Anji Weissenfluh (left) has been recognized by the Cascade Collegiate Conference as its 2008-09 Coach of Character award winner.
EOU Coach Honored as 'Coach of Character'
PORTLAND, Ore. – Anji Weissenfluh, Eastern Oregon University’s ninth-year women’s basketball coach, has been honored as the Cascade Collegiate Conference nominee for the NAIA’s Coach of Character Award.
The Coach of Character Award is given annually by the national office to a coach who demonstrates methods of teaching character through sport while instilling a tradition of athletic and community excellence.
“For Anji, basketball is much more than simply wins and losses,” said Rob Cashell, EOU’s director of athletics. “She has embraced the NAIA’s five core character values of respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, integrity and servant leadership, and she builds her program around those foundational goals. Her teams not only win on the court but perform in the classroom and are involved in countless community projects.”
Weissenfluh, who has led the Mountaineers to six 20-win seasons during her tenure, regularly has her teams involved in projects to benefit the community in and around La Grande. On three consecutive days In December, for example, her basketball team delivered Christmas gifts to less fortunate children, coached a sixth-grade physical education class, and visited an elderly care facility. Under her leadership, the 2008-09 women's basketball team also raised $1,500 through a breast cancer awareness initiative; the money is being used to help provide mammograms for uninsured women in Union County.
“Coach Weissenfluh inspires her players and others to great levels of character development,” said Dr. Dixie Lund, EOU’s president. “She is mindful of the bigger picture, and for that quality and so many others, I am grateful that she is a part of the Eastern Oregon University coaching staff.”