Stanford GSB: Stanford Business June 1997

Spreadsheet One The Big One That Got Away Do It, But Don't Expect to Do It All Top Teachers Named Lady Luck Is a Hard Worker *Pick Your Battles	Spreadsheet Two Good Fortune Beckons Executive Programs Challenge Change Soon to Be a Familiar Face Growth Key Topic in London	Spreadsheet Three It Pays to Set Standards Road to Bali Center Seeds Entrepreneurs Throwaway Computers Almost as good as being there Sorry, No Vacancy
A Closer Look: Eric Schumacher	A Closer Look: Ron Sandler	A Closer Look: John Scully
For The Record: The Class of '97

A Closer Look: Eric Schumacher, MBA 1996

For Eric Schumacher's sister, it seemed the best way to inspire girls to love and play the sport in which she excelled was to coach a team. Instead of taking a scholarship to play college basketball, she took a seat on the bench of a high school squad. When Ingrid died suddenly at age 21, just before her fourth season as a coach, Schumacher jumped in to help keep her players going. Now, 10 years later, he's instrumental in giving girls a dream his sister never had: professional basketball.

Schumacher is director of business operations for the San Jose Lasers, who will begin their second season of American Basketball League play next month. He's never stopped coaching girls' hoops, but leaving the ABL x's and o's to real pros, Schumacher finds himself in an idyllic spot.

"I have pretty much a perfect job," Schumacher says. "To combine my love, my passion, with my work experience and business degree--it's just great. The things I get to do on a daily basis: They're fun, they're challenging, and maybe they're going to make a difference in the long run. We've definitely made a difference in the outreach we've done, creating dreams for young girls."

Anyone can understand Schumacher's inspiration. As soon as he'd cleared the core in his third quarter at the Business School, Schumacher hustled his skills onto the hardwood. He put a basketball spin on every subject he could, from human resources to the Internet. He began a business plan for a hypothetical women's professional league. And when Palo Alto-based entrepreneurs launched the ABL in 1995, Schumacher was in touch with them faster than you can say Tara VanDerveer.

As much fun as it has been, Schumacher's job has presented its share of problems any young business might face: heavily bankrolled competition (the WNBA), sales-damaging product breakdown (1996's season-ending injury to ex-Stanford star Jennifer Azzi), and limited payroll (a staff of six runs the club with the help of volunteers). But these are small hurdles for someone who sees his sister in every girl starstruck by visions of sinking a shot for the Lasers.

BY MARK SMOYER

Eric Schumacher's personal loss was the inspiration for his role in a new and exciting field: professional women's basketball.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GARY PARKER