Jennings interviewed by FIBA Europe
Thursday, 29-Apr-2010
Damian Jennings, head coach of the D1 Women playoff champs UWIC Archers, was recently interviewed by FIBA Europe regarding his coaching success - both domestically and on the international scene.
Please see the full interview below:
Last September, when superstars like Pau Gasol of Spain and emerging talents like Milos Teodosic of Serbia were competing at the EuroBasket in Poland, something else that's hugely important to the game of basketball on the continent was going on in Katowice.
The FIBA Europe Coaching Certificate program was in full swing and experienced, savvy coaches like Svetislav Pesic and Pablo Laso were sharing their knowledge with men and women that had a huge appetite for learning.
Four of those who enrolled and excelled in the program were given the opportunity to coach at the Champion U18 All-Star Game.
Among them was Damian Jennings, a senior lecturer at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff (UWIC).
Jennings says his confidence soared when given the opportunity to not only coach the best young talent in Europe, but to do so in the same Katowice arena as the EuroBasket Final Round games.
"Unbelievably so," Jennings said.
"It was very surreal returning from Poland to Cardiff where basketball is not that big; returning to my program in a small gym on a small university campus, reminiscing of an arena packed with fans, coaching the best Europe has to offer and the opportunity of a lifetime afforded me.
"I can't thank FIBA Europe, the FECC team and more particularly Michael Schwartz (Coaching Co-ordinator for FIBA Europe) and Svetislav Pesic for organizing an incredible experience.
"It was honor coaching alongside friend and FECC prize winning graduate Sven Van Camp from Belgium and I'm sure neither of us will ever forget the memory."
If Jennings experienced a thrill in Poland, he did so again this season in Wales.
As the coach of the UWIC Archers, he made the right decisions at the right times because his team just won the EBL Women's Division One play-off final.
They beat the City of Sheffield Hatters, 56-52.
Jennings' team trailed for most of the championship game but at long last took the lead with a little over a minute remaining.
Thrashed in the final by Sheffield the year before, the Cardiff outfit never quit and claimed a momentous victory.
Jennings, who is also the coach of the Great Britain U20 women, gave this interview to FIBA Europe.
FIBA Europe: Damian, UWIC Archers had a great season. What are you most proud of about your team?
Damian: Thank you. It's been a special year. Their resilience and loyalty. In both BUCS (United Kingdom equivalent of NCAA) and the national play-off final, we were down by a significant margin. Everyone contributed and maintained self-belief and trusted in our preparation. This faith, resilience and loyalty brought about a third BUCS title, winning by two points, and our very first British title in the top flight competition, winning by four points.
FIBA Europe: Did you have a vastly different approach to this season after the FECC experience?
Damian: I don't think it was vastly different straight after. It is also quite difficult to pinpoint actually what changes were made as the amount of growth in the ‘how' and ‘what' I coach over the last three to four years has been too significant to almost measure. Not only have I had the teachings of mentors such as Svetislav Pesic, Pablo Laso, Henrik Dettmann, Gordon Herbert and Lucian Legrand on the FECC; but having been involved with the Great Britain senior women's program since its amalgamation in preparation for London 2012, I have worked under Brit Mark Clark, Canadian Hall of Famer Ken Shields and Olympic legend Tom Maher, an Australian, as head coaches, whilst also receiving performance direction from Chris Spice, Ron Wuotila and Warwick Cann - there has simply been too much learning from the best to pinpoint varying approaches. I would have to say it has all changed at some point over the years - that is what happens when you are lucky enough to work with the best.
FIBA Europe: One indication of how good UWIC Archers are is the fact that national team coach Tom Maher has selected some of your players for his squad for the EuroBasket Women qualifying games. How important is it to have the links with the national team in terms of building up the prestige of the team?
Damian: Incredibly important. The business model we are trying to create at UWIC is one of creating a centre of excellence for Great Britain talent. To have Tom select Stef Collins, Meagan Hoffman and Kate Butters just shows that the players' efforts and what the program can create for them is working, and we are extremely proud of that. We also have Nicki Avery and Rebecca Brough, who made the final 24 of the GB U20 selection. So once again, we are extremely proud of our status to be able to nurture GB talent.
FIBA Europe: The win over Sheffield was terrific. What are your short- and long-term aims with UWIC? Would you like to compete in Europe and is this realistic?
Damian: Four years ago when I took over, I set two target ambitions i) to win the British title, and ii) take UWIC Archers into Europe. At the time we were mid-table in England Basketball's Division 2 regional league structure, so we have come a long way in a short time, and achieving target one of two is very sweet. Europe at the moment only has a glass ceiling of finance which is a real shame. We have the players to compete in the FIBA (Euro)Cup, and we certainly have the vehicle whilst being a club based at a university in a capital city to host and put on a spectacle for local and national supporters to follow. My team and I will work tirelessly to generate the funds needed but at the same time, we are very prudent about how we stretch this club financially. Hopefully recent British success and with the level of potential Olympic-bound players we have, sponsors and sports councils will support our bid to put women's club basketball in Great Britain back on the European map.
FIBA Europe: Looking back at the FECC program, why is it important for men and women that want to coach to take part?
Damian: I think when you are coaching, you tend to give your whole life to it, and being an all-or-nothing type of person, I often found myself not stepping back to learn more, seek out education courses, surround myself with like-for-like people and share good practice. The FECC became an opportunity too good to prioritize anything else so I made my domestic and international responsibilities and regular job work around it. I would say, ‘don't put off furthering yourself, and if an opportunity like the FECC arises - take it!' As a course, it is in its own right pretty unique. The intensity, level & experience of tutelage, variety of content, contacts gained and just incredible saturation of basketball over three years sets it apart from anything I have done. The diploma gained makes me very proud, but the experience itself and what I take away to impart in my daily coaching is the real return. I can't imagine anyone wanting to take their international or domestic career forward not wanting to be a part of something this special.
FIBA Europe: What were the top three things that you took from this program that have helped you become a better coach?
Damian: Firstly, I think more knowledge and increased confidence. I certainly feel that although I may have taken aspects of coach mentorship away and at times felt that doesn't fit for me; the sheer amount of technical and tactical knowledge provided across the three years has me extremely confident when facing preparation for a season as well as the pressured situations of decisions within a game. Secondly I would say a heightened awareness of European basketball. Being around such experienced and talented mentors, witnessing the best Europe had to offer at U16, 18 & 20 ensured a progressive osmosis of European basketball tactics, teaching styles and delivery methods, technical focuses and then how that is played out on the elite stage. Thirdly I would say the ability to converse analytically with peer coaches. In Britain we are not gifted with an abundance of coaches in every club, town or city. And although there are some fantastic coaches and passionate teachers, we don't share very well. We don't touch base and chew the fat to help each other. I don't think I was necessarily protective of my coaching, my playbook, my style but more that I had never been afforded the opportunity to share with others. Being around the other coaches from all the countries represented was an amazing, rewarding aspect of the course.
FIBA Europe: Can you expand on the issue of gaining more confidence by taking part in the FECC?
Damian: As I said before, for me it was the amount of knowledge imparted by the dearth of experienced coaches and mentors on the program. I feel like I received a degree's worth of content in three weeks over three years. The variety of assessments from thesis papers to the daunting experience of the oral exam in the final year from the esteemed panel including Pablo Laso & legend Svetislav Pesic prepares you for pressure. When you succeed in these situations, being tested by the best, it can only leave you confident and ready to tackle the next challenging test.
FIBA Europe: What about in terms of your coaching career? Are you focusing on the here and now, or do you have a long-range goal?
Damian: For me, I am just incredibly proud to lead the women's side of the UWIC Archers program, which has grown from one team to four women's teams, a men's team and a junior academy of 150-plus eight to 18-year-olds. To continue to be a part of the Great Britain senior women's program over the last four years as an assistant coach as we prepare for 2012 through EuroBasket competitions, alongside my recent appointment as GB U20's women's head coach, I have plenty going on. Graduating from the FECC was a big milestone when you consider it was over three years. I get married this May, before I head into a three-month international campaign over the summer so to be honest, I am not really looking too far beyond this year. As I am a full-time lecturer at the university, I hope that one day soon, coaching will become a full-time profession for me, because although I approach it with a full-time attitude, there is only so much you can do. It's all very exciting. I am looking forward to the next year and the fresh challenges I have this summer with Team GB.
Article courtesy - fibaeurope.com
Photo - Phil Foster