25th Anniversary ACC Women's Basketball Tournament Page
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by Debbie Antonelli
ACC Women's Basketball Television Analyst
A stroll down memory lane pumps the adrenaline. That's what writing this story does for me. I had the opportunity to play against Amy Privette Perko and have run into her in our professional lives in college athletics as well as
over the years. She is a terrific role model for young women on and off the basketball floor.
A North Carolina native and Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Famer, Amy Privette Perko is currently the Team President for Fayetteville's National Basketball Development League team. As team president, Perko is responsible for overseeing all of the club's operations including business affairs, human resources, community relations, ticket sales, marketing, promotions and communications.
"I had always been in college athletics and this opportunity gave me and my family a chance to get back to North Carolina and a chance to be a part of the NBA. I am learning about the challenges of a start up situation and learning about the entertainment and marketing of a new league. It is ultimately about the game of basketball for me," said Perko.
Prior to the NBDL, Perko served as Associate Athletics Director/Senior Women's Administrator at the University of Kansas for five years where she oversaw all operations for women's basketball, women's soccer, women's rowing, baseball, volleyball, tennis and business affairs, and was instrumental in developing the university's athletic facilities and gender equity plans.
Perko became part of the state of North Carolina's rich basketball history as she earned her undergraduate degree (Bachelor of Arts, History - Summa Cum Laude) from Wake Forest University in 1987. A four-year member of the Wake Forest women's basketball team, Perko earned Academic All-American status three times, All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors twice, and was named the university's Female Athlete of the Year in 1987. Her outstanding collegiate basketball achievements were further recognized in January 2000 when she was inducted into the Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Fame.
After graduating from Wake Forest, Perko went on to earn her Masters Degree in Sport Management from the University of Richmond in 1989. Perko has also worked as an Enforcement Representative for the National Collegiate Athletic Association from 1992-1996, Legislative Assistant at the NCAA from 1990-1992 and Marketing Manager at Hilton Head Island Recreation Association from 1988-1990.
ACC basketball and playing for a reputable institution like Wake Forest left a lasting impression on Perko.
"I have a lot of positive memories about playing basketball at Wake. I fondly remember and love following the success of the people that I came in contact with on a daily basis. Lisa Stockton, a former teammate, and I share a friendship I remember more than any big wins we may have had. She is currently the coach at Tulane."
But like many athletes, Perko fondly remembers a moment from the ACC Tournament from "back in the day" when Wake did have a big win.
"We were playing Duke in the tournament my junior year and I hit the winning shot off a busted play at the buzzer that gave us the win and the chance to advance. My office today is across the street from Cumberland County Auditorium, which used to be the site of many ACC Tournaments. I went across the street one day to check out the old building. They still have the same floor down after all these years. I stood at the top of the key in the spot where I took that last second shot to relive the memory," Perko recalled.
The biggest difference in today's game versus the game Perko played at Wake Forest she confesses is in the pace of play. Her only regret is the missed opportunity to play with the three-point line. Amy and her husband Rick who works for Sport Vision, the company that made famous the first and ten line on NFL television broadcasts are the proud parents of Anna, 2 ½ and Kate who is one.
Both girls know what a ball is and are learning to dribble and pass. Amy has given back to the game by coaching in some youth church leagues. Being able to work in the game, have a family and do all these things with balance makes Amy Perko a shining example of what ACC basketball can do for young women. It is about the people and the opportunities that being able to participate can provide for a young student-athlete. This is what ACC basketball is celebrating with the 25th Anniversary of the ACC Tournament.
