University of Maine women’s basketball coach to appear on ESPN’s ‘Outside the Lines’

University of Maine women’s basketball coach Richard Barron is scheduled to appear next week in an episode of ESPN’s “Outside the Lines.”

Barron, who recently completed his first season as the Black Bears’ coach, will be featured during an episode that will air at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 3. His interview centers on Title IX with an emphasis on the use of male “practice players” during women’s basketball team practices.

He also will talk about other topics with ESPN’s Bob Ley on “Outside the Lines,” which is in its 21st year of production.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX, a federal law that was passed with the aim of providing equal opportunities for women in collegiate athletics and other programs.

It reads, in part, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Barron, who is wrapping up an extensive recruiting trip to Europe, has spent most of his 20-year coaching career working with women’s teams. That includes 12 years as a head coach.

UM softball building with bricks

The UMaine softball team has embarked on a new fundraising project to help continue improvements at Kessock Field in Orono.

The Friends of Maine Softball has begun selling commemorative bricks that will be placed next to the entrance to the facility. The bricks will be personalized with a name or message that can be seen by Black Bear fans.

The bricks are available in two sizes: 4 by 8 inches or 8 by 8 inches. The small bricks can accommodate up to three lines of 15 characters, including spaces, while the larger bricks can include up to six lines of text.

The 4 by 8 bricks are $75 each, while the 8 by 8 bricks cost $126. Checks should be made payable to UMaine Softball.

For more information or to purchase a brick, visit the UMaine athletics website.

‘Bears of Tomorrow’ set April 6

The UMaine athletic department is gearing up for its second annual Weight Watchers Black Bears of Tomorrow program.

The event, which is sponsored by Black Bear Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holder for UMaine athletes, brings 500 fifth-graders from across Maine to the Orono campus. The students will be part of a daylong walking tour of the campus which will focus on academics, athletics and the arts.

Several UMaine coaches and student-athletes will participate in the program, sharing with the youngsters the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

UMFK Athletic Hall inducts 5

The University of Maine-Fort Kent Athletic Hall of Fame inducted five new members during ceremonies held Saturday at the university’s sports center.

Sterling LeBlanc (Class of 1969), Guy Cousins (’81 and ’83), Paula Martin Zwemke (’89), Beth Daigle King (’90) and Andre Anderson (’11) were recognized for their contributions to the program.

UMFK also honored its 1986-87 men’s basketball team, coached by 2008 inductee Larry Murphy and including hall of famers Jeff Pillsbury (’09) and Juan Hernandez (’10).

LeBlanc excelled on the basketball court, helping the Bengals win a league championship while earning team MVP honors. The Old Town native, who scored 1,000 career points, earned a degree in education. He coached at Van Buren before opening personal training studios in the Camden area.

Cousins played soccer for four seasons and was a three-time team captain. The Caribou native was a four-time conference all-star who twice led Maine in scoring and was fourth in the nation as a senior. Cousins has worked in numerous fields, including substance abuse and mental health services.

Zwemke was a three-year basketball standout and a two-time captain who was among the state’s best 3-point shooters. The Frenchville native earned a degree in education and has worked for 15 years in Colorado.

King starred in basketball and earned degrees in psychology and education. The native of Fort Kent later earned a master’s degree in deaf education and eventually moved to Hawaii, where she owns a shop selling personal and recreational vehicles.

Anderson, nicknamed “Shorty,” was a prolific scorer on the soccer field, amassing 93 goals and 54 assists in 83 games. He was a four-time league player of the year and was named the NAIA National Player of the Year in 2010. Anderson earned a degree in behavioral science and works at UMFK as an admissions counselor.