The Big Easy Basketball Podcast
The Big Easy Basketball Podcast embraces local basketball talent who are committed to ensuring the growth of the sport at a grass roots level.
The Big Easy Basketball Podcast
Episode 40. From coaching grass roots to NBL1 Hannah de Kretser
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The Big Easy Basketball Podcast embraces and acknowledges local basketball heroes and personalities that have served the community and helped develop basketball stars both now and in the future.
SPEAKER_01Today's guest we have Hannah De Kretsa from Knox Basketball and she looks after the grassroots program but also a bit of MBL1 development coaching. Welcome to the program again, Hannah.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Ian, for having me.
SPEAKER_01It's all right. Now, Hannah, you were last year when we had you on, you were talking about you sort of doing a bit of individual work and um obviously coaching juniors. Yep. That's still continuing, I'm presuming.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. Yep. It's booming actually. It's doing really well.
SPEAKER_01Yep. So, and what else are we doing now?
SPEAKER_02Um, so coaching juniors, just the 14 girls side. And then I'm uh obviously, like you said before, grassroots program coordinator. I'm handling all the school programs, all your development programs as well. And just yeah, I've started coaching the MBL1 development coach side with Craig Simpson and Brad Farrell and Caleb Foster.
SPEAKER_01Lovely. So you're in a development role there? Yes. That's right. So, how have you found the transition for yourself as a coach, coaching juniors and then stepping in and observing, I guess, as an in a development role into the senior program?
SPEAKER_02It is a big jump. Um, knowing like all the juniors and how I've been coaching for and my progression as a junior coach to then jumping into seniors has been like a really big jump, but also like a really um what's the word? Like a successful jump as well. Like something I'm I'm benefiting a lot from and something I'm very glad I put my foot forward with Craig and had that discussion and got given that opportunity because I'm I'm loving it. And working with the players as well, like they've they've been absolutely amazing. And I know I'm younger, but they've actually given me a lot of time a day, which is really nice. And for me, it's like really big. I was just talking to Quirky before because she used to be my one of my year eight teachers, and she used to coach me when I played juniors, so now kind of roles are reversed.
SPEAKER_01So poor poor poor Rachel Quirk, you'd throw her under the bus and she was a school teacher when you're in in year eight. Yeah, and now you're a development coach while she's still playing.
SPEAKER_02Oh, she's still playing.
SPEAKER_01I'm sure she'll love to hear that.
SPEAKER_02She's prime.
SPEAKER_01So, how have the girls in in the women's side embrace you? Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they make me feel very welcome. So um still finding my voice a bit, um, just kind of still trying to find opportunities to actually show that I know my game and I know the I've got experience and I know what I'm talking about. Um, so a few weeks ago at Geelong, uh Paige Bradley and I were having a conversation at halftime about, you know, pick and roll coverages and looking at that um kind of stuff as looking into options a bit more that I've noticed from the sideline. And after that, she like definitely looked at those a bit more. And after the game came up to me and made me feel very valued and said that what I said to her worked and she loved it and appreciated a lot. So that made me feel like I found my voice a bit more in that side and have definitely stepped up and showed that I know the game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so being the development coach in that space and and also still coaching juniors, yeah. How's that affected your junior coaching position?
SPEAKER_02Um, in like a definitely a positive way. Like I'm definitely noticing from like the terminology that Craig uses, I'm using that a lot more in my juniors coaching. So they tour the ball and pick and roll coverages. I'm using that a lot more in my juniors. So it's it's benefiting the girls a lot from four teams because they're kind of at the same time getting more like that exposure to a more like fast-paced game. Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01And have the players sort of looked at you differently now that you're you're sitting on the on the MBL1 bench, like the the players that you when I say the players, the junior players, are they looking at you?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, definitely. Yeah, I think that like at state like basketball center, a lot of people already know me and say hi and everything, but I think it's definitely added a lot a more familiar face to the bench as well. And people, you know, they're already seeing the players that they look up to, and now there's the coach, and especially for my 14 girls, their coach is on the the courtside bench for MBL One, which for me looking at you know, it's it's a it's one of to be honest, a dream come true. Like always been trying to get to that spot. I remember mentioning to you last podcast that we had Ian that I wanted to get to that spot, and now I feel like I've been offered that spot. It's really good for kids to look up to, not just a player, but also like a coach that they can look up to that they see all the time. And yeah, definitely it's been really positive. So I love it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, I'm not gonna say that you came on the podcast and all of a sudden you end up becoming a development coach, but um, I will take a bit of the credit for it if that's right, Hannah.
SPEAKER_02Yes, that's fine. Ian.
SPEAKER_01So and you've you're still running your individual session coaching business?
SPEAKER_02Yes, so I've um grown a lot. So now I've got uh a few staff working under me as well. So um that's really good. We do weekly individual sessions and then on the Sundays I run my uh big and small groups training, after Raiders training, which is really perfect.
SPEAKER_01Yep. So what does a typical week look like to you then if you're you're coaching? Look, let's just run through all of it. So um Monday through to Sunday. And let's presume you've got only the the one senior game on a s on a Saturday night.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_01So walk through the whole thing. Yeah, let's walk through the week.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so uh Monday. So Monday I've got a 6:30 a.m. uh domestic skill uh domestic shooting lab. So that's 6:30 to 7:30. Then I go from there and go into the gym and do my gym workout, have a shower here, and then go to work from 9 to 5, where I have 4 to 5 as our domestic, uh sorry, Raiders shooting lab program. And then I go home after that. So then that's uh Monday. So Tuesday, I'll then will go to work for 9 and work till 4, which is our then our future Raiders Academy four to five, and I uh help Neil with that one. Um and then I've got my Raiders, I have my film review for with my Raiders 14 girls 530 to 6, and then we have training 6 till 7.
SPEAKER_01Gotta stop you there. So you're doing film review with under 14. Yes.
SPEAKER_02Okay. I am. Yeah, they're benefiting a lot from that as well. That's something that normally I haven't done, but I spoke to Jared Hillier about it, and he's really big on that. So we definitely implemented that, and it's been such a positive aspect as well, using hoopsalytics too, from that.
SPEAKER_01That's what I'm gonna ask. So who does the editing at the tape?
SPEAKER_02Uh I do at this moment in time, but my assistant Indy will probably move into that, just teaching her how to use hoopsalytics at the moment and cut up and divert the.
SPEAKER_01No, no, you're okay. So you got your your your video session on um on a Tuesday evening, and then we'll and then we progress into Tuesday training, 6 till 7 p.m.
SPEAKER_02Then I normally have like that hour free where I then from 7:30 will go into film for MBL1. Then we'll hop on court from eight till probably around 10 p.m. and then I'll go home. So Tuesday's normally a long day, but that's okay. Something that I love, so I love doing it. Wednesdays, uh, I normally don't go in till a bit later on the office because of the late night the Tuesday, but I'll probably aim to go in around 12 or even before programs. And so programs start four to five, where I've got uh we've got future raiders and I've got Raiders Shooting Lab. And then right now there's an hour in between that I just do some admin work, and then I've got six to seven Domestic Skills Academy, and then where I run that, and then I go home after that. Thursday, uh, same thing, nine till four. Then I've got green and gold, which is our high performance program, four to five, hour in between of admin, and then six to seven of domestic skills academy, and then I go from there 7.15 to 9, 9.30 with MBL1 women, which love it. And then Friday, 6:30 to 7:30 domestic shooting lab. Then I stay and do all my office work until around midday, then I go home because I've got rep that night. Come back for 5 to 6, which is our Raiders Snipers Club program, and then I coach my under 14 girls at 7:40 and then go home after that. Saturday is kind of like my day off. I kind of meet with my mates and I go for a walk with them to Gells Park, which love doing that, getting out with seeing my friends, a bit of a social life. Um, and then if I can, I'll come down and watch some of the All-Stars domestic games. And then we'll have MBL One. So normally I have to get there an hour and a half beforehand and get prepped and rebound for the girls and sit with Craig and Caleb and Brad and go through the pre-game debrief or pre-game just chat and how we're going to attack the team. And then meet with the girls, play the game, see how it goes, have an aftergame debrief, and then I'll normally go out after that with family friends. Um, and then Sunday I've got 8:30 Raiders training with my 14 girls, and then I have 10:30 to 12:30 my groups sessions that I run. And then normally, if there's coach accreditation clinics, I go to those uh with Jared, and then that I come home, relax, and then I go to my own basketball game at seven o'clock with the all-the-screen.
SPEAKER_01So you are still playing as well.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, at the moment, just coming off an ankle injury, so not playing as much, but definitely still AC in that role.
SPEAKER_01Yep. So, so how the balance you've got there. So you mentioned it twice. So uh I think it was Friday afternoons, you get some time off, so you try to catch up with friends there. Yeah, try and go out with mates and just still have that social life because a lot of my mates work full-time in university and yeah, same again on a Saturday, and then obviously your Sunday, if you get the afternoon free, you're doing it and then and you get your your little bit of downtime. But but from an hourly point of view, there, obviously you work in the basketball space, but also with your your coaching, you're looking like you're doing around about 60 to 70 hours a week.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, I'm yeah, I I love it to be honest. I I love what I do, but yeah, I'm probably here too much.
SPEAKER_01Now, with you in the future, where do you want to go with your basketball coaching?
SPEAKER_02Um it's still undecided. I still am always having this conversation with Jared and Dave, and I still it's still very undecided. I know I want to kind of head in that kind of coach ed space. Like I love, I'm a bit of a nerd, like I love that kind of uh logic behind the game and learning about the game. And I love being able to like teach skills and then coach as well, but I'd also love to be involved in like the senior team aspect. So even if I'm my career is you know, coach ed and then I'm coaching or assisting a team on the side, like I would love that. So I've put my hand up to apply for the flyers development coach, and we'll see where we go with that. Well, good luck with that. Hopefully, all the fingers and toes are crossed.
SPEAKER_01Yep. All right, Hannah. Well, look, once again, look good luck with the remainder of your junior coaching season. Um we're almost halfway through the year there and halfway through your MBL one, your first MBL one season as a development coach. So good luck with that.
SPEAKER_02It's been a great season so far, and I'm very excited. Hopefully, the girls can get it done when we get back to back this year.
SPEAKER_01Yep, and more importantly, good luck with your your future in coaching.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much, Ian.
SPEAKER_01That's all right. Cheers.
SPEAKER_02Bye.
SPEAKER_00The Big Easy Podcast is committed to promoting local basketball personalities. This coming weekend, you may very well be sharing the court with a local basketball hero.