The NBL Weekend Takeover for 17/18 November will see Liverpool Basketball Club take the reins of the NBL Instagram story.
We caught up with LBC's Coach Delme Herriman ahead of their takeover weekend, in our latest Coach Spotlight feature.
COACH SPOTLIGHT
Name: Delme Herriman
Team: Liverpool - NBL Division Two, Archbishop Beck Sports College - ABL (Northern Conference)
What brought you into coaching?
Working on Barrow Eurocamp with Laszlo Nemeth and running my own basketball day camps whilst I was still a professional player.
What were your original thoughts when you moved into coaching?
I wanted to do things differently to other coaches I'd played for in the past.
What did you find most interesting to learn as a coach?
That some young players can inspire you and breathe the love back into basketball again.
What was the most rewarding part of your coaching journey so far?
Winning three consecutive National Premier Schools championships with Bridgewater High School in as Year 9, 10 & 11 in 2013, 2014 & 2015. More recently, I was also honoured to be named NBL Division Two Coach of the Year for the 2017/2018 season.
Which parts of coaching do you like the most?
Away game days!
How did coaching qualifications slot in with your current life?
I completed my Level 2 in 2004 and I only started coaching full-time in 2017, but I coached a lot in schools and was a player-coach for a few years also.
Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?
I am the Director of Archbishop Beck Sports College basketball academy which competes in the Academy Basketball League (ABL), and I also head coach Liverpool Basketball Club in NBL Division Two.
Both teams are based at the same venue, so it allows a natural pathway for our more talented academy players to feed through and train with our better and more experienced players in our Division Two side.
What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?
I would say that this is getting guys to play unselfish team basketball and play aggressive up-tempo defence. Also, I like to emphasise the importance of improving individually and as a team over the season. A great team will usually always beat five great individuals.
What is your coaching vision for the next 2 years?
To get Liverpool promoted to NBL Division One by winning the Division Two league title, and to have our academy at Archbishop Beck Sports College win the ABL championship. Previously we finished in 3rd place in both leagues in the 2017/2018 season.
What is your favourite coaching question from athletes?
"How can I get better coach?"
"What do you want me to do to help the team win?" (I find this question is rarely asked!)
What do you enjoy most about being a coach?
Being a positive mentor/role model and helping guys achieve their goals by giving them opportunities within basketball that they have never had before.
Seeing guys improve after working on their game. Also, I enjoy sharing my experiences as a professional and as a NCAA DI college player; giving players an insight into what it takes and how they can achieve this too.
What advice would you give to people who are looking to move into coaching?
Start by teaching the very young children good fundamentals.
What advice do you have for those coaches currently in training?
Take opportunities to be around more experienced coaches and players to pick their brains for advice.
What legacy would you like to leave behind you?
I want to open the door for as many new basketball players as possible, help them reach their goals and dreams. To teach players to be versatile.
Also I want to have coached teams and players who play smart unselfish basketball and very tough hard-nosed defence. To play the game the right way and be a true professional.
You can follow Coach Herriman's progress this weekend when Liverpool Basketball Club takeover the NBL Instagram story!
