By Jay McCray

Basketball remains one of the core pieces to Kansas City sports, and we have to look no further than the Lady Cavs for that same excellence. Over the last 2 seasons, head coach Ben Conrad has led the Lady Cavaliers to an incredible undefeated streak. So how does a team hold that level of consistency? 

“The lifeblood of any program is practice and how that’s approached,” Conrad,  started. “I think our consistency, in how we practice everyday, is probably the key factor in maintaining consistency.” 

The team’s practice schedule led to a very fruitful outcome. Team morale was a follow-up discussion, where Conrad explains how the team cares for one another and enjoy their time together. He then went on to explain that in years past, there have been times where that bond wasn’t as strong and you could feel it.

Thoughts came with this success. Namely, the fact that 4-year universities must be reaching out to the basketball staff about players’ availability. 

“Four-year schools do a good job of knowing where the players are that can help them, so our players get pretty good exposure most years,” Conrad responded. 

Not only players, but coaching opportunities must arise for Conrad as well, and he spoke volumes as to why he’s staying with JCCC. 

“This is a great place to work and a great place to live, and most importantly, it’s been a great place to raise my kids,” Conrad said. “JCCC has been very loyal to me over the years, and I think I’m smart enough to know the grass is not always greener elsewhere.”

The women’s basketball program is firing on all cylinders. Through successful coaching and morale, the team has seen outstanding results, sitting at #2 in the NJCAA rankings. As the team looks to attempt a shot at another championship, Coach Conrad continues to build the program for student athletes by emphasizing hard work and determination.