Sharon Chatman facts for kids

Sharon Ann Chatman (December 15, 1947 – December 22, 2020) was an amazing American woman. She was a successful college basketball coach, a smart lawyer, and a respected judge.

Sharon Chatman led the San Jose State team as their head coach from 1976 to 1986. After her coaching career, she went to law school. She then worked as a deputy district attorney and later became a senior judge in Santa Clara County, California. She served the community until her death.

Early Life and School Days

Sharon Chatman was born in Texas. She grew up in Bakersfield, California. After high school, she went to Bakersfield College. Later, she transferred to California Polytechnic State University, often called Cal Poly.

Playing Basketball in College

At Cal Poly, Sharon played as a Point guard for the Cal Poly Mustangs women's basketball team. She played from 1968 to 1970. During her time playing college basketball, she achieved something special twice: a "triple-double." This means she reached double-digit numbers in three different stats in one game, like points, rebounds, and assists. She earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and later a master's degree.

Sharon's Coaching Career

After graduating from Cal Poly, Sharon became a physical education teacher. She also coached girls' basketball at Andrew P. Hill High School in San Jose. She worked there from 1970 to 1973.

Coaching at Cal Poly and De Anza

For the 1973–74 school year, Chatman went back to Cal Poly. She coached the women's basketball team there for one season. From 1974 to 1976, Sharon was the head women's basketball coach at De Anza College. This is a junior college in Cupertino, California. Her De Anza Dons teams were incredibly successful. In just two seasons, they won 61 games and only lost 3!

Leading the San Jose State Spartans

Sharon Chatman became the head coach at San Jose State in 1976. She coached there for ten years, until 1986. She is the only coach in the history of the Spartans women's basketball team to have more wins than losses. Her overall record was 143 wins and 121 losses.

Under her leadership, the Spartans had winning records for six years in a row. They won 24 games in 1979 and 22 games in 1980. They also won the NorCal Conference championship in both of those years. Sharon Chatman is the only women's basketball coach to lead the Spartans to post-season tournaments. Her teams played in four AIAW tournaments from 1978 to 1981.

Honors for Coaching

Because of her great achievements with the Spartans, Sharon was named the San Jose State University Women's Basketball Coach of the Century. In 2004, she was honored by being added to the SJSU Sports Hall of Fame.

Sharon's Legal Career

In 1986, Sharon Chatman decided to change her career path. She stopped coaching and went to law school at the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She was 38 years old at the time.

Becoming a Judge

After finishing law school in 1989, she started working as a deputy prosecutor. She worked for the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. Later, she was asked to become a judge. In 2000, she was appointed as a superior court judge in Santa Clara County. This was a big achievement. She worked in the Family Law Division.

Sharon also helped teach other judges about important topics. She worked with national groups on issues like domestic violence and family matters. She often spoke at schools and community groups. Her work inspired the creation of Building Peaceful Families (BPF) in 2005. This group helps children by promoting better parenting.

Sharon Chatman retired from being a judge in early 2020. She passed away at home on December 22, 2020. She had complications from a brain tumor.

Awards and Honors

Sharon Chatman received many awards for her service to the community. Some of these include:

• The Santa Clara County Bar Association's Unsung Hero Award.
• The NAACP Social Justice Award.
• The Commission on the Status of Women - Woman of Vision Award.
• The California Judges Association – Alba Witkins Humanitarian Award.
• Being named one of the 10 Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area.
• The California Probation Officers Chief's Association Judicial Officer of the Year.

See also

• List of African-American jurists