The Canadian Armed Forces Regions (CAFR) are working diligently to promote athletics, morale and fitness amongst the troops.
Athletes from Atlantic Canada had a taste of that in New Brunswick recently and the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association was well represented.
A number of female athletes visited CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick to take part in an event that is happening across the country to promote basketball, particularly the 3v3 brand of the game.
Madeline Belding, the head coach of the MWBA’s Port City Fog of Saint John, was one of the key coaches at the four-day training camp that featured everything from fundamental movement, skill sessions and tactics for the 3v3 brand.
“First of all, I was honoured to be asked to participate in this initiative with athletes from CFB Gagetown and CFB Halifax,’ said Belding. ‘Having the opportunity to work alongside some of the best coaches in our province is always something I look forward to, but the week was made even better by the sheer amount of strong, female role models in the space who were eager to make this week great.’
Erin McAleenan, the head coach of University of New Brunswick Reds and New Brunswick basketball legend Pauline Lordon were other guest basketball instructors.
Lordon played and coached at UNB. She was Atlantic University Sport coach of the year in 1993-94, just several seasons after being named a two-time AUS MVP winner. She was also a women’s basketball assistant coach with Team Canada at the FIBA Americas Tournament in 1995 and 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
All three coaches taught different concepts to the women as part of a regional development clinic.
Belding, who is an assistant coach with McAleenan’s UNB staff, enjoyed working with the engaged athletes during her time at CFB Gagetown.
‘Coming into this week I wasn’t sure what to expect as this was a completely new environment for me,’ she said. ‘From the start, I could tell that the athletes were eager to learn and were very receptive to feedback, which as a coach, couldn’t have asked for a better group of athletes to work with. Considering there aren’t as many opportunities for women, especially as adults, to learn a new sport, it was awesome to see athletes willing to try new skills and have fun while they did. I look forward to more opportunities like this in the future.’
Amanda Murphy, the sports coordinator with 5CDSB Gagetown-M2m, was thrilled with the week that was.
‘We are looking to establish and help grow and develop women’s basketball programs within our Atlantic Region,’ Murphy said. ‘It was so much fun bringing the players and coaches together in this environment.’
– Port City Fog head coach Madeline Belding works with a camp attendee.