Norwood Basketball Club is excited to announce the Head Coaches for our Division 1 U10-U21 teams for the 2022 season. Congratulations to the following coaches, we are extremely excited about the upcoming season!
U10 Boys D1 – Kelly Sheedy
U12 Boys D1 – Tom Macdonald
U14 Boys D1 – Shaun Ryan
U16 Boys D1 – Tim Odell
U18 Boys D1 – Jelena Todorovic
U21 Men’s D1 – Will Smith & Kerwin Penn
U10 Girls D1 – Tanya Aldridge
U12 Girls D1 – Teagan & Brooke Keenihan
U14 Girls D1 – Michelle Hebart
U16 Girls D1 – Scott Loveday
U18 Girls D1 – Chris Webber
We spoke to the coaches about what they are most looking forward to in the 2022 season. Here is what they said:
Kelly Sheedy – U10 Boys Coach
“I am looking forward to the boys having a great introduction to district basketball, developing their skills and fundamentals whilst having fun and working hard together. My style of play and focus is always on team basketball and defence, we build from there. Looking forward also to trying to compete with the top sides in the competition.”
Tom Macdonald – U12 Boys Coach
“I’m looking forward to working with all the bottom age players to forge a new team in 2022. Our offensive style will be a spread, dribble-drive system to go with full-court pressure defence. As a coach, the prospect of implementing a style of play and team systems with our group is really exciting.”
Shaun Ryan – U14 Boys Coach
“I am looking forward to continuing to provide an environment in which our players can develop their understanding of basketball situations and feel confident in their decision-making capabilities. We had many wonderful examples of this in this years group.
“Our style is built on the concept of the “Perfect Game” In the “Perfect Game” Team A gets a shot then Team B gets a shot then ABAB…. and so on. The only 2 things that alter that are offensive rebounds and turnovers. Everything we do is firstly focused on winning this possession count. After this, all our efforts, individual and team, are to deliver a higher shooting percentage than the opposition.
“Our style to achieve this is built defensively on generating massive ball pressure and offensively creating as many basketball advantages as possible, beginning with spacing and numerical advantages.
“What I love about basketball is that it is a sport dependent on cohesion and teamwork, whilst having scope for individuals to leave their own imprint on the game. I enjoy being involved with a hard-working squad of players, driven to improve.”
Tim Odell – U16 Boys Coach
“In 2022, I am looking forward to coaching a talented group and contributing to a great club. Our style of play will be free-flowing offence with aggressive, full-court defence. What I love most about basketball is the creativity, strategy and competitive spirit necessary to compete at an elite level; the relationships and connections you make working with like-minded people. I am looking forward to a new, fresh, hopefully, COVID-free year.”
Jelena Todorovic – U18 Boys Coach
“I am looking forward to working with all the players at Norwood. Developing great talent on the court and successful young men off the court is equally as important.
“I come from a big European basketball background so my style of play is always a team game. I like my teams to have great defence first! Also, I include a lot of on-ball play, post play and the highly forgotten mid-range game. I switch things up a lot depending what on who I have in my team. Lastly, I focus a lot on the details in technique and player development.
“I think basketball is the greatest game there is. It is a path to higher friendship, life skills and making friends in the whole world. We should go into this sport with this mentality, to travel, learn, make friends and become the best people we can be on and off the court.”
Will Smith & Kerwin Penn – U21 Men’s Coaches
“We are really looking forward to building on the program from where it is now. We believe in player development first and foremost- this includes putting players in positions that they will need to play in NBL1 programs and giving them the freedom to try things out of their comfort zone. Our offence is fast-paced, with lots of actions and ball movement. We run a European style of half-court offence, whilst also having read and react principles.
“Defensively, we want to be disciplined and aggressive in what we are doing. We run a mixture of full and half-court man, as well as changeups with zones and traps.
“Lastly, we are looking forward to working with the new NBL1 coach and integrating their systems and style into the program also.
“What we love about the game: Basketball is an amazing game; it tests us all mentally and physically and we love to see the growth this provides for the young men in our program. We believe in a holistic approach that caters to players in their development both on and off-court. This also includes mentoring and providing pathway advice to players.”
Tanya Aldridge – U10 Girls Coach
“I am looking forward to the opportunity of guiding a new and enthusiastic group of young girls at the start of their basketball journeys. I hope to be able to assist them to develop the life skills of being happy and successful young individuals. I am passionate about creating an environment that the girls can learn great communication, teamwork, playing fair and learning to bond and build friendships.
“The program will be built around teaching the fundamentals and basic skills such as movement, footwork, form shooting and defensive stance. In addition, I am excited about mentoring both Annika and Paige as they progress to become the next generation of coaches at Norwood.”
Teagan & Brook Keenihan – U12 Girls Coaches
“We are looking forward to helping our players learn new skills, grow their passion for the game and have fun. Our game style is fast-paced, high-intensity defence and uses all team members strengths.
“We love the competitive nature of the game, the friendships that are built and the high of watching people achieve their dreams.
“Both of us have been involved with SA High-Performance programs for many years and are always bringing over new and upcoming concepts to our program.”
Michelle Hebart – U14 Girls Coach
“I am looking forward to the challenge of developing the talented group of Norwood under 14 girls, as well as building relationships with the other club coaches. I also have my fingers crossed that we will be able to travel to Melbourne to play against some of the best players and teams in the country.
“I like my teams to play uptempo disruptive defence with a team focus in the offence. One of my favourite quotes is “Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle”. What I love most about basketball are the friendships and bonds that you make with your teammates (I still have many from when I played). As a coach what I love is watching players improve and realise they can do almost anything they set their mind to as both individuals and a team (growth mindset).”
Scott Loveday – U16 Girls Coach
“I’m looking forward to being involved with a group of young athletes who have been well-coached over the years, helping them reach their full potential on and off the basketball court.
“We will be an “uptempo’ team at both ends of the court, with a mix of inside / outside offensive sets. The goal is to have everyone on the ‘same page’ and work together as a strong unit.
“What I love most about basketball is the friends you make for life and the opportunity to travel playing this great sport.”
Chris Webber – U18 Girls Coach
“I’m looking forward to growing on our great foundation from 2021. Also continuing to integrate our girls into our women’s NBL1 program for their development. It will also be great to have the opportunity to play carnivals, both locally and interstate.
“On the court, we are going to be a tough defensive team, with a variety of change-ups to keep the opposition guessing. Offensively we will have a strong pick and roll game, as well as other options in transition and the half-court. We want to use players’ strengths and work as a team to find our best shot in each possession.
“I really enjoy seeing kids develop not just as basketballers but people as well, on and off the court.”
