Minneapolis-St. Paul – The NBA today announced Carrie Berran from Eagan, Minn., as one of three finalists for its inaugural Jr. NBA Coach of the Year award, which will be given annually to a youth basketball coach that is making a positive impact on children by demonstrating outstanding integrity, character and leadership. Berran is basketball president of the Eagan Athletic Association and coach of the Association’s seventh grade girls team.

Each NBA team nominated a local youth basketball coach for the Jr. NBA Coach of the Year award and Berran was selected by the Timberwolves as the team’s nominee. She survived the first cut as one of eight semifinalists before making the top three.

Berran, Kenny Cook (nominated by the Los Angeles Lakers) and Al McClain (nominated by the Boston Celtics) were selected as finalists by a panel of judges, including former NBA player Dell Curry, former WNBA player Jennifer Azzi and Turner Sports broadcaster Ernie Johnson, along with fan voting via social media.

Finalists will receive funding as well as equipment and apparel to support their local youth basketball organizations, free Positive Coaching Alliance training, and an all-expense-paid trip to New York to attend the inaugural NBA Awards Show on June 26, where the national winner will be named.

A former Division I basketball player, Coach Berran has excelled the past decade as a youth basketball coach and administrator in the Eagan (MN) Athletic Association (EAA). She serves as the association president managing all in-house and traveling basketball programs for more than 1,000 athletes. Coach Berran’s true philosophy is that by being on a team you learn not only the sport, but, more importantly, life skills that you can carry with you forever. Her success is seen through her on-court record, and her off-court positive impact is realized through each of her players’ lives.

About the Jr. NBA presented by Under Armour

The Jr. NBA is the league’s youth basketball participation program that teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. Through a network of affiliated youth basketball organizations, live events and interactive experiences, the Jr. NBA will reach five million youth ages 6-14 in the U.S. and Canada over a two-year period as part of its expanded efforts launched in October 2015. The Jr. NBA partnership network is comprised of youth basketball programs of all NBA, WNBA and NBA Development League teams as well as elementary and middle schools, military installations and longstanding community partners, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Jewish Community Centers of North America, National Association of Police Athletic Leagues, National Recreation and Park Association, National Wheelchair Basketball Association, Special Olympics, and YMCA of the USA.

About Positive Coaching Alliance

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) develops BETTER ATHLETES, BETTER PEOPLE through resources for youth and high school sports coaches, parents, administrators and student-athletes. In addition to nearly 1,500 free multimedia tips and tools at www.PCADevZone.org , PCA has partnered with roughly 3,500 schools and youth sports organizations nationwide to deliver more than 20,000 live group workshops, along with online courses and books by PCA Founder Jim Thompson that help those involved in youth and high school sports create a positive, character-building youth sports culture.

PCA resources, which have reached more than 8.6 million youth, strive to transform high school and youth sports into a Development ZoneTM culture, where the goal is to develop Better Athletes, Better People and the following become the prevailing models in youth and high school sports: The Double-Goal Coach®, who strives to win while also pursuing the more important goal of teaching life lessons through sports, The Second-Goal Parent®, who concentrates on life lessons, while letting coaches and athletes focus on competing, The Triple-Impact Competitor®, who strives to impact sport on three levels by improving oneself, teammates and the game as a whole.

PCA gains support from a National Advisory Board , including National Spokesperson and 11-time NBA Champion Coach Phil Jackson, and many other top coaches, athletes, organization leaders and academics who share PCA’s mission.

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