Basketball Victoria (BV) has successfully launched the Accelerated Women’s Coaching Program, thanks to a grant from the Office of Women in Sport and Recreation through their Community Activation Grant program. This program has provided eight female coaches with the opportunity to learn from the best in the field, enhancing their skills and knowledge in a high-performance environment.
The first weekend of the Foot Locker Under 16 National Championships kicked off the program, bringing together the eight participants from all around Victoria. Throughout the weekend, they were given the opportunity to immerse themselves in a high-performance environment, observe Victorian State Team trainings and games, and earn their Association level coaching accreditation.
The successful candidates were:
- Lydia Brooks (Ballarat)
- Nikki Holmes (Frankston)
- Tammy Symmons (Sunbury)
- April Whiston (Frankston)
- Cristy McClusky (Frankston)
- Abby Riggs (Southern)
- Teagan Barry (Dandenong)
- Hannah McGillen (McKinnon)
Primarily based on a fully funded three-day attendance at the championships in Bendigo, the program also included three online sessions held throughout June. These sessions allowed the participants to meet virtually and included a webinar on the Neuroscience of High Performance hosted by Dr. Kim Hazendonk, a Clinical Neuropsychologist. Dr. Hazendonk provided insights on how to ‘rewire the brain’ and enhance wellbeing in high-pressure situations, along with strategies to unlock more of the brain’s potential.
Kat Gourley, Women and Girls Participation Coordinator said - ‘The participants in this program have extensive backgrounds as players and coaches of basketball, and it has been wonderful to give them an opportunity to experience the high-performance environment without the pressures that come with leading a team in a tournament. I am excited to see where their coaching careers take them in the coming years.’
In Bendigo, the group attended workshops on the challenges of high-performance team selection with BV’s High Performance Country Women’s Head Coach Zoe Carr and Coach Development Coordinator Rob Coulter. The participants observed games over the first three days of the tournament and engaged in various tasks. Throughout the weekend they also participated in off-court sessions, which allowed the coaches to discuss their observations and expand their coaching knowledge. The group also heard from Peter Lonergan, General Manager Centre of Excellence (CoE) and Performance Pathways at Basketball Australia and they gained invaluable experience at the state level, courtside with the Victorian State Team coaches during games. The program facilitated the formation of a network among the participants, providing guidance and support as they continue their coaching careers.
The feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Cristy McClusky from Frankston Basketball Association described the program as, “really insightful into the life of a coach at a National Championships,” noting the in-depth understanding gained about “the ins and outs of what goes on.”
Watch a summary of the program from participant Lydia Brooks here.
Through this and future programs and partnerships with the Victorian State Government we can continue to increase the representation of women and girls within the high-performance coaching environment and strive to grow the accessibility and depth of experience across all roles in our sport.
