Written by Kira Collins, 2024 BV Rookie Reporter Program
Basketball Victoria is excited to announce the launch of the inaugural Accelerated Women’s Coaching Program (AWCP). Thanks to generous support from the Victorian State Government via the Change Our Game Community Activation Grants Program, the coaching program will bring eight women together from around the state who are looking to further their coaching experience and development.
As part of the program, the eight participants will spend two days shadowing our Victorian teams and coaches at the upcoming national Under 16 National Championships in Bendigo. A priceless opportunity for our coaches to gain insights into working in a high-performance environment and learn from Victoria’s leading coaches.
With over 40 applications for the inaugural program, the successful applicants were selected in collaboration with the High Performance Department and the Coach Development Coordinator based on their coaching resume, potential for growth, and their work in Basketball Victoria programs to date.
In addition, the coaches will receive professional development opportunities prior to, and at the championship, including a webinar on The Neuroscience of Confidence and High Performance. The aim of the program is that coaches gain confidence, experience and a desire to further their coaching career in the future, whilst increasing their coaching network.
Increasing the number of women in coaching at an elite level.
Data from Basketball Victoria’s associations shows that whilst there is a high uptake from women and girls in introductory coaching courses, they are underrepresented at higher levels. Female coaches making up only 22% of all coaches at a junior representative level, and only 19% of head coaches at this level. This figure is even lower in regional teams, where only 15% of regional head coaches are female and just 1.9% of all coaches affiliated with regional representative teams are female.
Basketball Victoria’s Women and Girls Participation Coordinator, Kat Gourley, says that the program will help address this underrepresentation by increasing the number of women equipped to take on higher level coaching roles around the state.
“We see that there is a great opportunity for these coaches to be a source of support and inspiration for the next generation of coaches. Research shows that girls are more likely to continue participating in sport if they have female role models, and therefore by increasing the number of female coaches at higher levels it is hoped that more girls choose to stay involved in basketball.”
An exciting opportunity for the next generation of female coaches
Program participant, Nikki Holmes, said that the program would provide an excellent opportunity to learn from experienced coaches.
"I can't wait to have the opportunity to network with other female coaches. The chance to discuss basketball, management of athletes and learning from others is a huge draw card for this program."
As an outcome of the program, the participants will complete their Association Level Coaching Accreditation which will support their progression in their coaching pathway. In addition to the formal learning opportunities, the participants will have the chance to build a network of likeminded coaches to support each other along their journey from all over Victoria.
The National Under 16 Championships kick off in Bendigo on Sunday the 7th of July and run through to the 14th of July.
The full list of successful participants (and their associations) in the Accelerated Women’s Coaching Program is listed below:
Lydia Brooks (Ballarat)
Nikki Holmes (Frankston)
Tammy Symmons (Sunbury)
April Whiston (Frankston)
Cristy McClusky (Frankston)
Abby Riggs (Southern)
Teagan Barry (Dandenong)
Hannah McGillen (McKinnon)
