Hatchell presents award to League's Taylor

May 20, 2009

Over her 30-year career, University of North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell has won three national championships over 700 games. 

She would have won twice as many by now with a team full of players like Christian Taylor. 

For her consistent display of compassion even in competition. Taylor, an eighth grader at League Academy, was presented with The Greenville News Character Award at the Coaches 4 Character program held on Tuesday night at the Carolina First Center.

Taylor was selected for the award by her classmates and the League faculty. After being showered with praise from League Academy administrative assistant Jay Grady, Taylor was presented with the award by Hatchell. 

"It's an honor because she's such a great coach," said Taylor. "I'm really glad that I got the award. This makes me want to behave even better, because I know how important it is."

"This is really an honor," said Tony Taylor, Christian's father, "because this shows that all the hard work pays off. That's something that we have really stressed in our house." 

After the presentation, Hatchell stressed, to over 100 young women and men in attendance, the importance of attitude, discipline, hard work, and priorities. 

She encourages the young men and women to pursue athletic and academic excellence, which she has stressed at North Carolina. Hatchell proclaimed that over her 23 years at UNC; every player that she brought to the school to play basketball received a degree from the University of North Carolina. "We make that a priority," she said. "When your priorities are in line, you can find success. You have to find what you are passionate about. If you don't love what you do, then change. You have to do what makes you sing."

Hatchell said inspiring young women is her passion and led her to coaching.

"I have to pinch myself," she said. "I ask myself, 'I'm really at the University of North Carolina. I'm really coaching women's basketball, we're winning and they're paying me to do it.'

"You have to find your passion, and that's the reason I'm here, because I have a passion for young people."

By; Mandrallius Robinson -- Greenville News