Playing For:
Catch the Stars Foundation Beyond Sport
Women's National Basketball Association
Team: Indiana Fever Position: Forward
Recent Plays
Volunteer, Get Fever Fit Campaign Three-time Recipient, WNBA Community Assist Award Recipient, 2009 Henry P. Iba Citizen-Athlete Award Recipient, 2007 Dawn Staley Leadership Award
How She's in the Game
Tamika Catchings is a prime example of an athlete going the extra mile to make a difference. While she’s devoted to her team’s community outreach efforts, which include the WNBA’s “Read to Achieve” and “Fit” campaigns, she’s also taken the initiative to reach out on her own. In the spring of 2004, Tamika achieved a lifelong goal by establishing the Catch the Stars Foundation, which aims to empower disadvantaged youth through academic and sports related programming. Through this organization, she hosts the “Back to School Celebration”,which gets local youth motivated and excited about the upcoming school year by giving out over 300 school supplied-filled backpacks. She also organizes basketball camps for youth and attends local high school games to show her support for athletic programs.
In Indianapolis, Tamika is not only needed on the court, but off it as well. She has devoted countless hours to the community and has inspired her teammates and fans to do the same. Currently, she is trying to broadening her outreach by expanding programs into areas such as Chicago, Dallas, Knoxville, and even abroad. On the international front, Tamika is an Ambassador with Beyond Sport, a global organization that promotes, develops and funds the use of sport to create positive social change across the world. Tamika has utilized her influence to help further the organization’s mission by conducting basketball camps in South Korea and in Poland where she has shared her testimony and used her love of basketball to make a positive impact in those countries.
Tamika believes we have a duty to support our youth to ensure they reach their full potential. Through her impressive array of outreach activities, she’s an outstanding role model for athlete citizenship.
About Tamika Catchings
Despite being born with a hearing disability and wearing hearing aids as a child, Tamika Catchings has achieved greatness at every level of her basketball career. She was a national champion at Tennesse as a part of the undefeated 1997 Lady Vols squad. She’s been a WNBA All Star, and was selected to the WNBA All-Decade team, in addition to serving as the President of the Players Association. Tamika has also won two gold medals as a part of the 2004 and 2008 US Women’s Basketball teams.
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