Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Head-coach Junior Hercules says that he has been tasked with formulating a coaches’ training manual and a syllabus specific to level one tacticians on behalf of the federation.
This is was disclosed during an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday. According to Hercules, the decision, “This project of a coach’s manual was conceptualized in 2014, my genesis into the national programme as Guyana team manager Caribbean championship held in the BVI. This tournament (Caribbean Championship) was arguably one of Guyana’s most eventful in turn happening on and off the court. Coupled with experience on the tour and my experience as Georgetown basketball President during that period I recognized a strong need for coaching structure at an elementary level.”
Hercules admitted that while the GABF has a general coaching structure, it has faced difficulties in creating a structured and organized coaching template that can be utilized locally as a uniform mode of training. He added, “The Guyana Basketball Federation while having a general structure has always struggled to create a structural profile that can be standardized for coaches. This may or maybe be connected to the fact that the profession locally has limited mobility scope.”
According to Hercules, the intention and overall expectation is to create a manuscript that considers all local factors affecting the sport and which can be eventually utilised and accessible to all levels inclusive of schools, clubs and aspiring coaches.
Hercules added, “I hope to provide a working document that will be considerate of Guyana culture and resources. I hope to give both the GABF and aspiring coaches a foundation I never had before deciding on becoming a coach. This manual when completed I hope and I intend to be accessible to all primary, secondary, university, clubs aspiring, and current coaches. The current coaches’ clinics serve to reconnect the desire and urgency for a document of this nature.”
Meanwhile, Hercules is currently engaged in week five of a World Association of Basketball Coaches (WABC) Clinic, with the most recent course occurring on May 28th and focused on ‘Cutthroat Defense Drill’ with Coach Brett Brown.
The clinics are presented by Coaches with Olympic Games, FIBA Basketball World Cups, NBA, WNBA, Youth World Cups and NBA/FIBA Basketball without Borders coaching experience.
