The NBL Weekend Takeover for 10/11 November will see City of Birmingham Rockets take the reins of the NBL Instagram story.
We caught up with Rockets' Coach Danny Williams ahead of their takeover weekend, in our latest Coach Spotlight feature.
COACH SPOTLIGHT
Name:Danny Williams
Team: City of Birmingham Rockets - NBL Division Four (West Midlands)
What brought you into coaching?
I have always been respectful of the fact that when I first started playing many years ago all of the people who coached me were volunteers and without them I would not have achieved the things I did in the game. These experiences allowed me to be become the person I am today, so my hope from coaching is that I am able to give some young people the same life opportunities that I was given.
What were your original thoughts when you moved into coaching?
This was a natural progression for me as I am someone that has always been interested in learning and developing. I felt that I was in a good position to give back as I had learnt from some great coaches such as Martin Ford, Andreas Kapoulas, Dave Bradshaw and Paul Douglas.
What did you find most interesting to learn as a coach?
The difference between playing and coaching was the hardest thing to learn, mainly because you want players to exceed your expectations.
What was the most rewarding part of your coaching journey so far?
I have been fortunate enough to work with many young people that have gone on to become professionals or play for Great Britain at a variety of age groups. However, the most rewarding part of coaching for me is seeing the growth in the players that I work with as people rather than just as players.
Which parts of coaching do you like the most?
The elements of coaching that I enjoy the most are the relationships that are built through shared experiences. I also enjoy seeing young players become young leaders in some aspect of the game; through their on-court leadership, becoming coaches themselves or becoming leaders in life.
Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?
I am very fortunate to be part of a thriving club City of Birmingham Rockets in a senior coach capacity. I have recently been appointed as the West Midlands Regional Talent Manager, giving me the opportunity to reach a wider audience and help the West Midlands develop.
What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?
My coaching is often player-led as I feel it’s important to allow them to dictate the levels that they achieve, however there are some baseline concepts that come with me as your coach. Communication is key to everything, an aggressive and attacking style on both offence and defence, and being supportive of teammates.
What is your coaching vision for the next 2 years?
I would hope that at club level we could reach NBL Division Two with our men’s program and that will be a greater level of development for all the juniors that are in the program. In regards to the West Midlands Region, I hope that we are able to develop girls’ basketball and that we are able to enter competitive teams at all levels of basketball within the Basketball England Talent Pathway.
What is your favourite coaching question from athletes?
"How can I get better?"
"How can I help my teammate?"
What advice do you have for those coaches currently in training?
Ensure that you are coaching at the right level for you, coaching takes up a lot of your own time and the rewards are mainly intrinsic so it’s important to ensure that it is your passion. Young people deserve the best we can give, so make sure your heart is leading your decisions.
What legacy would you like to leave behind you?
I would like my legacy to be dictated by the players that I coach and their development as young people.
You can follow Coach Williams' progress this weekend when City of Birmingham Rockets takeover the NBL Instagram story!
