Basketball Australia would like to congratulate basketball coaches, Nick Such and Shane McDonald, who have been appointed to the AIS Elevate Coach Program.
Announced on Tuesday morning, Such and McDonald are two of 19 coaches from across Australia and hailing from a variety of sports to be included in the program.
Now in its sixth edition, the program focuses on supporting and developing coaches who work with athletes categorised as emerging, developing and podium potential.
Such (back row top left in feature image), currently holds the role of Head Coach of Basketball Australia’s 3X3 Wheelchair Basketball team and was at the helm during their 2022 Commonwealth Games campaign, while former NBL- player-turned-coached, McDonald, was appointed the inaugural women’s basketball head coach at the Western Australian Institute of Sport in 2022.
The AIS Elevate Coach Program kicked off last month with a three-day face-to-face workshop on the Gold Coast which saw the coaches undertake team building activities and challenges.
Following the first workshop the coaches will now undertake a bespoke 16-week online program which touches on topics such as personal values, coaching philosophies, effective stakeholder management and holistic athlete development.
The AIS will also work closely with each coach to individualise their learning outcomes and tailor the program based on their needs – an approach Such welcomes.
“It’s very easy to get pigeonholed in your own environment when you’ve been there for quite some time so I think this program will both validate what we as coaches know but also challenge our knowledge and our expectations in our own sport and at the end of the day that will make us a better coach for our athletes.”
AIS Performance Pathways Manager and program lead Graham Turner said: “The coaches will also focus on a particular theme or an interest of theirs and take a deep dive while we support them with generating change for themselves and their athletes.
“The highlight of the program is when the coaches come back together at the AIS to share how they’ve applied their learning and the impact it’s had on their coaching practice and their athletes.”
The program is delivered in partnership with La Trobe University and the University of Sydney. Congratulations, Nick and Shane!
The full list of coaches to be appointed to the program include:
Larissa Markovina, Taekwondo
Laryssa Biesenthal, Rowing
Jo Clark, Water polo
George Logothetis, Para Table Tennis
Jessica Whitfort, Netball
Graham Winston, Para Archery
Amanda Ament, Archery
Arthur Voulgaris, Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
Will Stoyles, Skateboarding
Jessica Haintz, Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
Ross Young, Triathlon
Shane McDonald, Basketball
Lyn Gilroy, Trampoline Gymnastics
Nick Such, Wheelchair Basketball
Theresa (Marty) Stolberg, Athletics
Alex Clarke, Swimming
Alistair Addison, Hockey
Jerry Moraitis, Taekwondo
Rhian Jamieson, Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
