New cycle of FIBA Coaching Certification courses successfully underway across India

For the third consecutive year, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has sent their expert basketball instructor Nelson Isley to continue the teaching of FIBA Coaching Certification courses in India in an attempt to spread the highest level of basketball teaching to as many Indian coaches as possible. This year, Level 1 and Level 2 courses began on November 18th and will conclude on December 20th, with five Indian cities on the schedule of FIBA and the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

Two Level 1 courses have already concluded in Lucknow and Bengaluru, while three Level 2 courses are scheduled to be held in Chandigarh, Hyderabad, and Kolkata from Thursday, December 3 onwards. Each clinic is a 5-day course of 2 sessions per day, consisting of theoretical as well as practical sessions and also includes a written and practical evaluation.

These courses are being held in line with BFI and FIBA’s long-term coaching development strategy, and active interest has been shown in current and aspiring basketball coaches from around India who hope to coach the national team or help develop basketball in the grassroots. FIBA's Nelson Isley has over 40 years of international basketball experience as a player, coach and instructor. This is the American's fifth visit in India after several such clinics in the past.

The BFI stated that, compared to previous years, this time around, the emphasis is on practical demonstration as against theory. Coaches themselves are being made to showcase their skills on the court.

“There’s one thing certain about life, that if you can’t do something [yourself] you can’t teach it,” said Isley, "Indian coaches are very interested in learning… and have been very respectful… The hope is that eventually not only will you get Indian players that are ‘exportable’ so to speak… but that India can become an exporter of coaches.”

Isley confirmed that India, along with China, Nigeria, South Africa and Brazil, are priority countries for FIBA because of their sizeable populations and high number of talented athletes.

Previous years’ clinics were conducted in Mumbai (Level 1), Ranchi (Level 1), Delhi (Level 1 & 2), Chennai (Level 1 & 2), Hyderabad (Level 1), Chandigarh (Level 1), Ahmedabad (Level 1), Assam (Level 1), Kochi (Level 1), Ludhiana (Level 1), Patna (Level 1), and Pune (Level 1).

Not including the coaches who are expected to clear the 2015 clinics, there are currently 212 Level 1 and 27 Level 2 certified coaches in the country.

Schedule of 2015 FIBA Coaching Certification Courses

• Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) - November 18-22 - Level 1.
  
• Bengaluru (Karnataka) - November 25-29 - Level 1.
  
• Chandigarh - December 3-8 - Level 2.
  
• Hyderabad (Telangana) December 10-15 - Level 2.
  
• Kolkata (West Bengal) December 16-20 - Level 2.
  

FIBA/BFI Coaching Certification courses in five more Indian cities this month

Back by popular demand! After holding basketball coaching certification courses for Indian coaches in various Indian cities in August and September this year, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) in partnership with the international governing body of basketball FIBA have announced that the certification courses are set to return once more to the country. The new set of five courses will be held between November 24 to December 22, 2014 in five new locations: Chennai, Kochi, Chandigarh, and to be determined cities in Maharashtra as well as in the North-Eastern states.

Once again, FIBA Instructor Nelson Isley will return to India to be at the helm of the coaching team, teaching Indian coaches about the basics (Level 1) and intermediate (Level 2) fundamentals of Basketball Coaching.

Schedule of clinics are as follows:

• November 24-28 - Chennai, Tamil Nadu (Level 2)
  
• November 30 - December 4 - Northeast (City To Be Determined) (Level 1)
  
• December 6-10 - Kochi, Kerala (Level 1)
  
• December 12-16 - Maharashtra (City to Be Determined) (Level 1)
  
• December 18-22 - Chandigarh (Level 1)
  

Each city will host the clinics over a five-day programme. This is the tentative schedule for each city:

• Day 1 and 2 - Theoretical Courses (2 sessions per day)
  
• Day 3 - Practical Courses (2 sessions)
  
• Day 4 - Practical Course (1 session) and Examination (1 session)
  
• Day 5 - Practical Courses (2 sessions)
  

At the end of the event, there will be a written examination along with a practical evaluation. Upon passing both pieces, the participating Coach will receive a Level 1 or 2 certification.

Interested coaches can sign up for Level 1 here and Level 2 here. Note that only those who have passed Level 1 prior to June 2014 are eligible for Level 2. See more about the selection criteria here at the BFI's website.

It seems like Coach Isley will have another busy month travelling all across India and working to help improve the level of our coaches. Hopefully, the coaches who attend will make the most of this unique opportunity to help elevate their mind-game to higher levels.

BFI & FIBA bring back basketball coaching certification courses for Indian coaches

To coach India's best players to maximize on their potential, the country will first need to coach the coaches. They will need to empower Indian basketball's best tactical and motivational minds with world class knowledge of the game, and then, watch them apply the knowledge on improving the future athletes of the game.

For the second year, the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) will join hands with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to conduct five basketball coaching certification courses around the country over the next two months. After the success of the first iteration of four courses that concluded in February, FIBA's instructor Nelson Isley will once again travel to India to train young, up-and-coming Indian coaches. The next five courses are scheduled from August 16 - September 13 in Delhi/NCR, Hyderabad, Assam, Ahmedabad, and Ludhiana.

Over 120 coaches from across the country are expected to participate in the clinics. State Basketball Associations in each of the host cities will help the BFI and FIBA in organizing the events.

Of the five courses, four will be Level 1m providing the basics to beginner coaches, and one will be Level 2, allowing the coaches who passed Level 1 in the previous four courses to obtain the next level of certification. The Level 1 course will focus on teaching the basics of basketball to players aged 8-14. Level 2 courses teach the intermediate level of basketball, focusing on players aged 15-19.

The FIBA Coaching Certification program dates and cities are:

• 16 – 20 August: Delhi/NCR (Level 2)
  
• 21 – 25 August: Hyderabad (Level 1)
  
• 27 August – 1 September: Assam (Level 1)
  
• 3 – 7 September: Ahmedabad (Level 1)
  
• 9 – 13 September: Ludhiana (Level 1)
  

Any coaches interested in Level 1 should register online via BFI’s registration portal here. 

FIBA's Coach Nelson Isley has over 7 years of professional playing experience across the world and a total of over 38 years of coaching experience, including his most recent stop as Head Coach / Technical Director of the Mozambique Women’s National Team in 2006. Coach Isley has traveled the globe teaching the FIBA Coaching Certification Courses in various nations, including Nicaragua, Singapore, Guatemala and Malaysia.

BFI, FIBA, & NBA get together to organize basketball coaching certification courses across India

To support the great hall of basketball in India, the game needs the strongest pillars to support it. And three of those pillars - the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the NBA, and FIBA, have joined hands between December 2013 - February 2014 to bring expert training to India's most influential basketball coaches. These efforts will help build a link so the chosen coaches can then pass on to other coaches and young players across the country, thus lifting the quality of the game nationwide.

120 Indian coaches from four zones around the country will receive the FIBA Level 1 Coaching Certification as well as BFI Certification, thus enriching their knowledge of teaching fundamentals to the youth. The coaches were selected strategically based on the curriculum's content. The curriculum is based on FIBA's “Basketball for Young Players” book & CD for U13-U18 age players.

During the clinics in each zone, experts from FIBA, the BFI, and the NBA are pitting their talents together. FIBA's experienced coaching instructor Nelson Isley and NBA-India's Senior Director of Basketball Operations Troy Justice are conducting the FIBA Level 1 Coaching Certification programme. The BFI's head coaches for India's Senior Men's and Women's team - the American Scott Flemming and the Spaniard Francisco Garcia - will be conducting the BFI Certification Programme.

Representing India's West Zone, the first of the clinics was held in Mumbai - at Don Bosco High School, Matunga - from December 8-14, 2013. New Delhi is currently hosting the courses for the North Zone at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall from 16-22 December 2013.

In February 2014, cities from India's South and East zones will be chosen to host the certification courses, too - dates and cities are yet to be officially announced.

Speaking from the Coaches Certification programme in New Delhi, FIBA Coaching Instructor Nelson Isley said, “I am very satisfied with the attendance of the Indian coaches at the clinic. They have shown a lot of interest and are open to learning new basketball coaching techniques. It has been a very positive experience for me in India.”

Isley has been associated with FIBA since 2000. He has over 4 decades of coaching experience and conducting national development programmes, and has taught FIBA coaching clinics in Iceland, Mozambique, Swaziland, Nicaragua, Guatamala, Haiti, Spain, Chile, Bolivia, England, Zimbabwe, El Salvador, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Jamaica, Maldives, and Canada among other countries.

Flemming has been Head Coach of India's National Basketball Men's Team for a year. Prior to that, he was Assistant Coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA Development League. Garcia has been India's Women's National team coach for six months, and has 22 years of coaching experience across clubs in various European countries. Justice has spent several years in India spearheading NBA's programmes on grassroots level with coaching clinics, tournaments, and much more.