Q and A with New Zealand U20 Women's Head Coach

For the first time in 2010 the U20 New Zealand women’s basketball team will take part in the Australian National U20 Championships, in Gawler, South Australia.

In what is a great opportunity for the young New Zealanders to face off against the best young talent on offer throughout the states of Australia.

New Zealand Head Coach Tania Hunter gave us an insight into her side’s preparation, motivation and told us who to watch out for, as they go head-to-head against Australia’s best.

Team:  ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­NZ U20 WomenCoach’s Name:         Tania Hunter

1.    What are your goals for your team heading into the championships?

       ·         To perform to the best of our ability
       ·         To be competitive
       ·         To be successful as individuals and as a team

2.    How often has your team been training in preparation for the Championship and what sort
of form have they been in?

• This team has had a selection camp and our preparation camp is four days prior to the tournament commencing.

3.    Which of your players do you think will surprise with their play at the championship?

• We have a ‘young’ team, 17-19 year olds.
• We also have three members who have never been involved or exposed to this high level of basketball, so this will be an experience for them.
• Players that we hope to perform and lead well, are Zoe Kenningston (Tall Fern member), Jelena Vucinic (U21 Emerging Tall Fern member) and Samara Gallagher (U21 Emerging Tall Fern, Tall Fern squad member and JTF squad member).

4.    What are the trademarks you’ve tried to instil into your team?

• Basically for our team because we have had so little time to prepare. I’ll give you a quote:

‘TUKUA KIA RERE’

Tukua kia rere literally means “Allow them (the athletes) to fly”

“Tukua” is a command given for warriors to commence a taiaha/haka movement. It is also used as a command to start a race, “tukua” means “go” in this context. Therefore tukua in this context means to let or allow. “Kia Rere” means “to fly”.  The longitude, the height and the success, or otherwise, of the flight is entirely up to the athlete.

5.    Which teams do you think are your main competition for the national title?

• All Australian teams in any competition are competitive.

6.    What do you think the athletes will take away from playing at the Nationals and will it help their development as basketballers?

TUKUA KIA RERE

7.    Describe the style of play your team expects to implement in the championship?

• Change of tempo type style

8.    What are your team’s main areas of strength and weakness?

·         Height is our weakness.
·         We are competitive.