Coach's legacy touches many

Story published on July 10, 2011.

There are scores of reasons why Stephanie Phillips' fight with cancer resonated with so many. The tree of her basketball playing and coaching career branched out throughout the area and state, crossing nearly every path in the current hoops community.

And the story of Phillips' fight and, ultimately, a young life taken too soon, touched thousands she never met.

Although the fight inspired and she was mourned by many, it's those closest to the former Kickapoo High School girls' basketball coach who still deal with the loss front and center every day.
Phillips died from colon cancer a year ago today after a nearly three-year fight.

Friends' hail Phillips' strength, kindness

Stephanie Phillips, a beloved coach in the Ozarks, died on a summer Saturday night. My colleague, Michael Stacy, and I heard the end was near on a Friday afternoon and canceled our plans for the weekend to stay by our apartment complex. Because she was terminally ill, we had a lot of the legwork done already. When we received the news, we hunkered down in his apartment and made the tough phone calls. We were the source for information and rememberances, set up a tribute page for later in the week and solicited response from the community, which was well received. We shared a first-place award from the Missouri Associated Press Managing Editors for our work. Published July 12, 2010.

Joe Atkisson said the secret to the success of the Kickapoo High School girls' basketball team over the years was not great talent and certainly not luck.

It was its tough, fair and loving leader.

From observing and practicing against the Lady Chiefs as a member of the scout team, Atkisson saw firsthand the interaction Phillips had with her players.

"She handled each girl differently," said Atkisson, who graduated from Kickapoo in the spring. "We had players that were good, but the coach made the team. She was very driven and wanted to win, but she also was very caring."