Stamps honored as part of the coaching staff for 1982 HCC Women’s Basketball Team

Photos courtesy of the Stamps Family, Highline Athletic Department and Tim Sullivan Photography

Recently Steve Stamps was inducted into the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) Hall of Fame. Stamps was Assistant Coach of the 1982 Highline Community College Women’s Basketball Team who won the 1982 NWAACC Championship in resounding fashion. The team, and its coaches, were awarded Hall of Fame status this year by NWAC for their outstanding accomplishments.

The Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC), now called the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC), is a sports association for community colleges in Oregon, Washington and Idaho, along with British Columbia.

Under Head Coach Dale Bollinger, a Northwest Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Coach, the Thunderbirds dominated the league from the very first game of the season. Highline finished 10-0 in league and 26-2 overall.

Members of this team had a two year record of 50-5 with a two year region record of 20-0. They were led by Kelly Lyons who still holds the all-time tournament assists record. The team averaged 80.5 points per game.

The Thunderbirds had three First Team All-League Players and three First Team All-Region players.

It wasn’t the first time Steve Stamps had been inducted into a Hall of Fame. Stamps was also a member of the Wenatchee Valley College Hall of Fame in 2011 in recognition of his 8 years coaching their women’s basketball program.

Steve Stamps took over the women’s basketball program in 1983 upon the resignation of Jim Sollars. He led his team to the NWAACC tournament in his second year and a total of five times during his tenure from 1983-91, placing as high as fifth. In both 1988 and 1989 his teams won the league championship in the Eastern Region. He amassed a record of 149-77 and was named coach of the year for the Eastern Region on several occasions.

Stamps later coached the Chelan Lady Goats basketball team for six years from 1995 to 2000.

Steve, a native of Chelan, is an orchardist. He and his wife, Shelly, have three children: Zoee, Quinn, and Reed.

The Stamps family at CHS Baseball Senior Night. Photo courtesy of Tim Sullivan Photography: pictured left to right: Zoee, Shelly, Quinn, Reed and Steve.