The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE the inclement weather, the Bahamas Basketball Federation was still able to complete its FIBA Coaches Clinic at the Kendal Isaacs Gym.

The clinic got started on Wednesday and continued on Thursday with FIBA certified instructor Juli Llamas, one of the head coaches of Argentina’s national team before it was interrupted by the passing of Hurricane Sandy. It resumed on Saturday, wrapping up on Sunday with the latter two days conducted by Edwin Pe�a, head coach of the Inter American University of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rico women’s national team.

About 25 local coaches participated in the clinic, although federation first vice president Mario Bowleg said they extended the invitation to all coaches from the primary to junior and senior high schools, recreational and night league teams. He said they were disappointed that more coaches didn’t participate.

“From those coaches who participated, they say they was by far the best organised coaches clinic that they have ever participated in,” Bowleg said. “We are very pleased with those coaches who participated and took the opportunity to get the training that was offered by the two FIBA instructors.”

Bowleg, who coaches at the high school level and in both the women’s and men’s night league, said there was a lot of information imparted to the coaches, who were also given a physical and written test, which provided them with the opportunity to demonstrate how to conduct their practices and teach what they have demonstrated in practice.

The results will determine who achieves their new certification level certificates.

“This is something that we are agitating for and we are going to insist that the Ministry of Education and both the night leagues make it mandatory for the coaches to be certified in order to sit on the benches,” Bowleg said. “That’s the only way that we are going to ensure that the game continues to grow successfully.”

For about two years, a number of local coaches sat and passed their FIBA certification courses with coach Larry Brown, who has gone on to coach the men’s national basketball team. The majority of those coaches, according to Bowleg, opted not to participate in the refresher FIBA courses that were offered by Llamas and Pe�a.

“Whenever we put on these certification courses, it’s for the coaches to be re-certified,” Bowleg said. “So not because you would have attained a certification certificate from one instructor a few years ago means that you are still certified by FIBA. The whole purpose of doing the clinics is to re-certify our coaches.”

And once those coaches would have attained their certification, Bowleg said the federation will be evaluating the coaches as they sit on the benches and coach in their games with the view of having them nominated and subsequently selected to serve as coaches on the various national teams.

With just two months left in the year, Bowleg said the federation will not have any further activities. But he noted that the federation, headed by Charlie ‘Softly’ Robins, will be gearing up for a number of programmes that they will be focusing on in the new year.