Building Better Basketball

Today we’re joined by Michael Czepil, the new Head Coach of the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence Men’s Program. Mike’s journey through basketball has given him a really interesting perspective on player and coach development. He grew up in Victoria and experienced the Australian pathway as a player before heading to the United States, where he went on to spend a significant part of his coaching career in NCAA Division I basketball. Now he’s back in Australia and taking on one of the most important development roles in our game - working with some of the country’s best young male players and helping prepare them for what comes next, whether that’s college basketball, the professional game or ultimately representing Australia. Today we’re going to talk about that journey, what Mike has learned from coaching in Australia and the US, what genuine high-performance player development looks like, and what coaches at every level can take from an elite development environment.

Today we welcome back a guest who will already be familiar to many of our listeners — JP Nerbun. JP joined us previously for a brilliant conversation around leadership, culture and the role coaches play in creating environments where people can genuinely thrive. He’s an author, coach, consultant and the founder of TOC Culture Consulting, and his work has challenged coaches around the world to think more deeply about how culture is actually built — not through slogans on a wall, but through the behaviours, conversations and standards we live every day. This time, JP is back with a new book, The Culture Captain, which takes that conversation in a really interesting direction. Link to purchase the book Because while coaches have an enormous influence on culture, ultimately the strongest teams aren’t completely dependent on the coach to drive it. They develop players who understand the culture, take ownership of it, protect it and positively influence the people around them. And that raises some fascinating questions for coaches. How do we identify those people? Can leadership actually be developed? How much responsibility should we give players for the culture of our teams? And perhaps most importantly, how do we move from a coach-led culture to a player-owned one? There are few people better placed to explore those questions. It’s fantastic to have him back.

Our final on court presentation is @basketballauscoe Women’s AC @coach.mydonkin working with two of our super athletes @sitaya_fagan and @_zararussell_ to demonstrate to coaches how they can best and most effectively conduct Individual and Small group sessions.

Back on court at the National Coaching Conference with @mickdowner looking at all the concepts of Pick and Roll with the @basketballauscoe male atheletes.

An international flavour to tip off Day 2 of the National Coaches Conference with @ericmcalister of the @dallasmavs taking the coaches through his job as an International Scout and talking about the art of evaluating talent.

Closing out Day 1 of the National Coaching Conference was @distrang who took the coaches through a structure to help them not only understand but also provided some tools to let them build their Coaching brand.

Our last on court presentation of Day 1 is @mickdowner sharing all his international coaching experience to talk to the coaches in attendance about building your team defence with the assistance of the @basketballauscoe male athletes.

Our first on court session of the National Coaching Conference 26 is a Coach returning to her roots at the @basketballauscoe , very apt off the back of Retro Round! Coach @renae_garlepp of the @sydneyflames has the @basketballauscoe girls running through a series of skill development exercises on Offensive development building from passing right through to finishing.

Enjoy this recording of our first presenter of the National Coaching Conference 26 @shanemac4 from @insidewais who shared his experiences and suggestions on how to manage a Bespoke Player Development environment.

Enjoy this recording of a presentation done at the recent Australian Junior Championships. This was a classroom style presentation by Australian U19 Men’s physio Toby Conroy and General Manager of the COE and Performance Pathways Peter Lonergan and focused on “An Integrated Approach to Practice Design”. It focused on the intensity modification process devised by Toby, Aneeka Smith and Bridie Duggan, which is being rolled out across the Performance Pathway. A great opportunity for coaches to understand the proccesses and planning that go into the National Performance Camps and the Centre of Excellence.

Today on Building Better Basketball we’re joined by Tom Garlepp - a coach who has built a strong reputation across Australian basketball through player development, high-performance coaching, and his work within national team pathways. Tom has worked with athletes across multiple levels of the game and has recently come out of camp with the Australia Sapphires as their head coach. This gives him a unique insight into what selection, development, and high-performance environments really look like in Australian basketball right now. Literally, it finished yesterday! In this episode we dive into what coaches often miss when it comes to player development, what actually matters at national team level, the role mentoring has played throughout his coaching journey, and what life is like in a household where both he and his wife are coaches.

Today on Building Better Basketball, we’re stepping slightly off the court - but staying right at the heart of what makes great coaching. Because if we want more young people - especially teenage girls - to stay in the game, enjoy the game, and grow through the game… we need to better understand their experience. Our guest today is Fiona Sanford - a facilitator, speaker, and advocate who has worked with more than 30,000 young people across Australia. Her work focuses on identity, confidence, leadership, and helping young people find and use their voice. With a background as a semi-elite gymnast and now delivering programs across schools, communities, and sporting environments Fiona brings a really practical lens to the challenges coaches face every week. She’s also deeply involved in anti-bullying work, helping young people understand team dynamics, build empathy, and take responsibility for the environments they’re part of - something that translates directly into sport. In this conversation, we’re going to explore what’s really going on beneath the surface for teenage girls in basketball… where coaches sometimes get it wrong… and most importantly, what you can do about it in your very next session. www.fionasanford.com.au

Today’s episode steps slightly outside the lines of basketball - but very much into the heart of coaching. I’m joined by Don Singe, who works with the North Queensland Cowboys as their Head of Leadership and Culture. Don’s work sits at the intersection of high performance, leadership, and science-based wellbeing. He partners with corporate leaders, elite athletes, and coaches to build what he calls leadership capacity - helping people take ownership of themselves, their environment, and their process, while maintaining the mental and physical health needed to sustain performance over time. What stood out to me in Don’s approach is that it’s not about quick fixes or surface-level motivation. It’s grounded in practical, actionable processes - and built around clarity, honesty, and the ability to adapt and progress along your own pathway. For those of us coaching in community basketball, that’s highly relevant. Because whether you’re coaching juniors on a weeknight or working in high performance, the challenge is the same, how do you lead people effectively, and how do you create an environment where they can thrive? This is a really thoughtful conversation that will challenge the way you think about leadership, wellbeing, and what it actually means to perform at your best.

Today we’re joined by Maddie Borg, someone doing outstanding work in a really important space of our game. Maddie is the Head Coach of the Queensland Ivor Burge Women’s team, working within the intellectual impairment pathway, a space that continues to grow, evolve, and most importantly, provide meaningful opportunities for athletes to represent, compete, and belong in our sport. What stands out about Maddie’s work isn’t just results, it’s the clarity of purpose. The focus on effort, attitude, and creating an environment where players can thrive and be challenged at the same time. In this conversation, we explore what it takes to coach in that space, the balance between performance and inclusion, how you build connection with your athletes, and what coaches at all levels can learn from working in the Ivor Burge program. There’s a lot in this one, whether you’re coaching representative athletes, grassroots players, or anywhere in between. National Coaches Conference Tickets - Register here Early bird tickets are now on sale at $200. Secure your spot today before prices increase and be part of Basketball Australia's biggest coaching event of the year.

Today on Building Better Basketball, we’re joined by someone operating right at the intersection of performance science and high-performance leadership - Rodney Siegel. Rod is currently the High Performance Manager for Wheelchair Basketball at Basketball Australia, where he leads the performance environment for national teams with a clear focus on international podium success. Before stepping into basketball, Rod spent years across the Australian high-performance system - including leadership roles with the Australian Institute of Sport and the Victorian Institute of Sport - driving connection across performance support networks and working across sports like rowing, athletics, sailing, and more. He’s also been on the ground at the highest level of global sport, playing a key role in athlete preparation and recovery for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. What makes this conversation unique is Rod’s lens - he’s not coming from a traditional basketball pathway, but from a system-wide, interdisciplinary performance background. So today, we dive into what basketball can learn from the broader high-performance system, how coaches can better connect with performance staff, and what it really takes to build environments that maximise athlete potential.

Today’s guest on Building Better Basketball is Adam Forde - one of the most respected and thoughtful coaches in Australian basketball. Adam is currently the Head Coach of the Cairns Taipans in the National Basketball League, where he has built a reputation for developing players, fostering strong team culture, and getting the very best out of his group. His coaching journey has taken him through a wide range of roles giving him a deep understanding of the game from both a development and high-performance perspective. Adam is also heavily involved in the growth of the game beyond the traditional five-on-five format, including being the Head Coach of the Australian Mens program in the rapidly growing world of 3x3 basketball. His experience across different formats of the game gives him a unique perspective on how coaches can help players think, adapt, and make better decisions on the court. In today’s conversation, we’ll dive into Adam’s coaching journey, his thoughts on player development, the lessons coaches can take from 3x3, and some practical ideas that community coaches can use with their own teams.

Today on Building Better basketball, we're joined by our newest face at the Centre of Excellence - Myra Donkin. Fresh into her role as Assistant Coach in the women’s program, Myra is now working at the very pointy end of the national pathway, helping shape the next generation of Australian talent alongside Head Coach Mel Downer. But what makes Myra’s perspective so valuable is the journey she’s taken to get there - from a long-time captain and leader in Cairns, to head coach in the NBL1 North, to leading performance pathways at Basketball Western Australia. She’s seen the game at every level in Australia - and now sits in a role where development, performance, and people all intersect. In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to prepare athletes for the Centre of Excellence, what coaches across the country should be focusing on, and how we can better connect the pathway from grassroots to green and gold. This is a conversation packed with insight for any coach working with developing players.

Today on the Building Better Basketball podcast we’re joined by someone who has carved out a really unique path in the game. Marena Whittle is one of Australia’s leading 3x3 basketball players, representing the Gangurrus on the international stage and competing against the best players in the world in one of the fastest-growing formats of the game. Marena’s journey through basketball is a fascinating one - from traditional 5-on-5 pathways through college and professional basketball, to embracing the speed, creativity, and tactical demands of 3x3. Along the way she’s developed a reputation for her competitiveness, skill, and ability to adapt her game to different environments. In this conversation we’ll dive into the differences between 5-on-5 and 3x3, what makes great 3x3 players and teams, and what coaches and players at the community level can learn from a format that demands decision-making, toughness, and creativity on every possession.

Today on Building Better Basketball, we’re joined by Bonnie Deas, one of the most exciting young Australian players currently coming through the system. Bonnie is currently playing her college basketball at the University of Arkansas, after coming through the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, where she developed a reputation as a tough, competitive guard who plays the game with real edge and intent. Her journey from the CoE to the NCAA gives her a unique perspective on development, daily training environments, and what it actually takes to make the jump from Australian pathways into the U.S. college system. She’s lived the process - the good bits, the hard bits, and the stuff coaches don’t always see. Today we’ll talk about her experiences, what helped her development most, and the lessons she’d pass on to young players and coaches trying to build better basketball environments.

Today, we’re joined by someone whose work sits right at the intersection of high performance, coach development, and athlete wellbeing. Lauren Soderberg is a highly respected coach, consultant, and leader in the sport space. She’s coached internationally, led national programs, and helped athletes and teams achieve success on the world stage including guiding programs from no ranking to international podium finishes. Beyond performance, Lauren is the founder of Progressive Coaches, a platform dedicated to supporting coaches at every level and using sport as a vehicle for positive change. What makes Lauren’s perspective so valuable for basketball coaches is her ability to translate elite-level insights into practical, human-centred coaching -the kind that works just as well at community level as it does on the international stage. In this episode, we’ll talk about what good coaching really looks like, how coaches can better support athlete wellbeing, and the small changes that can make a big difference in the environments we create.