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Stephanie Wood grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, first learning to play basketball from her father when she was 6. Her father put up a goal in a field while they lived in Massachusetts and from there she began to practice. She developed a love for the game at a very young age. At age 10, her family moved to Virginia. Stephanie was faced with challenges of being the new kid in the neighborhood and school. She turned to sports, especially basketball to meet people and communicate with others. It also gave her tremendous confidence and a high self-esteem. She soon realized that playing with the boys was a sure way to get better, but found her self sitting on the sidelines more that she wanted. Her father put up a goal on a concrete slab at her house and lit it up with flood lights so that she would always have a place to play. Soon the boys were making there way to her court to play and it was on her terms.
Stephanie was born in Malden, Massachusetts (suburb of Boston). She was taken from her home with her brother and sister and put into foster care when her parents couldn't take care of them. Her biological parents committed suicide soon after. She was adopted and began a new life. She persisted through emotional difficulties and family hardships. Stephanie lost her brother when she was 6, he went back to be a ward of the state, and then her sister when she was a teenager who ran away. As an adult her father died suddenly. Adversity has followed Steph from a young age to an adult. She persists and is pushed by her problems and her past while she follows her dreams.
In high school, Stephanie excelled in three sports. It was always basketball that kept her on the court late at night, playing horse with her father and taking on the local boys in a game of pickup. After high school graduation, Stephanie attended Chowan College where she played basketball until she suffered an injury to her knee.
After taking a break from basketball, Stephanie found herself involved again only now she was coaching. She began in the recreation leagues. She went to coaching clinics and became a student of the game.
Years later, she is responsible for taking Southampton Academy (Courtland Virginia) to their first Conference Championship 3-peat in 10 years and first State Final Four appearance in the school's history.
But it is her love for the game and passion for helping teenage girls that finds her in Ganon Baker Basketball. While coaching in Virginia, she met Ganon Baker and asked him for a job. He said no. She persisted again, and got a “tryout” with him for a month. Steph worked for free until she was hired part time as a trainer. Soon after Steph had a client base that was keeping her so busy she left teaching and coaching and was hired as a full time trainer and clinician. In the business, Steph took on other responsibilities in Marketing and Administration. In her 5th year with Ganon, she was named Director of Basketball Operations and Lead Trainer.
Steph grew up idolizing coaches like Wendy Larry and Pat Summitt. She gets her inspiration from her faith in God and teaches through the experiences that she has had in the game of basketball and life.
Stephanie has 1 daughter.
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