Jessica Hanson, BKin 2020, balanced the demands of academics and athletics while playing on the varsity women’s basketball team for five years. Leading as captain for three of her five years, and achieving Academic All Canadian status in the classroom, Jessica averaged over 80% in the classroom her last 3 years. No stranger to the Vancouver campus, daughter of Kevin Hanson, UBC BPE/Kinesiology graduate ’88, followed in her father’s footsteps playing basketball while achieving an undergrad degree at UBC.
After her dad was named Head Coach of the UBC Men’s Basketball Team in 2000, War Memorial gym became a second home to Jessica, spending a big part of her childhood learning about the game and becoming familiar with the beautiful campus. She will be returning back to the School of Kinesiology this year online, beginning her studies in the MKin program, where she will be focusing on the coaching science and psychological aspects of sport. In addition to this, she will once again be tackling the challenge of balancing academia and sport as she will be off to Ireland to begin her first year of playing professional basketball overseas.
During her undergrad, she began her coaching career with UBC basketball summer camps. In addition, she joined the coaching staff of Split Second Basketball, a Vancouver lower mainland basketball club, where she lead a mentorship program for young aspiring girls, and also acted as assistant and head coach for the past 3 years. Jess believes there is great opportunity for women in sport to have a positive influence in the lives and development of young upcoming athletes, as well as make a difference in the community. Her passion for both playing and coaching are fueled by the powerful impact that leaders in the sport community can have, as well as her desire to give back to a sport that has given her so much. More recently, Jess has taken part in Vancouver Basketball Foundation’s monthly Grow The Game Women’s Roundtable events, discussing various topics with other female coaches and leaders across the province and country.
Two notable professors for her were also strong female role models through sport and academia themselves, Dr. Maria Gallo, and as Dr. Carolyn McEwen.
