Year: 2019
Award: Dorothy Mauk Pioneer Award, Basketball
Location/Affiliation: Englewood
- Basketball Coach & Mentor, 90 Years Old
- Mentored Hundreds of Players & Coaches
- Colorado Gold Coach
Pioneering sportswriter Dorothy Mauk worked for the Denver Post in the 1960’s and is credited with being the first woman in the country to write sports at a major daily newspaper. She also co-founded Sportswomen of Colorado.
So, it makes sense that our Pioneer Award is named for Dorothy. And that it’s an honor to win.
If you’ve been around Colorado girls high school basketball at all in the past half century, chances are you’ve seen coach Karen Johnson. And, if you were a player, chances are you’ve benefitted from her guidance and instruction.
She’s mentored hundreds of players. Back in the day, Karen coached the Colorado Gold, one of the state’s very first traveling basketball teams for both girls and boys and took them to all the big tournaments.
The list of coaches and players who’ve benefited from her knowledge and mentorship are a Who’s Who of Colorado basketball—including Gail Hook, Barb Koenig, Phil Nary, CU Boulder’s Erin Scholz, and Nebraska’s Lisa LaGuardia.
Pioneer Karen Johnson’s passion is basketball. The girls and women she helped along the way are her impressive legacy.