AAU Athlete of the year in 1992[33] while playing on her Championship Kansas City AAU Team.[34][35]

Garcia also received the 2015 WBCBL Women's Professional Basketball "Trailblazer" Award on August 2, 2015 along with 9 other female basketball Icons including Cynthia Cooper, Nancy Lieberman, Sarah Campbell, E.C. Hill, Dr. Geri Kay Hart, Lynette Woodard, Kandi Conda, Lisa Leslie and Tamika Catchings.[36] The award recognizes some of the most influential people in professional women's basketball, specifically those who helped blaze the trail, shape the overall landscape and pave the way for women's professional basketball.[37] These 10 women have prevailed to greatness in a male dominated sport and give hope to young girls who inspire to be professional players, coaches, and team owners.[38]

Garcia, her Kansas City Mustangs undefeated team, Kansas Crusaders Championship team and the entire Women’s Basketball Association have a permanent display at The Black Archives of Mid-America WBA Hall of Fame.[39][40]

Coaching career
Owner/Player/Coach for Christian Basketball Team Garcia

Garcia coached two seasons at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas while she was working on her Doctorate at The University of Kansas. She coached the Haskell Indian Nations Fighting Indians freshman team to a 20-0 undefeated season in 1992. Garcia also coached several semi-pro, exhibition and club teams including the touring team Christian Basketball.[41]

Higher education

Dr. Garcia finished her eleventh college diploma at Harvard University Extension School on May 26, 2020[42] with a Professional Graduate Certificate in Web Technologies.[43] Her eighth college degree and third master's degree was a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology at Arizona State University which also inducted her into the Arizona State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi for her academic and scholarly achievement in May, 2014.[44] In addition, she has a Ph.D in Education Administration,[45] a Master of Science in Kinesiology/Exercise Science, a Post-Doc Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, a master's in Aging and Lifespan Development, an Associate of Arts and Sciences and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and General Studies.[46] Garcia began her second doctorate program at Arizona State University in Fall 2014; she is a Post-Doc in the Doctor of Behavioral Health program.[47] Garcia began her twelfth college degree in the summer of 2018 at Harvard University studying for a Masters in Digital Media and Museum Technology at Harvard University Extension School with anticipated graduation date in 2021.[48] Further, Dr. Garcia completed a Bachelor of Metaphysical Science and is pursuing a third Doctorate degree at The University of Sedona and The University of Metaphysics to add Metaphyscian to her list of titles.[49]

In 2018 Dr. Garcia became an Arizona State University Faculty Affiliate in the Biomimicry Department. [50] In addition to her post-secondary degrees, research and teaching she has several publications including her Guide to Coaching Youth Basketball.[51]

Other Activities

Garcia began competition in 2014 for the Senior Olympics, 2015 regional Senior Games and the 2016 World Games. She won her first Gold Medal in the Senior Games in 2015 and won Gold Medals in the 2017, 2018 and 2019 Senior Olympics.[52] Robelyn also won a Gold Medal at the World Senior Games in October, 2017.[53] Garcia is the President Emeritus of the Jr. NBA-WNBA[54] and the Vice President of American Community Team Sports. She has been a Professor in various academic fields for over twenty years.[55] Dr. Garcia began offering Jr. NBA - WNBA scholarships in 2011 in honor of her late Mother and launched her new Dr. Robelyn Garcia Scholarships in 2015.[56] She is the official team sponsor for the new Kansas City Pro WBCBL team and also provides scholarships for Seniors 50+, Jr. NBA-WNBA Players, WBCBL Teams and College Scholar Athletes.[57][58] Her volunteer work includes work with Bicycle Charities,[59] The Arizona State University Doctor of Behavioral Health Student Forum, Special Olympics, Harvard University DCE Accessibility Services, Beatitudes Healthy Aging Adult Center and Senior University.[60] Garcia was also a radio announcer for the WBA, DCCC, University of Nebraska, Friends University and Kansas City Public radio.[61] Dr. Garcia has been featured in and authored the afterword for the 2015 book "It's Your Go Season" by Kandi Conda.[62][63][64] Her 2018 Kindle book titled "Consumer Health Awareness: A Guide to Intelligent Decisions for Selecting Integrative Holistic Medicine" is a best new short read on Amazon[65] and featured on Goodreads. [66]

See also

References
  1. "Robbie Garcia WBA All-Star Card". WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  2. "Women's Basketball Association Set". Angelfire Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  3. "Famous Sports People from Scottsdale". Famous Fix Official Web Site. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  4. "WBA News Watch". The Vision WBA Official Web Site. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  5. "Black Archives of Mid-America". Black Archives of Mid-America Web Site. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  6. "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records" (PDF). Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  7. "Dodge City Athletics News Release". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  8. "Dodge City Athletics 2015 RECAP". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  9. Bill MacKay. "FU's Garcia Tough to Miss" (PDF). Wichita Eagle. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  10. "The Salina Journal". Newspapers.com Official Web Site. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  11. "Elkhart High School". Elkhart High School. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  12. "Woodard and Garcia Honored at 2015 WBCBL "Trailblazers"". Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  13. "Dodge City Lady Conq Career All-time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web" (PDF). Retrieved May 8, 2014.
  14. "Dodge City Lady Conq All-Time Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  15. "Dodge City College Career Scoring Records – Dodge City Community College Athletics Official Web". Retrieved Oct 10, 2015.
  16. "Robelyn Garcia Bio - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.   At Dodge City, Garcia earned All-America honors and was ranked as one of the top junior college swing guards in the country when she averaged 28 points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 1984-85. She ranked as the nation's fourth-leading scorer as a sophomore. 
  17. "Husker Women Recruit Kansas Shooting Guard; A league of their own". Omaha World-Herald. March 26, 1985. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  18. "Robelyn Garcia Bio - Huskers.com – Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  19. "The Salina Journal – Newspapers.com Official WebSite". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  20. Jim Littell Bio – OSU Athletics Official Web Site – OSU Athletics Official Web Site
  21. "SU HEALTH PROFESSOR ROBELYN GARCIA PHD: FASCINATING PEOPLE". Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  22. "Dodge City College Athletics Hall of Fame". Dodge City Conqs Official Athletics Web Site. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  23. "DC3-Conqs proud of 2015 athletics hall of fame honorees". Basketball Research Journal Ariticles.org. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  24. "WBA All-Star Players". WNBA Cards Fair Play Sports. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  25. "A League of Their Own". KC STAR Magazine. March 26, 1994. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
  26. "Garcia Serious About Education". KC Star. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  27. "Women's Pro Basketball on Fox Sports". Fox 4 TV. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  28. "WBA All-Star Set" (GIF). WNBA Cards - Fair Play Sports Cards. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  29. Bonner, Mike (1999). Collecting Basketball Cards. United States: iUniverse. p. 117,119,120. ISBN 978-1583486153.
  30. Collecting Basketball Cards. iUniverse. 1999. ISBN 9781583486153. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  31. "The Vision: The Untold Story of the Women's Basketball Association". CreateSpace. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  32. "History of Women in Sports Timeline". AAUW. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
  33. "Lawrence Journal World Archive". Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  34. "WBA Article Archive". Kansas City Star, WBA Media Guide, Star Magazine. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  35. "Mustangs Running Strong out of the Gate - Undefeated Team". USA Today. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  36. "WBCBL to Honor 10 trailblazers in Women's Professional Basketball". WBCBL News. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  37. "Woodard and Garcia Honored as trailblazers in Women's Professional Basketball". WBCBL News. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  38. "2015 WBCBL Trailblazer Award in Women's Professional Basketball". Arizona Athletics Official Website. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  39. "WBA Black Archive News and Photo". The WBA Official Facebook Page. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  40. "Black Archives of Mid-America Official Facebook". Black Archives of Mid-America. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  41. "FASCINATING PEOPLE: ROBELYN GARCIA,PHD". Salon Chair Therapist Official Website. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  42. "Harvard Scholar Official Website". Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  43. "Harvard Extension School Official Website". Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  44. "ASU Phi Kappa Phi Merit Official Web Site". Retrieved Jan 1, 2015.
  45. Anna M. Jones (September 22, 1994). "Garcia serious about education". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  46. "Wichita State Shocker Magazine – Wichita State University Alumni Official Web Site". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  47. "Arizona State University Official Web Site Directory". Retrieved Oct 1, 2014.
  48. "Harvard University Scholar Official Web Site". Retrieved Oct 1, 2018.
  49. "University of Metatphysics Official Website". Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  50. "Arizona State University Faculty Affiliate: Biomimicry Center". Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  51. "Coaching Youth Basketball by Dr. Robelyn Garcia". Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  52. "Arizona Senior Olympics". Retrieved March 17, 2017.
  53. "World Senior Games". Retrieved October 27, 2017.
  54. "Jr. NBA – Jr. WNBA". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  55. "Senior University Press". Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  56. "Dr. Robelyn Garcia Scholarships". Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  57. "Kansas City Majestics Official Sponsors". Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  58. "Kansas City Majestics Uniform Sponsor". Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  59. "Cancer Ride 2018". Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  60. "Senior University Feed". Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  61. "NBA Programs NBA.com". Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  62. "WBCBL official Website News". Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  63. "It's Your Go Season by Kandi Conda, Afterword by Robelyn Garcia". Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  64. "Amazon Books". Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  65. "Kindle Books". Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  66. "Dr. Robelyn Garcia GoodRead Books". Retrieved June 1, 2018.
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