Congrats to our fearless leader!!!

Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team head coach Allison McNeill has been named to the Most Influential Women List for 2009 by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sports (CAAWS). This marks the second time that McNeill has received this distinction.

“I am honoured and humbled to be on this list with so many amazing and influential women,” said McNeill. “I had many people help me along my path and I believe it is important to give back. I am proud to lead our National Team to the 2010 World Championship, but I am just as proud of the work I do with grassroots basketball throughout Canada.”

Twenty women were selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport list, honouring their impact as sports administrators, advocates, coaches, executives, fundraisers, managers, producers, psychologists and volunteers.

McNeill has been a part of Canada’s National Team program for 13 years. She has coached more than 120 games for the red and white, successfully guiding the Senior Women’s team to bronze medals at the FIBA Americas Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2009.

“Working with National Team and other elite athletes across the country is incredibly rewarding,” said McNeill. “They work so hard and have the same passion for basketball, for training, for competing and for winning that I do. It is amazing to be around such special, high achieving women!”

In addition to her work with the elite programs, McNeill is dedicated to giving back to the youth in her native province of British Columbia through Steve Nash Youth Basketball, Canada Basketball’s grassroots development program for children ages five to 13.

“I also love working with young athletes through Steve Nash Youth Basketball. They are so energized, enthused and fun to be around. I love the challenge of trying to turn kids on to basketball and sport in general,” said McNeill. “Anyone that has ever worked with young athletes knows the feeling of making a difference, and of being a positive influence, in the life of a young girl or boy.”

The award from CAAWS comes on the heels of a successful summer for McNeill and the Senior Women’s National Team. The squad finished third at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship, earning a spot in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, taking place Sept. 23–Oct. 3 in the Czech Republic.