New Zealand - Kiwi coach to share basketball expertise

From www.saipantribune.com
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Kevin Smith, seen here at the bench of New Zealand observing the Kiwis' game against Guam during last year's FIBA Oceania Basketball Tournament at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium, will return to Saipan Monday to share his expertise with BANMI. (Roselyn B. Monroyo) New Zealand coach Kevin Smith is fulfilling a promise, when he returns to Saipan on Monday to share his expertise to the Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands.

Smith was on Saipan in September last year when New Zealand competed in the 2009 FIBA Oceania Tournament and after observing the CNMI brand of basketball for about a week, he vowed to return to the Commonwealth to give any kind of assistance to the island.

“You have good players. You just need to develop them and have the support of the basketball association and both the public and private sectors to bring CNMI basketball to the next level,” Smith told Saipan Tribune in an interview last year.

Smith was the assistant coach of the New Zealand team that won fourth place in the men's division of the FIBA caging last year. This year, he became part of the New Zealand National Development Program, coaching the New Zealand Development Team Tours and the U18, U19, and U21 18, 19 and 21 national age group teams. Last year, he joined these age group teams in international tournaments, including the Australian Youth Olympic Festival where New Zealand claimed the bronze medal.

The North Shore native is also a board member of Basketball New Zealand and serves as chairman of its finance sub-committee. He is a board member, too of the New Zealand Academy of Sport.

Right now, Smith is in Germany, serving as assistant coach of the Junior Tall Blacks, who are preparing for the FIBA Oceania Championship this September. The tournament in Germany will run from April 3-10 and Smith is expected to go straight to Saipan after the seven-day caging.

Once on Saipan, BANMI is hoping to capitalize not only on Smith's expertise in basketball, but also in marketing and other administrative and financial aspects of running leagues and associations.

“ Mr. Smith has been involved in basketball in many ways. He played the game for 35 years at different levels and after retiring several years later, he held the presidential seat of his local basketball association which was facing financial difficulties and saw it and its semi-pro franchise through a successful future with a sound financial platform,” BANMI said in a press statement.

“As a skilled facilitator and speaker both in basketball and business with a particular interest in strategic planning, culture change, and leadership as well as his extensive business management skills, Mr. Smith will have much to offer and share during his week-long stay in the CNMI,” the statement added.

Smith will stay on Saipan until April 19 and will be working with the board of directors of BANMI. He will also spend a few sessions with players trying out slots for the CNMI Men's and Women's National Teams.