McKinnon Basketball Hosts FIBA Oceania Scholarship Coaches
On Monday, McKinnon Basketball Association (MBA) welcomed coaches from across the Pacific as part of FIBA’s Marty Handson Scholarship Program for an afternoon of coach development and knowledge sharing.
Visiting coaches from Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Samoa observed how McKinnon’s coaching team designs and delivers an Aussie Hoops session, gaining valuable insights into how the Association engages its youngest athletes through fun, inclusive and skill-based activities.
The group also had the opportunity to observe the Cougar Cubs program for 3–4 year olds, taking away ideas on how similar grassroots initiatives could be adapted within their own communities.
The coaches were accompanied by FIBA’s National Federations and Sport Associate – Oceania, Lai Puamau, and Basketball Victoria’s Coach Development Manager, Rob Coulter, who supported the exchange of ideas throughout the visit.
McKinnon’s Director of Coaching, Darren Anderson, facilitated the session, guiding discussion around McKinnon’s principles for delivering high-quality introductory programs. Anderson has worked closely with FIBA Oceania since 2019, delivering coach development workshops to more than 30 countries on designing youth basketball programs.
“The MBA and FIBA Oceania share an important connection through Marty Handson and his legacy across both communities, so it was an honour to open our doors to these scholarship coaches and share our philosophies for youth development,” said Darren Anderson.
“The quality of our Aussie Hoops program is a testament to the efforts invested by Hannah McGillen (MBA’s Community Basketball Coordinator) in recent years, and the dedication of our young program coaches. Eloise, Sam, Leron, Alice and Hannah put on a fantastic show, keeping players engaged and active throughout the session with a superbly planned program.”
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Marty Handson was deeply involved with basketball from an early age and became a leader in our basketball community, across the McKinnon, country Victoria, and Oceania regions.
Marty achieved so much within Victorian Country Basketball, from winning the first ever Victorian Country Gold medal for junior males at the National Championship in 1990, to developing athletes and coaches across all levels in the basketball community. He was also recognised and respected within Basketball Australia and FIBA Oceania, travelling internationally to deliver programs, sessions and clinics.
Marty was a cherished part of the McKinnon community, serving as President of the MBA, a head coach within our Big V and VJBL programs, and a Director of Coaching with Brighton Wolves. Marty was one of our first coaches to lead a Victorian team, and had a strong passion for coach development. Since Marty’s passing in 2016, the MBA has honoured Marty through its own Marty Handson Award, awarded annually to a coach within the MBA community who represents Marty’s values and reflects his passion for helping develop athletes and/or coaches across all levels.
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Complimenting the FIBA Global Strategy, the Marty Handson Scholarship Program supports empowering National Federations through boosting grassroots programs, enabling access to coaching development across the region.
Successful coaches spend a week in Melbourne, shadowing coaches at games and training sessions with a view to take back learnings to their country. Alongside visits to NBL and WNBL programs, introductory programs were a key focus for this year’s cohort and the MBA was selected to showcase its successful Aussie Hoops program to a global audience.