BUILDING TEAMS UP FROM THE BASELINE

NIC GIVEN

Orhan Memedovski and Mike Ayanbadejo have been stalwarts in the St Peters Basketball program for several years. Their high-energy approaches to coaching focus on encouraging student athletes to be vulnerable and stay disciplined while still having fun.

“I love team sports. In Basketball specifically everyone has to work together. I love when students make mistakes because it gives them an opportunity to learn,” said Orhan.

“The great thing about sport is that it’s a microcosm of life where you deal with ups and downs, adversity, good times, rough times and through it all you have to maintain process and good habits,” explained Mike.

When speaking to Naya Tassell (Year 7) who is the youngest girl ever to play for St Peters Opens and Anna Bassett (Year 10) who plays for the Girls Opens and representative basketball teams, it was clear the approach is working.

Anna said, “Mike is very passionate which is good because girls’ basketball isn’t very well recognised. He believes in our potential and wants the best out of us.

“He’s taught me that I need to look at things from different angles to get a better result,” she said.

Naya continued, “For me, he brought out a new passion for basketball that I didn’t have before. He also challenges us to bring our best, it’s all tough love.” what look doing achieve in it’s Cooper.

When speaking to Kye Van Beest (Year 12) a Boys First V and representative basketball player, and Cooper Rowlings (Year 12) from the Boys First V, who has been selected to be part of the Australian Institute of Sport for the remainder of 2023, they had similar experiences with Orhan.

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“It’s a good relaxed where having playing other, want said “Even pretty have That’s team “I and driven joke around, it’s just made it easy to turn up to every training and do the best I can,” said Cooper.

“The culture and team helped me learn how to be a better team player and contribute to an environment both on and off the court and also to learn a lot of leadership values and help others out,” said Kye.

Both coaches acknowledged their position as mentors and how their role models shaped them in their younger years.

“I think there’s nothing better than giving back and instilling what I was taught to the new generation of kids coming through,” said Orhan.

“I want to teach our athletes that in life, things don’t always go as you planned. You can have a plan and it might not always follow suit. I had supportive parents and coaches who taught me this early on and it really helped me,” he continued.

“When I look at my major influence, I was really blessed, my dad was a real positive role model,” Mike said.

“I remember how he made me feel, how he conducted himself as a human being. So, when I look at my coaching practice, I always remember that it’s more than what I say, it’s about how I act and how I make athletes feel,” he continued.

This learning-based approach has seen growth in both teams in recent years and with the wealth of talent coming in from younger grades, both coaches see more success for St Peters Basketball in years to come.

“I think the girl’s game is really long overdue, but I believe it’s finally getting the credit it deserves,” said Mike.

“I just love how we’re competing more now. My goal for St Peters basketballers is to enjoy the game and continue to play throughout their high school years,” said Orhan.

He also hopes that through their personal development and achievements in the sport, players are inspired to make a difference off the basketball court.

“I want players to give back to the community by sharing their gifts and experiences with others,” Orhan finished.