Hoop Dreams

For every West Chester University alumnus, there is a place that brings nostalgia for their formative years as a student. For Jane Fontaine ’74, it’s Hollinger Field House.

A former three-sport athlete with a devoted passion for basketball, Jane’s professional sports career would take her to Belgium, the U.S. women’s basketball Olympic trials, and inspire an accomplished coaching career with stints at the University of Maryland and Mercer University.

“My time at WCU, those were some of my happiest years,” Jane recalls. “Hollinger was where we played all of our pick-up games, and to us, they might as well have been world championships.”

Jane, who transferred to the University specifically for its reputation as a destination for women’s athletics, understands how crucial scholarships can be for student-athletes.

“I wanted to challenge myself to play with and against the best,” Jane says. “But there were no scholarships for female athletes at that time, and that made things a lot harder.”

Now, Jane is just one of many committed to changing the tide for future Golden Rams through her leadership support of Kane DeLaney Court in Hollinger Field House, a fundraising initiative that honors former West Chester University women’s basketball coach, Deirdre Kane, and men’s basketball coach, Dick DeLaney ’69. Proceeds will equally support scholarship funding for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

“The recognition of these coaches has generated incredible support for the basketball teams in the form of scholarships,” says Norman Mawby, a longtime WCU supporter with a special connection to this initiative. Norman counts Coach DeLaney as one of his closest friends, while his wife, Marietta, and Deirdre share a common bond as cousins.

“With a growing University and more fiercely competitive athletic programs, this is the kind of resource WCU needs to retain and recruit basketball talent,” he adds.

Together, Marietta and Norman are honoring these lifelong friendships as leadership donors to Kane DeLaney Court through their Believe, Play & Have Fun Foundation.

“We’re pleased by the length of time we’ve been a part of West Chester University — and the University a part of us — simply because of the people at WCU,” says Marietta.

“Our support of this initiative is a nod to the great legacies of both of our dear friends.”