Welcome TO the Lady cardinal's basketball

The Lady Cardinals is home to an incredibly storied and tradition-rich history. In addition to boasting a  National Championships in 2005 and 31 Summer League tournament championships, the Lady Cardinals have help shaped the game of basketball by helping their coach Keith Coleman invent the WAVA System, Number and Color game control system and an Individual player training system.

The Lady Cardinal's success extends well beyond the competitive venues, the players annually ranking among the nation's leaders in student-athlete and a 100% graduation success rate. Many lady cardinals received awards from their schools from MVP to most improved player.    

The first time the nickname "Lady Cardinals" was used for a summer girls basketball program, as far as can be determined, was the September 12, 2003, in a flyer sent out to local Texas high schools recruiting girls to come and play. 

The Cardinal is to be the official mascot of the Lady Cardinals basketball program.  This was decided by the founder Keith Coleman in memory of his late mother, because it was her favorite bird. Also, it is the state bird for the state of Virginia where coach Coleman grew up.                              The Logo was changed in 2023 to recognize the 20 years of girl's basketball. 

In October of 2003 six members of the Lady Cardinal participated in pickup game on a Sunday at Kingwood College, in Kingwood, Texas. With there being no official uniforms at that time, the players wore white t-shirts with a number written on them with a marker.  The colors of red and white were the official colors in 2003. The colors of black and blue were added in 2010.  

The Lady Cardinals student-athletes and coaches have annually earned numerous individual honors at the district, regional and national levels for both academic and athletic prowess. For more than 20 years , high school athletic department has annually presented major awards to the Lady Cardinal players at their annual award’s banquets. The Lady Cardinals have won over 61 tournament awards and one National Championship.  

Over 60 percent of the Lady Cardinals go on to play college basketball, and 99 percent go on to play high school basketball. 

Universities and colleges where Lady Cardinals continued their basketball careers: 

· University of Oklahoma, 

· Wichita State University, 

· Oklahoma State University, 

· Clarke University, 

· Dallas Baptist University, 

· University of Houston, 

· Park University, 

· Central Methodist University, 

· William Woods University, 

· Schreiner University, 

· Grand View University, 

· Simpson University, 

· Baker University, 

· Sterling College, 

· Mid-America Christian University, 

· Several Junior Colleges around the country and the list goes on

The tradition of the Lady Cardinals continues.  The rallying cry of "One team, One sound" came from a time out during a primetime tournament in 2008. During that timeout Coach Coleman needed his team to dig deep to hold on to a lead of only 6 points with all of his starters fouled out.  That spirit is still the rally cry of the Lady Cardinals today. 

Many successful players and teams have historically attributed their achievements to hard work. From our first teams to our current teams, hard work has been a common thread that ties them all together. Sweat, tears, and dreams are the key ingredients to help our players achieve their ambitions.

Firstly, sweat is the result of hard work. It is the physical manifestation of every player's effort to achieve our team's goals.

Secondly, tears are also a part of the journey towards success. It is not uncommon to experience setbacks, failures, and disappointments along the way. Tears are a natural response to these challenges and can be a powerful motivator to keep pushing forward. When we cry, we acknowledge our emotions and allow ourselves to feel them.

Crying is a way of showing that we care about the game of basketball and are invested in our teammates' success. It is a way of building connections and relationships with others who share our ambitions of winning.

Finally, dreams are the foundation of all outstanding achievements. Dreams inspire us to push beyond our limits and pursue something greater than ourselves. Dreams give us a sense of purpose and direction. They provide a framework for our actions and decisions and guide us toward our goals… Let's Go, Lady Cardinals!