Coach Education in Australia

Nine basketball coaches from across Australia descended on the Australian Institute of Sport last week to be part of Basketball Australia's Interstate Coaching Experience.

Established in 1994, the program provides a unique coaching workshop for National Intensive Training Program (NITP) coaches to see, discuss and learn from AIS, WNBL, NBL, national and wheelchair basketball coaches.

The program assists coaches from the NITP to continue their coaching career path to state and territory levels and onward to national representation.

The agenda also diversifies into aspects of sports science, recovery, strength and conditioning, skill acquisition and performance analysis.

Attending the 2009 of the event were Jason Cuperus (WA), John Fox (TAS), Andrea Walsh (VIC Country), Chris Tetley (ACT), Ashley Henrisson (NSW), Alan Torcello (VIC), Rebecca Dudic (QLD), Sam Fischer (NT) and Michael Chrisan (SA).

Guest coaches that spoke over the course of the four day experience included Australian Jayco Opals and Canberra Capitals head coach Carrie Graf, former Australian Boomers head coach Barry Barnes, AIS men’s program and Boomers assistant coach Marty Clark, Wollongong Hawks head coach and former Boomers assistant coach Gordie McLeod, Melbourne Tigers head coach Al Westover and AIS women’s program head coach and Opals assistant coach Phil Brown.

The event was coordinated by Basketball Australia’s Community Programs Coordinator Jarrod Greedy.

“The interstate coaching experience provided an educational and unique experience for the coaches involved that they can use to share at their respective state and association programs,” Greedy said.

“The elite coaches that shared their knowledge and experience through presentations added enormous value and we’re very thankful for their continued input.”

This year’s ICE was the 11th manifestation of the annual event.