Kingsborough Community College women’s hoops are scoring
Thus far, it’s been a stellar season for the women’s basketball team at Kingsborough Community College (KCC) in Brooklyn, which has dominated CUNY Athletic Conference play and also fared well against non-conference opponents. Except for one sophomore, it’s a new team this year, which is commonplace in community college athletics because student-athletes only have two years of eligibility.
Head coach Brendon Bain is also a strength and conditioning coach, who brings top-level training to his players. It hasn’t been easy to get everyone to understand or buy in. “Their belief was ‘I can just play ball to get in shape,’” Bain said. “You can’t do that to compete on this level. You have to get in shape to play basketball or whatever sport you compete in at the college level.”
Although it took some explaining, especially about hydration and post-workout nutrition, the serious players who aspire to transfer to a four-year program have embraced the training. Using a holistic approach, Bain gives them insights into what leads to optimum performance. “You have to get your body, mind, and spirit right to play,” he said. “It also helps with injury prevention.”
Bain is also a lecturer in the Health Physical Education Recreation Therapy department, and said a community college allows student-athletes to adapt to both the athletic and academic rigors of college. “If you come to a two-year school and you fully immerse yourself…, you will be better equipped and prepared for when you get to the four-year school,” he said.
Bain said the KCC team is heading in the right direction, but there is room for improvement. He is driven by the desire to see his players both excel on the court and graduate. “I want to ensure that the academics are taken care of,” he said. That way, players who are recruited to play at a four-year institution are prepared.
Not many CUNY AC teams have excelled at the national level, but Hostos in the Bronx set the bar high, winning back-to-back NJCAA Division III national titles in 2018 and ’19.
“The students believe they can do something special and to do anything special, you have to be committed—showing up daily, putting the work in,” said Bain. “Yes, we have goals, but to get to the goals, we have to meet a few objectives that would enable us to reach the goals. It’s work in progress and it’s confidence and belief we could actually win.”
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