Sacramento, CA . . . The California Community College Athletic Association is pleased to announce the 2016 class of inductees into the California Community College Sports Hall of Fame. The 2016 class includes Fran Babich (Butte College), Jim Kross (Riverside City College), Terry Pendleton (Oxnard College), and Paul Wiggin (Modesto Junior College).
The CCCAA Sports Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed in California community college athletics. Founded in 1984, the Hall of Fame has sought to recognize those who have made the most of their experiences as California community college student athletes, coaches and administrators, maximizing their own potential to better themselves and those with whom they come into contact. The four new HOF members will join 127 previous inductees in the Hall, which features some of the most recognizable names in amateur and professional sports. The CCCAA Hall of Fame page complete with past nominees and bios can be found at http://www.cccaasports.org/HOF/index.
The CCCAA Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 30 at 6:00p.m in conjunction with the CCCAA Annual Convention at the DoubleeTree by Hilton Hotel in Ontario, CA. To purchase tickets print, complete, and return the convention registration form available at http://cccaastats.org/convention/2016/Spring/Registration_Form.pdf.
2016 CCCAA Hall of Fame Inductees:
Fran Babich, Butte College, Athletic Trainer
Fran Babich was a pioneer, and accomplished a number of firsts as a female athlete and then as a female athletic trainer. She was in the first group of female athletes at C.K. McClatchy High School, and amongst the first at Sacramento City College and CSU Chico. As a product of the California community college system, she was a three sport star. After earning an associate degree from Sacramento City College in 1973, she was one of the first female student athletic trainers at Chico State. When she went through the graduate program in athletic training at the University of Arizona, she became the first female to work as an athletic trainer with her high school football program. Upon graduation from Arizona in 1978, she became the first athletic trainer at Pomona College and only the third head athletic trainer at a 4‐year college or university with football. In 1980 Fran was the first athletic trainer hired at Butte College and the first woman hired as the head athletic trainer within the community college system in California. During that time as head athletic trainer and professor at Butte College, from 1980-2001, she has mentored a vast number of women who later became health care professionals and has been a role model for women and others on the importance of leadership and professional involvement.
Fran is at heart an educator. As indicated previously, she has taught thousands of students during her years at Butte College as well as at the high school level where she began her career. She has teaching credentials at both the high school and community college levels in California and presented at numerous professional conferences. Fran has been an active professional as an educator serving on the Southwest District American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Board. Fran also collaborated with faculty at CSU Chico to develop ways to bring technology into the classroom. She has been department chair at Butte College and has served on numerous campus committees including: Faculty Senate, Staff Development, Student Orientation, Substance Abuse Committee (Chair), Tenure Review Committee (Chair), Title III Grant Writing Committee, Accreditation Committee, Leadership Team for General and Transfer Education, Curriculum Committee and Student Assistance Program for drug education, prevention and networking (Chair).
Since her time as an athletic trainer and being a full-time professor and department chair in 2001, she has been incredibly involved in the CCCAA and its affiliates, the CCC Athletic Trainers Association and the National Athletic Trainers Association. Fran has a long history of accomplishments in athletic training, medical care, and the advancement of women participating in athletics, especially at the community college level.
During 1989-1990 Fran was one of the two co-founders of the CCCATA as an affiliate organization of the CCCAA. This organization has given athletic trainers an unprecedented voice in their work environment, their quality of life and most importantly in the healthcare they provide student athletes in their charge. From 1990-94 she served as the first president of the CCCATA where she chaired the original development and writing of the CCCATA constitution, bylaws and medical guidelines found in the CCCAA constitution. In addition, she designed the first CCCATA logo. Fran researched and presented to the CCCAA Board documentation to support the application and acceptance of the Athletic Trainers Association becoming an official affiliate organization of the CCCAA. This allowed opportunities for certified athletic trainers to serve on Management Council and various committees within the CCCAA, to have a direct voice in their working conditions and the care they provide to their student athletes. For her work with the CCCATA she has received the 1998 CCCATA Athletic Trainer of the Year award and induction into the CCCATA Hall of Fame, class of 2011.
Starting with her time as president of the CCCATA (1990-1994), Fran was a constant presence in CCCAA leadership for 20 years. From 1994-1996, again in 2002-2006 and yet again from 2008-2011, Fran served as a member of the CCCAA Gender Equity Committee to help promote equal opportunities for all student athletes. She served on the CCCL Commissioner of Athletics Hiring Screening Committee in 1995. From 2003-2010 she served as a member of the Management Council. In addition, she served on the program review committee of the health department at Siskiyous in 1997. She also served as part of the CCCAA Athletic Program Review Committee of 6 schools between 2003 and 2011 and was in charge of coordinating the gender equity component of the review.
In addition to her work with the athletic trainers and Gender Equity Committee, Fran worked closely with her conference, the Golden Valley Conference. For over 15 years, as the woman’s representative to the Conference Board, Fran helped ensure that the conference rules and regulations were followed by the conference’s athletic programs. She has also served from 1998-present as a member of the conference’s gender equity committee. Beginning this year, Fran started a three-year term as vice president of the Golden Valley Conference Board and is the first athletic trainer to hold this position.
Fran has also been involved in the California Athletic Trainer’s Association governmental affairs committee in California in an effort to regulate the athletic training profession. Her work as a member of the governmental affairs committee in the mid and late 1980s got the first bill to license athletic trainers to the governor’s desk, where it was unfortunately vetoed. Undaunted, Fran continued her work on this committee. Currently Fran has attended all of the CATA hit the hill days in support of current legislative efforts. She is part of the CATA Legislative Action Team that was developed in 2012 to support organized grassroots lobbying efforts for regulation of the athletic training profession. Fran has made personal connections with her legislators, organized letter writing campaigns and lobbied her state legislators.
Fran also has two decades of history serving the Far West Athletic Trainers’ Association which encompasses California, Nevada and Hawaii. She started as a member of the College and University Athletic Trainers Committee (CUATC) in 1995 and served as chair of that committee from 1998 until 2010. This group was responsible for a number of initiatives, both in the district and nationally to help improve the quality of collegiate athletic healthcare as well as the working conditions and the quality of life of athletic trainers. Fran has also sat on the FWATA managing board on two separate occasions, where she is currently in the second three-year term as district treasurer. She has been honored by the FWATA on several occasions receiving the 1994 Athletic Trainer Service Award, 2002 Special Service Award, 2005 All District Team Community College Award, 2009 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer honor and 2012 Hall of Fame induction.
Another association she has been active in is the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, serving on the Secretary Treasurer committee twice, from 2000-02 and is currently in the middle of a term that started in 2010. She was also a member of the NATA CUATC committee from 1998-2006. Amongst other accomplishments while a member of this committee, she helped write the Pre-participation Evaluation Guidelines, Appropriate Medical Coverage of Intercollegiate Athletics, Guidelines for Medical Emergencies, Heat Illness Guidelines, and Management of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Guidelines. In 2005 she was part of the NATA Head Injury Task Force, which collaborated with the NCAA Football Rules Committee and other health care professionals to create the modern rule that prohibits spearing and using the helmet as a weapon in football. This collaboration was the beginning of the NCAA’s efforts to decrease concussions in football and continue to explore means to prevent & standardize care for head injuries. She has been recognized on a national stage with the 2005 Most Distinguished Athletic Trainer, 2006 NATA CUATC Community College Athletic Trainer of the Year, 2014 Athletic Trainer Service Award and 2014 Gail Weldon Award.
Fran has been honored by a variety of institutions for her impact including 1990 Recognition Award for Outstanding Woman in a Leadership Role – Butte Community College Associated Students, 2003 Butte Community College Athletic Hall of Fame, 2013 C.K. McClatchy High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the 2013 Block C.
Jim Kross, Riverside City College, Athletic Director
Jim began his time at Riverside City College as a student athlete from 1960-62 playing both football and basketball. He made All-Eastern Conference and
was named to the All-American first team. Jim eventually transferred to Fresno State where he continued his football career. He had the possibility to play professional ball but instead chose to serve his country, joining the US Navy and completing two tours in Vietnam. He retired as a Commander in the US Naval Reserve and returned to Riverside.
Jim was appointed as the head football coach in 1974 and eventually succeeded T. Mark Johnson to become the Athletic Director, a position he held for 19 years until retirement in 2000. He shaped the athletic department during the time when Title IX was shaping women’s sports. Jim did not support women’s sports because the law dictated it, but because he believed in the benefits to women, and because it was the right thing to do.
Jim was known for his loyalty and was dedicated to the college and community. As a strong believer in cooperating with the local high school sports programs, he would share RCC facilities with them constantly. He was a cheerleader for the RCC leadership programs. You could often find him organizing team-building activities at the management retreats. Considering the constant financial needs of sports teams, Jim was also at the forefront of RCC’s fundraising activities, with the two largest being the annual golf tournament and the Monte Carlo night. Above all, Jim was dedicated to the student athletes, keeping their welfare in mind at all times and emphasizing the value of getting an education. In 2002, Jim was inducted in the Riverside City College Athletics Hall of Fame.
James Matthews Kross passed away on September 19, 2015.
Terry Pendleton, Oxnard College, Baseball
Terry Pendleton began his illustrious athletic career at Oxnard College as a successful member of the first baseball team to represent the Condors in 1979. The second baseman led the team to a conference championship and appearance in the state championship quarterfinals.
The transition from high school to community college was made easier for Terry because of the strong encouragement offered to him by his mother and father. They were at every game but also stressed the importance of his academic success in order for him to matriculate to the next level. Terry’s strong work ethic on the field and in the classroom earned him a scholarship to Fresno State. He earned All-American honors at Fresno State after setting a school record for hits with 98 and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982 where he spent nine strong seasons. He then signed with the Atlanta Braves having his best season in 1991.
His 15 years in the Major Leagues as a player include a National League Batting Title in 1991, National League Most Valuable Player in 1991, five appearances in the World Series, one All-Star game selection, MLB Comeback Player of the Year and three Gold Glove Awards. Presently, Terry just completed his 14th year as a member of the Atlanta Braves coaching staff, currently as a hitting and base coach, spanning his time in the MLB to 30 years.
Terry continues to give back to the Oxnard College baseball program that he is proud of. He has donated equipment ranging from baseball helmets, pitching machines, gloves, shirts, glasses, autographed gear for auctions, and more, while always asking what more he can do.
Paul Wiggin, Modesto Junior College
Paul Wiggin is a member of the Modesto Junior College Athletics Hall of Fame. He began his football career at MJC and since has experienced five and a half decades as a player, coach and administrator in the collegiate and professional ranks.
Wiggin earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Stanford University in 1956 and 1959 respectively. The NFL’s Cleveland Browns drafted Wiggin in 1956 after serving as a 3-year starter at tackle for Stanford and going on to earn 1st-Team All-Pac-10 and 1st-Team All-America honors in both ’55 and ’56. Wiggin was named the Stanford Defensive Player of the Century in fan balloting. In 2005, Wiggin joined exclusive company when he was selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
In 11 seasons (1957-67) as a defensive end with the Cleveland Browns, Wiggin never missed a game playing in 146 straight regular-season games, which stood as a team record when he retired. During his tenure there, Cleveland played in three NFL World Championship title games and started in the Pro Bowl in 1965 and 1967. In addition, Wiggin was named the team’s Outstanding Defensive Player in ’63, the Browns’ Player of the Year in 1966 and the Cleveland Pro Athlete of the Year in ’67.
Immediately after retiring from his professional playing career in ’68, Wiggin became the defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers. Despite inheriting a 49ers squad that hadn’t been to the playoffs since 1957, Wiggin was part of a staff that guided San Francisco to three straight division titles from 1970-72 and the NFC Championship Game in 1970 and 1971. During his stint, Wiggin tutored the top two sackers (Cedrick Hardman and Tommy Hart) in 49ers history. Hardman also set a team season record for sacks with 18 in ’71. In ’74 Wiggin was promoted to defensive coordinator for San Francisco.
His first head coaching opportunity came at the helm of the Kansas City Chiefs from 1975-77. Wiggin’s first NFL win came in a 42-10 victory over Oakland, who went on to capture the AFC West title in ’75. The Chiefs won three straight and five of their next seven games, including a 34-31 upset of the year’s NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football at Texas Stadium.
Following his tenure with the Chiefs, Wiggin served as the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints for 1978-79. After not winning more than five games in any of their previous 11 seasons, the Saints posted seven victories in ’78 and eight in ’79. 1980-83, Wiggin was selected as the head coach at his alma mater, Stanford University, where he oversaw future NFL 1st-round draft choice John Elway.
Before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 1985, Wiggin was a part of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games Organizing Committee. Wiggin joined the Vikings as defensive line coach, a position he held for seven seasons. During the time Wiggin was defensive line coach, Minnesota led the league in total defense twice (’88 and ’89). In 1987, the Vikings advanced to the NFC Championship Game before losing 17-10 to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Washington Redskins. In 1989, the Vikings posted 71 sacks, the 2nd-most in a season in NFL history. At the time, defensive end Chris Doleman set a league seasons record with 21 sacks, while defensive tackle Keith Millard added 18 sacks – the 3rd -most at the time in a season in NFL history. In addition to Doleman and Millard, Wiggin also helped develop Pro Bowl defensive tackles Henry Thomas and John Randle.
In his latest role as a pro-personnel consultant with the Minnesota Vikings, Wiggin works closely with the department that is responsible for evaluation of all NFL players and advance scouting of the Vikings’ upcoming opponents. He has served in various roles with the Vikings for the past 29+ years. He and wife, Carolynn, have been married for 58 years. They have three daughters – Kymberly, Kristyn and Kellie – and twelve grandchildren.
In addition to the four CCCAA Hall of Fame inductees mentioned above, Herm Edwards (Monterey Peninsula College) and Marilyn Williams (Butte College) are being inducted but deferring their recognition into the CCCAA Hall of Fame until 2017.
About the CCCAA
The California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) is the governing body providing oversight of intercollegiate athletics within the California Community College System. The single largest educational system in the world, with attendance in excess of over 2.6 million students annually, the California Community College system serves one-third of all community college students in the United States. The CCCAA establishes the rules and regulations to administer the intercollegiate athletic activities of the nearly 27,000 student athletes attending California’s community colleges. To view the latest news, information, and updates of all 24 CCCAA-sanctioned sports visit www.cccaasports.org.
California Community College Athletics
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