GOLD COAST (Australia) – The FIBA Oceania Tournament Coach Course is underway with 22 participants from eight National Federations in the region taking part.

Aligning with one of FIBA’s strategic priorities to , the Tournament Coach Course (TCC), is being coordinated virtually with a focus on developing coaches’ skills to coach in tournaments.  From selecting teams, to identifying trends, scouting opponents, understanding tournament rules, and coping with the adrenaline highs and lows, the TCC will provide National Federation Coaches with the appropriate skill set.

Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) Vice President, Marlene Lumabi, will be coaching the National Under 15 NMI Girls at the FIBA Oceania Under 15 Championships in November 2022.  New to the coaching fraternity, Lumabi is eager to learn more.

“I attended the first TCC coach session, and it was so cool, this is my second FIBA course, the first one I did was the Rising Coaches,  I really learnt a lot through this course,” Lumabi said.  “I’m so excited for this course, all the people that we are connected with through the TCC are amazing, we are going to have a really good time and learn a lot.”

A seasoned player, Lumabi co-captains and plays with the national women’s team who recently came away with a second place at the FIBA Women’s Micronesian Cup 2022.  “When I started coaching, I wasn’t sure if I was ready because I still wanted to play,” Lumabi said.  “Our national men’s coach, Joe (Joseph Rofu Diaz) encouraged me to start coaching, he told me I was good enough and really got me into it.”

Late last year, NMI appointed Catherine Toves as the national women’s Head Coach, this appointment provided Lumabi with further incentive to pursue her coaching career.

“When Coach Toves came on board, I was excited because I’d heard so many good things about her and knew I’d learn more around building team relationship,” Lumbai said.  “From the moment she stepped into the gym our team became stronger, we trust each other on and off the court.”

Coach Toves is also taking part in the TCC to learn and evolve her coaching style to lead the NMI national women’s basketball team in a good position for the future.  “I always tell the team, ‘I am not very young’, so I always want to think about the continuity plan for NMI basketball to make sure we are building a solid base with good coaches,” Coach Toves said.

Born and raised in the United States, Coach Toves understands a structured approach to coaching and sees the TCC as an opportunity to learn more about FIBA and connect with facilitators and other coaches in the region.

“When they first asked me to be a part of NMI Women’s Program, I wanted to learn more about FIBA and how their coaching pathways can benefit our country,” Coach Toves said.  “I really liked talking during the TCC and this will be an opportunity for me to learn from the facilitators and participants about how our network can collaborate to improve coaching across Oceania.”

The TCC compliments FIBA’s strategic objective of empowering national federations with qualified tournament coaches coordinating national programs across Oceania providing opportunity for the next generation of basketballers.  The Oceania Tournament Coach Course starts on June 7 and will conclude on August 2 with all modules being conducted online. 

World Association of Basketball Coaches

If you are a basketball coach or want to find more information, online courses, teaching videos and additional resources can be found on the World Association of Basketball Coaches website CLICK HERE.