Brenda Westberry, Connecticut -2024
Brenda Westberry is the consummate volunteer. She graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice; in 1995 she received her master’s degree from Southern Connecticut University. Since volunteering her services to coach the youth basketball (co-ed) program of the Salvation Army in Danbury,CT, in 1985, she has taken on other duties of coaching, mentoring and establishing programs in CT and RI for 40 years.
From 1986 she carried her talents to twelve different basketball organizations and youth programs. In 1995 she coached the girls’ travel basketball team in Hamden, CT winning league championships as an assistant head coach. In the early 90’s she served as one of the first African American female referees, she worked many varsity high school basketball games, and she also served as a member of the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials, Board 10.
Relocating to Rhode Island in 2000, Brenda began coaching basketball as a volunteer at the YMCA Boys and Girls Club and the Cranston youth basketball league. She continued her role as a volunteer coach guiding the following girls programs; AAU basketball 12-U to 17-U for the Rhode Island Thunder, the Rhode Island Island Breakers who won the RI state championships and was also part of the Junior Nationals Final Four in 2004.
In 2009 after decades of volunteer coaching Brenda accepted her first paid position coaching girls’ basketball at North Kingstown High School winning a 2011 summer league championship and assisting with a Division 1 high school state championship in 2014. In 2019 she established the Allyasiah Wiley End Relationship Violence 3-on-3 Basketball Tourney which brings women and men together in a healthy relationship within the college community.
Currently, Brenda is a player/coach for the Connecticut Senior Women’s basketball team. “I have given back in many communities to the sport I love dearly, intentionally cultivating resilience and teaching life lessons in sports for girls and women in Connecticut and Rhode Island.”