Cheryl Hutchinson holds her award for being named one of Idaho’s 50 Women of the Year at the Idaho Business Review’s
ceremony for the honor. Hutchinson is a former standout
basketball
player at Altoona Area High School and has applied her knowledge of the game in her Idaho
community.

Former Altoona Area High School and Mansfield University basketball standout Cheryl (Farabaugh) Hutchinson was recently honored as one of 50 Women of the Year in her adopted state of Idaho.

The Idaho Business Review 2021 Women of the Year program highlights women from all industries and professions, according to the publication, and received 150 nominations from across the state. Nominated twice, Hutchinson said she was shocked when she received an email about her nomination.

She received her award Sept. 30 and said she was humbled to be among the other winners who represented emergency and health care professionals, university educators and the founder of an organization that works to stop sex trafficking. “I was there among all these amazing women. It was a great night to be among all these women who are trying to make their communities better,” she said in a telephone interview.

In her role as vice principal of student affairs at Idaho’s only Catholic high school and as a former high school basketball coach, Hutchinson said during the pandemic her focus was on the kids.

“I wanted them to have as much of a normal life as possible in the craziness.”

Students at Bishop Kelly remained in school for the academic year — one of the few that did in Idaho. This fall she worked diligently to offer students high school experiences that the continued risks from COVID-19 threatened.

She organized homecoming week activities, including the traditional pep rally, to take place more safely outside, said Rich Raimondi, president of Bishop Kelly High School. It’s the most recent use of Hutchinson’s exceptional ability to “connect with kids at all levels, not just kids who are high achievers or play sports. … I’ve seen her do it as a coach, as a mom and as a vice principal with kids with behavioral or home issues. … She’s really exceptional.”

She does it, he said, by listening to the student and helping him see a situation differently while still making the student accountable for his actions.

When Hutchinson learned the local youth basketball club was going to close, she and her business partner “decided not to let it happen. Kids needed something to do during the pandemic. We kept basketball alive. Other states, such as Washington and Oregon, came and played with us. We kept it alive for the kids and their families who were very grateful to have it. Basketball has been awesome to me,” she said.

At Altoona, Hutchinson’s team was runner-up in the state championship their senior year under Art Taneyhill. She then went to Mansfield University. When she finished her college career, she’d set Mansfield records: second on the all-time list for steals (65 steals in a season) and third on the all-time list for assists.

In her 20s, her goal was to coach in the “big leagues and in college” but then she realized she could have a bigger lasting impact upon younger kids so she chose to coach high school basketball for 18 years.

When she married and had her three daughters, she started coaching at the club level.

Alycia Osterhout of Boise, Idaho, said she and Hutchinson met 12 years ago when they coached at the club level at Boise Slam, a local club league.

“Her passion for the game of basketball is what first stuck out to me when we first met. She still has that passion for the game, but her passion has grown to be all about the kids — to get them involved and to give them the best opportunities to grow in the game along with teaching life skills,” Osterhout said.

When the original owner of Boise Slam decided to close right before the pandemic hit, the coaches decided to buy it and run it for elementary, junior and high school boys and girls in the community. And Osterhout said her admiration for Hutchinson has expanded as she’s seen the business side of her partner.

“Because she’s played basketball at different levels, her knowledge of the game is deep. And her communication with parents is right on point. She knows how to deal with any situation and makes decisions on the fly, which is great for a basketball coach,” Osterhout said.

Hutchinson tells players — including her daughters — that “if you really want something, nothing beats out hard work. You can have all the talent in the world, but nothing beats out hard work. Talent and desire can only take you so far. In the end, a lot of grit, determination and hard work will take you farther in life,” she said. It’s a lesson she learned from the coaches she had growing up.

“For me, I remember the people who helped me get through life and through basketball and take that with me and give it back to the younger generation,” Hutchinson said. “I feel fortunate that Altoona had coaches who truly cared about kids. They had some not overly nice expectations for you, and if you got out of line, they pushed you back in. They challenged you to do things you didn’t know you could do. … They pushed me to excel and I never forgot that.”

She’s also “forever grateful” to her parents who “instilled a strong work ethic in me and taught me to overcome adversity and learn from every experience. I can only hope that I can return what was given to me and continually work to have a positive impact on the kids in my community and help them grow to be productive young adults.”