Archbishop Mitty girls basketball coach Sue Phillips left the Bay Area on Wednesday to begin the next exciting chapter in her storied career.
Phillips, the Mitty coach for 20 years, is spending part of her next two off-seasons as head coach of the 2013 United States Women's Under-16 National Team. She is at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. now awaiting the start of workouts and team tryouts on Thursday.
"It's the most exciting bit of news I've had as a coach and a highlight for me," Phillips said on Tuesday. "To represent my country and to be with all of these successful coaches and talented athletes from around the country for the next two summers is great. Without question I'm proud and humbled to be given this opportunity."
A throng of 135 athletes will try out for the team May 23-27. In addition to 32 athletes invited by the USA Basketball Women's Developmental National Team Committee, the organization also conducted an open application process that produced 103 more candidates.
"The first three sessions will emphasize skill development because we want every player to walk away from it having improved," Phillips said.
The Mitty coach said USA Basketball emphasizes footwork in everything from shooting to defense. and also stresses proper attitude.
"We talk about the importance of hard work and a positive attitude and being coachable," Phillips said.
Added USA Basketball Women's National Team Director Carol Callan via a release: “On top of selecting a 12-member roster, this weekend will be about learning and helping to further develop these young basketball players.”
The trials will be used to pick the 12-member team to represent the USA in the 2013 FIBA Americas U16 championship June 19-23 in Cancun, Mexico.
Following selection on May 27, there will be more than a week of double-sessions in Colorado Springs beginning June 9.
Among the girls who have been under consideration for the team are Los Gatos middle schooler Daniella Guglielmo and Aromas' Akiene Reed of Anzar High in San Juan Bautista.
Phillips is a 1986 Mitty graduate who starred in volleyball, basketball and softball as a Monarch and became an All-Big Ten softball player at Northwestern University.
She returned to Mitty as a math teacher and has led the Monarchs to 18 Central Coast Section titles, nine Northern California titles and five CIF-State championships, including a 31-0 record in 1999 when she was named National Coach of the Year by Student Sports Magazine. Her overall record at Mitty is 581-103.
In 2004, American Quarterly Basketball named Phillips as one of five high school coaches in the country "you should know."
Four years earlier Phillips -- who turned down a basketball scholarship to Cal out of high school -- spent a season as the lead assistant for the Cal women's basketball team before returning to Mitty.
Phillips is also founder of the San Jose Cagers girls' AAU program for grades 5-12.
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com and followed on Twitter @PrepCat
