No images? Click here Kia ora basketball community I hope you are navigating through the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. The last two months have continued to be difficult for our associations and especially our colleagues in Auckland and Waikato. We continue to seek timely direction and guidelines from Sport New Zealand for us to share with you and will continue to circulate information via COVID-19 Community Updates as soon as it is available. It’s been two months since I shared with our associations the latest update on the Basketball Strengthen and Adapt Plan implementation. I’m very pleased to update you again and share with you our newly appointed regional teams and supporting national team. This brings to life our strong focus on direct regional support and development. These three regional pilots and other projects are a direct response to the priorities identified by our basketball community and moving towards our vision of a Hoop in the heart of every community - He tūkohu i te manawa o ia hapori. Our three regional pilots will be led by our new Community Leads and supported by Regional Steering Groups representing the local Associations. These regional pilots will work within targeted areas to increase the level of direct support, programmes and services, initially across three core areas:
This work will also support other key Strengthen and Adapt priorities of strengthening the volunteer base (coaching and officiating), basketball for people with disabilities, player wellbeing and 3X3 growth opportunities. Please read on to meet our new regional and national teams. Nga mihi, Brad Edwards GM Community Basketball Canterbury RegionIn partnership with three Associations (Mid Canterbury, Canterbury and North Canterbury) we have two new regional Community Lead roles. One role is funded by BBNZ as part of our move to regionally based community roles. The second role is principally funded by the three Associations. Lori McDaniel: Community Lead (Club Development)Lori joins the team from Canterbury Basketball where she was the Women’s and Coach Development Manager. She is also a BBNZ Coach Developer. Lori’s sporting background is in basketball where she has represented New Zealand at age-group level and represented Canterbury for six years. She secured a college scholarship to play and study in the United States. Lori is the current NZ Under 17 Head Coach and has extensive coach experience at representative age-group level. Lori lives in Christchurch and will be based at the new BBNZ regional hub at Sport Canterbury. She starts on Monday 8 November. Tessa Morrison: Community Lead (Women & Girls) Tessa joins the team from Emerge Aotearoa where she was a Community and Youth Support Worker. Basketball has been an integral part of her life for nearly two decades as an athlete, captain, referee, coach and mentor. Tessa has played for the Canterbury Wildcats since 2014 and has been captain since 2019. She secured a college scholarship to play and study in the United States. Tessa has been involved as a community basketball coach and mentor with Canterbury Basketball since 2015 and is also an active coach with Rangi Ruru Girls School. Tessa lives in Christchurch and will be based at the new BBNZ regional hub at Sport Canterbury. She starts on Monday 8 November. Wellington RegionIn partnership with Capital Zone Basketball Trust and the four Associations they provide support services for (Kapiti, Porirua, Wellington, Hutt Valley) we have two new Community Lead roles. One role is funded by BBNZ as part of our move to regionally based community roles. The second role is principally funded by the Capital Zone Basketball Trust. Renee Bacon: Community Lead (Women & Girls) Renee joins the team from Netball New Zealand where she was the NetballSmart Development Officer for Netball South based in Dunedin. Renee has had previous roles as Junior & Youth Lead with Netball South and as a Development Officer for a large football club. Renee has a wide sporting background playing at school representative level in a range of sports including basketball. Football is her main sport now where she plays in the National Women’s League. Renee has also been an active volunteer coach in various codes for the last seven years. Renee is relocating to Wellington and will be based at the Capital Zone office in Petone. She starts on 15 November. Christopher Porteous: Community Lead (Club Development) Christopher joins the team from roles in community basketball with Capital Zone Basketball Trust and Splash Basketball Club where he has been delivering Kiwi Hoops and Girls Got Game programmes, and a range of other community basketball development initiatives. Christopher is also a graduate of Massey University with a Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science. Christopher’s sporting background is in basketball where he has played and coached including coaching roles with the Capital Swish, Manawatu Jets and school and association teams. Christopher lives in Taita, Lower Hutt and is based at the Capital Zone office in Petone. He is underway in his new role. South Auckland RegionIn partnership with Franklin and Counties-Manukau (working with Auckland Basketball Services); we have three Community Lead roles working in the South Auckland community. This project is funded by Sport New Zealand for three years as part of our Strengthen and Adapt investment. Katie Buckley: Community Lead – South Auckland Katie joins the team from Cession Community Trust where she is the Community Development Manager. Katie has 10 years’ experience in community development, family support and learning facilitation. Katie’s sporting background is in basketball where she ‘lived and breathed the game’ growing up in the United States playing, coaching and refereeing. Katie has called NZ home for over 15 years and is married with four children all heavily involved in BMX and basketball. Katie has been a committee member and active volunteer leading a range of initiatives at NZ’s largest BMZ club. Katie will be based at the new BBNZ regional hub at Bruce Pulman Park and starts on Monday 22 November. Nicola Post: Community Lead – South Auckland Nicola joins the team from Franklin Basketball Association where she has been the Schools & Clubs Development Officer since 2015. Nicola has eight years’ experience in community basketball and a range of roles with administration, refereeing, coaching and club development. Nicola is on the Aktive Women's Leadership Development Programme and has been mentoring young females and delivering Girls Got Game programmes. Nicola has a passion for growing the game for women and girls and helping community clubs thrive. Nicola will be based at the new BBNZ regional hub at Bruce Pulman Park and starts on Monday 22 November. Tori Williams: Community Lead – South Auckland Tori joins the team from the Halberg Foundation where she is an Advisor covering south, east and central Auckland. Her areas of responsibility include women and girls, delivery of inclusion training, Māori initiatives and the Manaakitanga Leadership Programme. Tori’s background is working in community development for over 10 years with a strong focus on inclusion and targeted communities. Tori has a passion for growing opportunities and enabling positive change in South Auckland communities. Tori will be based at the new BBNZ regional hub at Bruce Pulman Park and starts on Monday 22 November. National TeamTo support the new regional focus and Strengthen and Adapt Plan we have also made some changes within the BBNZ Community team. We bid thanks and farewell to Natu Taufale (to Manawatu Jets) and Matthew Ruscoe (to Nuku Ora, Sport Wellington). Melony O’Connor moves into the BBNZ Events team as Events Officials Lead. The smaller national team will have a strong focus on developing and supporting high quality programmes and services for associations and regions. We will be supported by leadership groups for referees (established) and coaches (to be established). Amy McClintock: People Development Lead Amy joins the team from her current role as Community Sports Lead at the Selwyn Sports Trust. She has previously worked as Coach and Officials Development Manager at Athletics New Zealand and Community Netball and High Performance Manager at Canterbury Netball. Amy is a qualified Sport NZ Coach Developer and Coach Mentor. Amy has participated at various levels in a range of sports including athletics, netball, touch, rugby, basketball, mountain biking and water-skiing. She dedicates much of her spare time coaching and supporting her two children. She will be based at the new BBNZ regional hub at Sport Canterbury. Amy starts on Monday 8 November. Dan Dawick: Facilities and Insights Lead Dan has been with BBNZ since 2015 when he joined the team leading referee development for the World Masters Games. He then moved into a national role as Technology and Development Services where he has led a range of successful projects including Glory League, our GameDay national registration system, Hoops in Schools and Hoops in Parks projects. Prior to joining BBNZ Dan worked in the sailing industry in Sydney, including the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Dan’s sporting background is in football where he played competitively. He lives in New Plymouth with his wife and three young children. Dan works out of the Sport Taranaki office and is underway in his new role. Meaghan Wilby: Participation and Wellbeing Lead Meaghan joins the team from Nuku Ora where she was the Communications and Marketing Lead. Meaghan played a key role the organisation's rebrand from Sport Wellington to Nuku Ora. Previously, she worked as a Community Sport and Capability Advisor at Sport Wellington, delivering leadership, coach, and athlete development programmes across the region. Meaghan’s sporting background is in basketball where she has represented New Zealand at age group level, and spent four years playing college ball and studying in the United States. She is also currently coaching at Wellington Girls' College. Meaghan lives in Wellington and will be based at the BBNZ National Office. She starts on Monday 15 November. Brad Edwards: General Manager, Community BasketballBrad joined BBNZ in 2013 early in the organisation rebuild led by CE Iain Potter and supported by Sport NZ. Brad has previously worked as Sport and High-Performance Manager at Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Capability Consultant at Sport New Zealand and Golf Development Manager at New Zealand Golf. His sporting peak was when he made the 7th Grade B Rep team in his first season of rugby (under 8s – Balance is Better?!) He played rugby, cricket and golf amongst other sports growing up. More recently he played 10 seasons of ‘social’ football and has been a junior football coach for 10 years. Brad lives in Johnsonville Wellington with his wife and two children. |