2 minute read
Basketball Africa Empress
The successful strategy of cooperating with the NBA, FIBA (Federal International Basketball Association) should validate the authenticity of the Basketball Africa League.
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When WJ became aware of BAL, in October 2021, there was no visible advertising or promotion to attract the attention of basketball fans that resort to watching the NBA or EuroLeague on Youtube.
A little over a year afterwards, while covering the basketball league in Turkeyi, we decided to Google this year's BAL Tournament games.
Liz Mills, the national Kenyan head coach and coach of league qualifiers ASL Sale of Morroco's, kept coming up during the search.
First and foremost, our quest was to know what led Coach Mills to coaching a national team from a conflict zone African continental country (Kenya).
Coach Mills started by stating:
"I previously worked in Kenya in 2015 and enjoyed my time there. In 2019, when the Kenyan Mens' National Team competed in the AfroCan basketball tournament, the team played well together and had potential."
I watched them participate in the first round of the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket qualifiers and felt they were underperforming. The team manager and I started corresponding as we worked together to secure my position as head coach for the final window of AfroBasket Qualifiers.
I was excited to be named as Head Coach of Kenya. I was thrilled to be working with a team with potential and the ability to work hard to achieve goals. I knew I would bring value to the team and that together we'd be able to do something special, which we did.
"From a career perspective, it also allowed me to go back to being a head coach and my first opportunity to head coach a national team," stated Coach Mills
It seems that other clubs or connections within the African basketball community took notice. How did the AS Sale Morroco come about?
"As with all my previous roles in Africa, I sought positions with certain teams. I would approach teams directly or get assistance from friends by relying on my basketball network to secure a position. Creating a network and understanding your environment matters. It also highlights, especially for women, the importance of creating opportunities. Too often, we wait for someone to hand us the opportunity, but in reality, for women in sports, this is rare. We must create our own."
"With the position in Morrocco, I have been good friends with a former player, Mohamed Sekkak, and he put my name forward as he was aware of the head coaching position at AS Sale Basketball Club. That is how I got the job."
True to Coach Mills' words, this should serve as an example as AS Sale were preparing for the Moroccan and BAL season in 2023. She created her opportunity by submitting her name to the club based on her qualifications and putting one foot forward with confidence.
