Southeastern Louisiana University women’s coach Frank Schneider and Louisiana College men’s coach Gene Rushing were just a phone call away. And the Cathedral Athletic Association is grateful for that.

Schneider and Rushing are directing the first Cathedral Athletic Association Basketball Camp, which started Monday and ends today at Cathedral.

Schneider, who is entering his 16th season of coaching at SLU, came to Natchez for the camp after getting a phone call from a long-time friend.

&uot;(Cathedral volunteer coach) George Tosspon and (Cathedral Athletic Association president) Tom Graning brought me to this camp,&uot; Schneider said. &uot;Also my friendship with George, which goes back to when we were growing up in Jonesville.

&uot;I got a call from George and coach Rushing and I decided to come up here and teach the kids about the fundamentals of basketball.&uot;

Two of the youngsters participating in the camp are Bart Lane and Larry Thomas, both Cathedral students and basketball players.

Thomas and Lane said they came to the camp to improve their game for next year to help the team.

&uot;My jump shot has improved a lot during the camp,&uot; Lane said.

As for the near future at Southeastern, Schneider said his 2000-01 team will be pretty good.

&uot;We’ll have our top scorer, Stacey Turner, who was 2nd-team All-Southland Conference and Deirdre Allen, who was All-Conference Honorable Mention.

&uot;We also recruited some good players,&uot; he said.

One of those recruits is Ferriday native and point guard Ann Webster, who played at Co-Lin in Wesson.

&uot;She has outstanding quickness and speed,&uot; Schneider said. &uot;She is a good point guard, which was what the team lacked last season.&uot;

Schneider said the potential and the future of women’s basketball is still great.

&uot;I was offered the head coaching job with the New England Blizzard of the ABL (the first women’s pro basketball league in over 20 years),&uot; Schneider said. &uot;Coach (Van) Chancellor offered me an assistant coaching job with the Houston Comets.

&uot;I turned them both down to stay at Southeastern. I don’t regret my decision.&uot;

One reason Schneider said that women’s basketball will continue to get better and grow is the WNBA.

&uot;I think it helps those in junior high, high school and college realize that they can be the next Cynthia Cooper (3-time WNBA Most Valuable Player) or the next Sheryl Swoopes.&uot;