Celebration of Life for former Bay Valley Conference Commissioner Shirley Baskin to take place on Saturday
Revered former Bay Valley Conference Commissioner and Los Medanos College Athletics Director Shirley Baskin passed away on May 20 and will be remembered by family and friends this weekend with a Celebration of Life. Beginning in 1974, Shirley served students at Los Medanos through her role as Director of Special Programs before later becoming AD in 1982, a position she held for 26 years. She became Bay Valley Commissioner in 2005, serving until 2018. Shirley was celebrated by the CCCADA (California Community College Athletic Directors Association) with a CCCADA Service and Honor Award in 2011, as noted in the article below from Los Medanos College, which chronicled her outstanding career.
The Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, June 11 from 1-3 p.m. at Los Medanos College (2800 E. Leland Road, Pittsburg). RSVPs are required and can be completed at this link. (Zoom information is also available at the link).
The location will be in the Los Medanos College Student Union Conference Center, (https://bit.ly/CampusMapsDirections or pdf: https://bit.ly/PDFCampusMapsDirections). Parking is free, and parking is recommended in Lot B near the football field for easy access to the Student Union. Parking in the front of the college will require a longer walk through the campus to reach the Student Union.
The Daily Health Assessment can be accessed here:
https://campuscloud.readyeducation.com/#/cb/web-form/yGQgKC4U1gubuneIlByitA/start
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the “Shirley Baskin Student Athlete Memorial Scholarship” fund. Donations can be made here: https://gofund.me/d708e401
Participants will receive a confirmation email with details and links to resources.
Shirley Baskin Honored by CCC Athletic Directors Association
Her quiet and calm demeanor would never reveal the fact that Shirley Baskin was Los Medanos College’s (LMC) athletic director for 26 years. You’d also never guess this patient academic counselor, advising student athletes and other students daily, has been the athletic commissioner for the Bay Valley Conference for the past six years.
Shirley was honored recently when she was inducted into the California Community College Athletic Directors Association (CCCADA) on June 4th at their annual conference. She was one of three 2011 inductees who were honored with, basically, a lifetime achievement award for many years of service with the organization.
Dale Murray, Athletic Director at Cabrillo College, has known Shirley for a long time and presented Shirley's award. He commented, "Shirley focuses on student success, rather than winning or losing," and attributed her focus on the students to her background in counseling.
The CCCADA was created to maintain the highest possible standards in the community college athletics of men and women. The organization promotes, encourages and directs efforts and activities that will benefit community college athletics throughout California.
Shirley earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master of Science Degree in Counseling at Cal State East Bay (Hayward). She was one of the initial group of LMC faculty and staff who helped open the new campus in the fall of 1974. As the college’s first Director of Special Programs, she supervised student activities, Disabled Students Programs & Services (DSPS), Equal Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) and Financial Aid.
As Dean of Behavioral Sciences starting in 1982, Shirley became the college’s athletic director because, she explained, “it came with the job. I had little background in athletics, so I made a point to learn as much as I could quickly. My father had been into baseball, so we grew up watching the sport on television with him, but that was the extent of my exposure when young.”
“Athletics became the part of my job at LMC that I most enjoyed,” revealed Shirley candidly. “I enjoy watching the competition. And in athletics, people have very diverse opinions, but consensus still decides what happens. Athletics is a place where people can truly develop into solid citizens. Players develop valuable skills in communication, teamwork, decision-making, organization, and many times learn to do something they didn’t initially want to because of the consensus process.”
Click hereto read the remainder of the tribute from Los Medanos College.