Chelsea Stocks looking to support her players on and off the basketball court
Story by Misty Bouse. Photos by Ric Getter.
Chelsea Stocks is looking to inspire her players this year.
Across all NCAA men’s and women’s programs, women lead just 24% of the 20,255 total teams. That means only 4 out of 10 women’s teams today are coached by women. That now includes Portland Community College’s women’s basketball team as Chelsea Stocks has been named the team’s new head coach.
Despite being hired late in the off season, PCC Director of Athletics Anthony Broadous is excited at the recruiting and coaching Stocks brings.
“We are excited to welcome coach Chelsea as our new head women’s basketball coach,” said Broadous. “Her experience and accomplishments stood out among a strong pool of candidates. While joining the team later than usual brings some challenges, we are confident in her ability to lead and inspire this year’s players. We look forward to the energy she brings this season and to seeing what she will accomplish as she settles in.”
Stocks joins PCC from her role as a Division I assistant coach at Cal State-Fullerton. She is looking forward to meeting Panthers fans during the season opening weekend Nov. 13–15 at the Cascade Campus. As a former community college graduate in Southern California, Stocks brings nearly two decades of coaching experience to the Panthers.
“It’s an amazing opportunity to be PCC’s next head coach,” Stocks said. “I felt that the natural next step for me was becoming a head coach at the collegiate level. When the PCC position came up, I learned very quickly that it was the right fit.”
She credits her dad for getting her into basketball.
She was first introduced to the Pacific Northwest while studying sport management at Washington State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 2011. She recently relocated to Portland, where her eldest sister has lived for the past eight years.
“I’m very excited to be closer to my sister,” Stocks added. “She loves Portland and has been such a help in my relocation here.”
As the second-oldest of six children in a sports-loving family, Stocks was immersed in basketball early. She credits her father, who grew up in Chicago, with sparking her love for the game.
“I started playing when I was a young child and have been involved in basketball ever since,” she said. “My dad taught me to see the game differently, which has really shaped my ability to coach.”
Eye on Players
Stocks said she enters the role with a clear sense of purpose. She said the mission of the program is to see every student-athlete leave as a more confident, resilient, and well-prepared person as they enter the next phase of their lives. She acknowledged that today’s student-athletes face unique challenges and providing opportunities is key.
“This generation has had so much to deal with,” Stocks said. “During the pandemic, athletes lost vital opportunities for social connection, competition and development.”
Her academic background also informs her coaching. After earning her bachelor’s in sport management at WSU, she completed a master’s degree in Sport Performance Psychology at Long Beach State in 2016. Stocks called that training “vital” in coaching today’s athletes.
For Stocks, players’ mental health is just as important as performances on the court.
“So much of athletes’ performance is mental,” she said. “It’s critical to train the mind along with the body for positive performance. It’s definitely becoming more mainstream, but there are still a lot of gaps to fill in mental training.”
Stocks went on to coach at NCAA Division III institutions Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Caltech before joining Cal Stat-Fullerton, where she spent three seasons. She also coached at high school and club programs across Southern California.
Coaching Philosophy
This fall, the Panthers are building on a 10-player roster, with additional open tryouts planned for athletes with varsity high school experience. Stocks said her coaching philosophy centers on three core values of growth, drive and joy.
“Our mission is to create an environment where student-athletes find joy in the game, grow as people, and build life skills that last long after their playing days are over,” she said. “We believe in more than wins and losses, and in teaching teamwork, discipline, and resilience while helping every athlete discover the confidence and tools they need to thrive in whatever path they choose.”
Last season, the Panthers won half their games and came one win short of the playoffs. Standouts Cheyann Ashworth and Lilly Walker were able to transfer to play for the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Shawnee State University in Ohio, respectively, this season. Stocks said it’s stories like these that she finds coaching at the community college level rewarding.
“These players love the sport, they work really hard and just want to get better and be good teammates,” she said.
Her hiring also represents progress in gender equity.
“I think it can be a powerful thing to have a female coach,” she said. “It’s a different experience for players. It’s about connection and a shared lived experience.”
‘Success follows when you keep the focus where it should be,’ said Stocks.
Stocks is also a supporter of WeCoach, a national organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in coaching.
“It’s an amazing organization to help empower female coaches across sports,” she said. “Unfortunately, the number of female head coaches across female sports is not where it needs or should be. However, PCC is helping move those numbers.”
Building Something New
For Stocks, the opportunity at PCC aligns her coaching philosophy with the college’s mission. She said the entire athletics department is very aligned and not just about the outcome of the games. Plus, she also sees Portland’s culture as a natural fit.
“It’s about young women,” Stocks said. “Success follows when you keep the focus where it should be. The inclusivity of Portland is great, and PCC reflecting those values is attractive to me.
“I’m competitive,” she continued. “I have this intrinsic desire to keep learning and keep getting better every day, both personally and professionally.”
For more information on PCC Athletics visit panthers.pcc.edu/