MIES (Switzerland) - It's one thing to coach players, but something very different to instruct coaches so they can thrive in their roles.

Coach instructors are a vital part of the basketball ecosystem. Among their tasks is to help coaches become the best version of themselves, which includes developing communication skills.

A pilot WABC Coach Instructor Course for Level 2 recently took place in Dubai, with 17 candidate coaching instructors from all of FIBA's regions, including five women, learning from a list of international expert instructors.

This first course focused on advanced presentation skills and assessor skills.

Candidates worked on video presentations and on learning how to provide feedback to coaches.

The candidates who pass the course will then be able to conduct Level 2 Coaching courses.

WABC President Patrick Hunt said: "Expertly led by Nour Amri, a FIBA Coach Instructor and WABC Executive Member, this course sets the platform for the delivery of the FIBA WABC Level 2 Coaches courses later this year.

"The course was designed to be challenging, invigorating and provide candidates with new skills to enhance their presentation and evaluation expertise. Candidates enthusiastically accepted the challenge."

"It was a great three days of Level 2 Coach Instructor Course in Dubai with amazing people and basketball minds, full of learning, sharing, and building capacities," said candidate Mounir Ben SilmaneTechnical Director and Head Coach of the men's national team in the UAE. 

Other expert instructors in Dubai included WABC Executive Members, Australian Peter Lonergan and American Nelson Isley. 

"THIS COURSE PROVIDES YOU WITH ALL THE TOOLS NEEDED TO BECOME A BASKETBALL INSTRUCTOR,"- Anna Montanana

Among the 17 coaching instructor candidates was Anna Montanana, who had a long and successful career as a Spain national team player and as a professional in Europe before switching to coaching in 2016.

This season Montanana was at the helm of Lointek Gernika Bizkaia, who played in the EuroCup Women.  

Spain's Anna Montanana was among the 17 coaching instructor candidates in Dubai. 

"It has been an incredible basketball experience," she said. "This course provides you with all the tools needed to become a basketball instructor, which is quite different than being a basketball coach.

"Most importantly, the course gives you the opportunity to share basketball with other coaches from all around the world, which is a most powerful tool to exchange ways to communicate, to teach and understand basketball and to open our minds to cultural diversity.

"I really want to thank FIBA for finding ways to create and expand connections through basketball that can inspire and fulfill people's lives."

The course is part of FIBA's strategic priority to Empower National Federations, with the WABC (World Association of Basketball Coaches) playing its role from grassroots to elite. Five female candidates who were part of this pilot course also took part in the WABC Level 1 Female Instructor Course, which was held in Dubai last year. 

To find out more about the WABC, click here. 

FIBA