Lady Chieftains
Encyclopedia
The Lady Chieftains are a girls basketball team from Shiprock, New Mexico
, located on the Navajo Nation
. They are the subject of the documentary Rocks with Wings. The documentary charts the transformation of the team from a
lackluster team to a championship team led by coach Jerry Richardson .
, the Lady Chieftains were a losing basketball team at Shiprock High School
. Interest was low in the girls basketball program and rival school Kirtland Central High School
had been the state champions for 8 consecutive years. Richardson set out to change this attitude among the Navajo
community of Shiprock. To quote him "I had never been associated with anything that lost. We had to change some attitudes." .
The year was 1987 and the Lady Chieftains did well enough to reach the state championships versus Kirtland Central
. After a close game, the Lady Chieftains lost during overtime. The next year however, the Lady Chieftains came back to the state championships and in another close game, were able to defeat their rivals to become the new state champions
The Lady Chieftains, according to the director of Rocks with Wings essentially become one of the first events that help unite the Navajo community of Shiprock.
. Due to a bad relationship with his high school coach and athletic director, he was prevented from being recruited by college athletic scouts. Richardson finally received a track scholarship and went on to receive a Masters degree from Louisiana Tech. Unable to find a teaching job, Richardson was finally hired by Shiprock
to teach English and he eventually began coaching the girls basketball team in 1982. In five years, he successfully led the Lady Chieftains
to the state championships.
Shiprock, New Mexico
Shiprock is a census-designated place in San Juan County, New Mexico, United States, on the Navajo reservation. The population was 8,156 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Farmington Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, located on the Navajo Nation
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering , occupying all of northeastern Arizona, the southeastern portion of Utah, and northwestern New Mexico...
. They are the subject of the documentary Rocks with Wings. The documentary charts the transformation of the team from a
lackluster team to a championship team led by coach Jerry Richardson .
History of Lady Chieftains
Before the hiring of Jerry RichardsonJerry Richardson
Jerry Richardson is the current majority owner and founder of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.-Biography:...
, the Lady Chieftains were a losing basketball team at Shiprock High School
Shiprock High School
Shiprock High School is a public high school in Shiprock, New Mexico . Shiprock High is a part of the Central Consolidated School District along with Kirtland Central High School and Newcomb High School. The school colors are Maroon, Silver, and Turquoise and the mascot is the...
. Interest was low in the girls basketball program and rival school Kirtland Central High School
Kirtland Central High School
Kirtland Central High School is located in the town of Kirtland, New Mexico its colors are Purple & Gold and their mascot is the Bronco. KCHS is a part of the Central Consolidated School District along with Newcomb High School and Shiprock High School.-Athletics:Kirtland Central is a New Mexico...
had been the state champions for 8 consecutive years. Richardson set out to change this attitude among the Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
community of Shiprock. To quote him "I had never been associated with anything that lost. We had to change some attitudes." .
The year was 1987 and the Lady Chieftains did well enough to reach the state championships versus Kirtland Central
Kirtland Central High School
Kirtland Central High School is located in the town of Kirtland, New Mexico its colors are Purple & Gold and their mascot is the Bronco. KCHS is a part of the Central Consolidated School District along with Newcomb High School and Shiprock High School.-Athletics:Kirtland Central is a New Mexico...
. After a close game, the Lady Chieftains lost during overtime. The next year however, the Lady Chieftains came back to the state championships and in another close game, were able to defeat their rivals to become the new state champions
The Lady Chieftains, according to the director of Rocks with Wings essentially become one of the first events that help unite the Navajo community of Shiprock.
Jerry Richardson
Jerry Richardson was a high school basketball star from TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Due to a bad relationship with his high school coach and athletic director, he was prevented from being recruited by college athletic scouts. Richardson finally received a track scholarship and went on to receive a Masters degree from Louisiana Tech. Unable to find a teaching job, Richardson was finally hired by Shiprock
Shiprock High School
Shiprock High School is a public high school in Shiprock, New Mexico . Shiprock High is a part of the Central Consolidated School District along with Kirtland Central High School and Newcomb High School. The school colors are Maroon, Silver, and Turquoise and the mascot is the...
to teach English and he eventually began coaching the girls basketball team in 1982. In five years, he successfully led the Lady Chieftains
Lady Chieftains
The Lady Chieftains are a girls basketball team from Shiprock, New Mexico, located on the Navajo Nation. They are the subject of the documentary Rocks with Wings...
to the state championships.