Over 120 coaches attend Basketball Ireland’s two-day Annual Coaching Conference

Over 120 coaches attended Basketball Ireland’s two-day Annual Coaching Conference at the National Basketball Arena last weekend.

Six expert speakers from across Europe  – Sidney Parsons, Michael Schwarz, Michael Bree, Alan Keane, Simon Turner and Nenad Trunic – helped deliver 11 different clinics over the Coaching Conference. 

It was Basketball Ireland’s first Annual Coaching Conference since Covid-19, and follows on from Basketball Ireland’s two recent Women In Sport Coaching Conferences, which took place in May 2023 and May 2024. 

Current Germany women's assistant coach and U20 head coach, Sidney Parsons, teaching on ball defence at Basketball Ireland's Annual Coaching Conference

Niall McDermott, Basketball Ireland’s National Training and Learning Manager, said:

“It was truly inspiring to witness such a diverse and engaged group of coaches from across the Basketball Ireland community come together for our 2024 Coaching Conference. Coaches of all experience levels participated, and they were treated to exceptional sessions delivered by our expert clinicians. I am confident that every attendee left with valuable insights and tools to enhance their coaching practice.

“Equally rewarding was the opportunity for coaches to forge new connections and rekindle old ones. Networking and information sharing are vital components of events like this, and it's encouraging to see the community come together in such a meaningful way.

“A special thank you to FIBA for their invaluable support in organising the event, to our clinicians for generously sharing their expertise, and to all the coaches who dedicated their time to making these two days both productive and enjoyable. We gained significant insights throughout the planning and execution of this conference, and we are eager to build on this experience to continuously improve and establish this event as a cornerstone of the Basketball Ireland calendar.”

John Feehan, Basketball Ireland CEO, added:

“Building on our coaching expertise is a crucial element to help drive the standards of basketball here in Ireland onwards. Having such esteemed coaches in attendance at the National Basketball Arena was wonderful to see and I’d like to thank FIBA for their assistance in helping bringing this event to fruition, as well as the staff in Basketball Ireland.  Everyone who attended the event really took a lot from it and we will see the benefits percolate into the game here in Ireland in the years to come.”

Coaching Conference Speakers:

Sidney Parsons - former professional player who has been coaching pro teams in the German top division for the past six seasons. Sidney is the first female hired in a full-time coaching capacity by the German Basketball Federation and currently is the assistant coach on the German women's national team, who recently competed in the Paris 2024 Olympics and the head coach of their U20 programme.

Michael Schwarz - is a former professional player and coach who is now the head of coaching at FIBA Europe. He oversees all of FIBA Europe's coach education programmes.

Michael Bree - is the director of basketball at BK RIG Mark in Sweden, the assistant coach of the Danish men's national team and the head coach of the Danish U16 boys team. He is a Sligo native and former Irish senior international, who played NCAA Division 1 basketball, before playing professionally in Europe.

Nenad Trunic - is a Serbian professor of basketball, as well as a basketball coach and former professional player. He has been working with FIBA as an expert clinician since 2011 and is one of the lead professors on their FECC coaching programme.

Nenad Trunic coaching at Basketball Ireland's Annual Coaching Conference 

Alan Keane - is a highly regarded performance basketball coach, with a focus on meeting the needs of the people he coaches. He’s a Great Britain national team head coach, award-winning former teacher and current PhD candidate.

Simon Turner - is a coach and facilitator who works at the intersection of sport and social change. He's coached basketball for 20+ years and trained over 400 sports practitioners in the intentional use of sport to change people's lives.