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Seeking God First
New Women’s Head Basketball Coach Sets Priorities
By Melissa McCutchan, CIU Student Writer
When it comes to basketball, CIU’s new women’s head coach
has an impressive record. Temple Elmore scored 1,599 points
in her college career at the College of Charleston, earning her
a place in the college’s hall of fame. She was named an All-
District player from 1983-85 and she was an NAIA All-American.
She has played and coached in 12 countries.
However, Elmore doesn’t talk much about her athletic
credentials. She’d rather talk about how her relationship with
Christ began when she was a junior in high school, or about
how God called her to coach basketball in 1989. She’d rather
tell you about how she wants the CIU Lady Rams to know Christ
and to tell others about Him.
“I know that God has placed a call on me to coach, to help
young ladies to be able to understand how to get the spiritual
into the game of basketball,” Elmore said.
Elmore came to CIU in 2014 when the team’s former head
coach, Tammy Holder, invited her to be an assistant coach.
When Holder left her position at the end of the 2015-16 season
to care for her parents, Elmore took her place.
“Her credentials are excellent,” Athletics Director Kim Abbott
said of Elmore. “In addition, because we had worked together
in prior years with her as our assistant coach, we knew that her
heart and her godly life was perfect for CIU.”
Elmore is committed to building flexible, well-rounded athletes.
She believes each player should be able to play each position
and stresses conditioning so that they will be in top shape for
competition.
“(The women’s basketball program) is relatively new, and I
understand that when you start a program, it’s not always where
you want it to be,” Elmore said. “It’s still in a building stage.
You start where you can and you keep building.”
Elmore also has high spiritual expectations for her players. She
wants them to grow in their relationship with Christ and make
an impact wherever they go.
“I don’t think that there is a ‘secular’ area in our lives, or there
shouldn’t be,” Elmore said. “Everything to me should be about
the Kingdom of God, so it’s my goal to be able to help the
players understand what it means to play to honor (and) glorify
Christ and to expand the Kingdom.”
ATHLETICS
The 2016-2017 season is only the team’s fourth — so Elmore
encourages fans to show the team grace as they grow.
“I don’t know how quickly we will develop as a program, but
know that we will be seeking to honor God in all that we do,”
Elmore said. “Be patient with my players and allow them to
make some mistakes and grow. Know that we’re going the
right direction, seeking God first.”
“Everything to me should be about
the Kingdom of God, so it’s my goal
to be able to help the players
understand what it means to play
to honor (and) glorify Christ and to
expand the Kingdom.”
CIU Women’s
Basketball Coach
Temple Elmore
ATHLETICS
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CIU Today
Fall 2016