THERE'S ATTITUDE AND THEN THERE'S ATTITUDE

by Wayne Witt

Sports people will tell you winning is about attitude. There is the attitude of the team that comes from whomever the leader/coach happens to be, and there is the attitude individual players bring to the group.

Closer to home, that attitude came to campus in the form of women's basketball Coach Angela Lawson. It's not particularly overt, but you just know it's there. And with Coach Lawson, it goes back to the beginnings of her athletic world; back to her elementary school days.

"I grew up in a neighborhood of all boys," she recalls of her formative days in Longview located in East Texas. "All my role models were male." Her seventh grade year was the first time for girl's sports at school and from that time she was hooked.

Once she reached high school, Lawson knew what it meant to have attitude and helped her team win district titles.

In fact, the scorecard goes like this for Longview High and Angela Lawson, the shooting guard: junior year, runners-up to Houston Yates for the state Class 5A championship; senior year, Class 5A state champions by defeating Houston Yates. Lawson -- all-state, two All-American teams, state tournament MVP, and Texas Miss Basketball.

"During this time," she says, "I was convinced I wanted to get a college scholarship and concentrate on basketball. My coaches told me all along that I had the ability and if I would work hard I could get a scholarship."

She was recruited mightily by the heavyweights of women's basketball but Louisiana Tech had a huge advantage whether anyone knew it or not.

"We got Shreveport TV at night and I had followed their program since the ninth grade," she says. "It was just two hours to Ruston so I could easily get over there for games and practices. They had won a couple of national titles, plus, they were ahead of the recruiting game at the time." So it was pretty much a natural for Lawson to take her skills and attitude to the Lady Techsters.

Louisiana Tech, in women's basketball, then and now, has an attitude about winning. "We win. Sometimes you win, but mostly we win." Angela took her personal attitude of working hard to be good and made the move across the state line. She was a three-year starter and again, we list the accomplishments: sophomore year, NCAA Regional tournament; junior year, Final Four; and senior year, NCAA Division I National Champions.

Lawson went on to earn a bachelor's degree in physical education with the intension of becoming a coach. Afterwards, she went to the University of Tennessee - another place where attitude is about success to complete her master's degree. For two years she was in Knoxville as a graduate assistant and saw the Lady Vols earn a regional finals appearance and an NCAA Division I national championship. Another title to add to their list. Attitude.

It was three years as an assistant at Southwest Texas State after Tennessee, then six years at Baylor when opportunity came knocking for Angela Lawson in the form of the Incarnate Word Crusaders. In the spring of 2000, she agreed to make the move into her first head job. She brought a winner's attitude to town and it was noticed.

The first year was at times a struggle, but she understands some attitude is needed. Crusader fans know that Angela Lawson and an attitude will win out in the end. Stay tuned for Crusader women's basketball. And bring some attitude.