OCEANIA COACHES STUDY TOUR REPORT - Fiba Oceania

y Judy Smith
Operational Report:
Accommodation:
The chosen accommodation proved to be most suitable, although some participants were
disappointed with the Albury facility. All venues were suitably priced, clean, mostly centrally located
and where breakfasts provided they were fine. Melbourne Friendly Backpackers was centrally
located in the heart of Melbourne, and proved a most satisfactory venue.
The hotel experience was good, for it encouraged the group to mix more than motels, as usually the
bedrooms came off a big central dining/TV room so we had the opportunity to talk together. The
close proximity of reasonably priced food was also an advantage.
Travel:
The bus proved most satisfactory. With 22 seats for 11 people, everyone was able spread out. The
luggage trailer was convenient, and allowed more room in the bus. Bus parking as arranged by the
Backpackers in Melbourne was most suitable, and the 15 minute walk to the bus got everyone ready
for the day.
Food:
The use of per diems for participants to eat at a place of their choice was very successful. Mostly we
ate together, but when participants had other things to attend to, the per diems proved most
successful. Breakfast was sometimes hard to schedule, as we left at 5.30am some mornings to get to
some activities. The per diem of $35 per day was sufficient.
Program and presenters:
Absolutely fantastic – in every association, school, ITC we were warmly welcomed, coaches went out
of their way to discuss with our coaches, explain their programs and provide positive motivation for
the touring party. Our group was given t-shirts, caps, skills booklets, brochures and hand outs.
Recommendations:
� That we look at 2 different tours in future – funds allowing.
One tour should be exclusively for experienced national coaches from federations with strong
programs and a history of participation at Oceania events. Working with such a group would
allow the program to be tailor-made for their needs only. Outcomes would be significantly
improved if the group was more homogonous.
The second level of tour would be a coach/administrator development tour, looking at
association programs, school programs, miniball, junior representative programs. This tour
would be aimed at dedicated association coaches and administrators who are content to remain
in those roles and contribute to the development of basketball at that level – a level we are sorely
missing in Oceania. It would be a reward also for those coaches and administrators with long
standing involvement in domestic basketball who are not desiring to move to the national level. I
include administrators here because I think we need to show them how competitions and
programs can be organised, and how they can structure their associations – it is difficult for
coaches to convince the administrators of the benefit of doing things differently, so let them
experience this for themselves.
� I would recommend that 1 development office and 1 office staff is a more suitable use of FIBA
funds for a tour of this size, with the office staff looking after the logistics of the tour and the
development office in charge of education.
� The 14 day tour was very long. I know it is expensive to bring them here for shorter periods, but a
condensed program in Melbourne, then to Bendigo would prove just as valuable for domestic
coaches. The national coaches need to see the AIS, so that does pose some problems. Perhaps a
review of costs might find that a one hour flight Melbourne to Canberra might be possible when
taking into account the time factor, the accommodation, per diem and bus hire involved in the
drive up and back (2 days lost basically).
FIBA Oceania Coaches Study Tour to Australia 2004
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