Carleton may have beaten the Université du Québec a Montréal (UQAM) Citadins in the quarterfinals, but there was a bigger story on the sideline.
The story of Citadin head coach Olga Hrycak, who is the only female coach for a men’s basketball team in North America.
What’s outstanding about Hrycak is not the fact that she’s a female coach, but that she is the coach of a team that started from scratch and has evolved into one of the top-ten teams in the country.
“I did well at the lower level and the tradition continues. We’ve built a program from zero and after three years, we took our team to Nationals. This is our second time in Nationals in seven years. It has nothing to do with me being a female coach, but me being a coach who believes in her kids and works hard for her kids, and tries to get better every day.”
One would assume that an elderly lady would have trouble earning respect from players in their late teens and early twenties.
Guess again.
The Montreal native has never had problems getting the respect of her players and she shouts and yells at them just like many other coaches in Canadian Interuniversity Sport.
The challenges and prejudice she’s faced has been from those on the sidelines.
“It’s the [lack of] respect among the coaches. They’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s a lady coach, big deal,’ but I think that respect will eventually come.”
Hrycak gave examples of the discrimination that she has faced over the years despite her successful coaching techniques.
“I haven’t experienced prejudice everywhere. Certainly not in Quebec and not really in Canada. I’ve definitely received it in the States though . . . Coaches haven’t shaken my hand, and I’ve heard things like ‘how could you lose to that bitch?’ It doesn’t bother me though, I have confidence in what I do. I think I’m good at it.”
Many would agree that she’s better than good. However, she did not become a coach overnight. She idolized the late Jack Donohue, arguably the best coach of all time for Canada, and the face of Canadian basketball for decades.
Although he was born in New York, Donohue was the head coach of the Canadian national side for 17 years, and while in New York, coached the great Kareem Abdul Jabaar during his high school years.
“He was a great man and I learned a lot from him,” Hrycak said.
Perhaps Hrycak can be groundbreaking in her own respect and be not only a successful coach, but a successful female coach and pave the way for younger women who are involved in basketball.
One thing is for sure.
Despite the fact that her journey is far from done, it may not be too long before basketball as a whole, start speaking of the great Olga Hrycak.