Building Better Basketball

Today’s guest on Building Better Basketball is Adam Forde - one of the most respected and thoughtful coaches in Australian basketball.
Adam is currently the Head Coach of the Cairns Taipans in the National Basketball League, where he has built a reputation for developing players, fostering strong team culture, and getting the very best out of his group. His coaching journey has taken him through a wide range of roles giving him a deep understanding of the game from both a development and high-performance perspective.
Adam is also heavily involved in the growth of the game beyond the traditional five-on-five format, including being the Head Coach of the Australian Mens program in the rapidly growing world of 3x3 basketball. His experience across different formats of the game gives him a unique perspective on how coaches can help players think, adapt, and make better decisions on the court.
In today’s conversation, we’ll dive into Adam’s coaching journey, his thoughts on player development, the lessons coaches can take from 3x3, and some practical ideas that community coaches can use with their own teams.

Today on Building Better basketball, we're joined by our newest face at the Centre of Excellence - Myra Donkin.
 
Fresh into her role as Assistant Coach in the women’s program, Myra is now working at the very pointy end of the national pathway, helping shape the next generation of Australian talent alongside Head Coach Mel Downer.
 
But what makes Myra’s perspective so valuable is the journey she’s taken to get there - from a long-time captain and leader in Cairns, to head coach in the NBL1 North, to leading performance pathways at Basketball Western Australia.
 
She’s seen the game at every level in Australia - and now sits in a role where development, performance, and people all intersect.
 
In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to prepare athletes for the Centre of Excellence, what coaches across the country should be focusing on, and how we can better connect the pathway from grassroots to green and gold.
 
This is a conversation packed with insight for any coach working with developing players.

Today on the Building Better Basketball podcast we’re joined by someone who has carved out a really unique path in the game. Marena Whittle is one of Australia’s leading 3x3 basketball players, representing the Gangurrus on the international stage and competing against the best players in the world in one of the fastest-growing formats of the game.
Marena’s journey through basketball is a fascinating one - from traditional 5-on-5 pathways through college and professional basketball, to embracing the speed, creativity, and tactical demands of 3x3. Along the way she’s developed a reputation for her competitiveness, skill, and ability to adapt her game to different environments.
In this conversation we’ll dive into the differences between 5-on-5 and 3x3, what makes great 3x3 players and teams, and what coaches and players at the community level can learn from a format that demands decision-making, toughness, and creativity on every possession.

Today on Building Better Basketball, we’re joined by Bonnie Deas, one of the most exciting young Australian players currently coming through the system. Bonnie is currently playing her college basketball at the University of Arkansas, after coming through the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence, where she developed a reputation as a tough, competitive guard who plays the game with real edge and intent. Her journey from the CoE to the NCAA gives her a unique perspective on development, daily training environments, and what it actually takes to make the jump from Australian pathways into the U.S. college system. She’s lived the process - the good bits, the hard bits, and the stuff coaches don’t always see. Today we’ll talk about her experiences, what helped her development most, and the lessons she’d pass on to young players and coaches trying to build better basketball environments.

Today, we’re joined by someone whose work sits right at the intersection of high performance, coach development, and athlete wellbeing.
 
Lauren Soderberg is a highly respected coach, consultant, and leader in the sport space. She’s coached internationally, led national programs, and helped athletes and teams achieve success on the world stage  including guiding programs from no ranking to international podium finishes.
 
Beyond performance, Lauren is the founder of Progressive Coaches, a platform dedicated to supporting coaches at every level and using sport as a vehicle for positive change. 
 
What makes Lauren’s perspective so valuable for basketball coaches is her ability to translate elite-level insights into practical, human-centred coaching -the kind that works just as well at community level as it does on the international stage.
 
In this episode, we’ll talk about what good coaching really looks like, how coaches can better support athlete wellbeing, and the small changes that can make a big difference in the environments we create.

Today we’re joined by someone from outside the basketball world — but whose insights might just change how you think about leadership, teamwork, and high performance.
Benjamin Northey is one of Australia’s most respected conductors and musical leaders. He’s the Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor for Learning & Engagement with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and a Professor of Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He has spent more than two decades leading elite ensembles on some of the biggest stages in Australia and around the world.
Recently, Benjamin presented at the Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Conference, where he explored the striking crossovers between conducting an orchestra and coaching high-performance teams — the role of clarity, communication, trust, shared leadership, emotional control, and the pursuit of excellence under pressure.
Today, we’re diving into all of that and more. What can coaches learn from a world-class conductor? How does an orchestra build culture? How do you lead a group of highly skilled individuals toward one performance in perfect sync?
It’s a fascinating conversation, and I’m thrilled to have him on the show.

Today, we’re joined by someone who has been at the centre of our new Coach Development Framework which is going to launch in 2026  and someone who is living the game at a seriously high level: Abbey Ellis.
When the framework launches and you get the chance to see all the new online learning content, for the favorite part of coaches, the technical ideas and drills  you will see Abbey’s influence. She’s been pivotal in shaping the content, ensuring the voice is player centered, and the learning experience to make it clearer, more practical, and genuinely coach-friendly.
But Abbey’s not just a brilliant learning designer - she’s a legit baller. A standout junior, a dynamic guard who carved out an impressive college career in the US, and a player known for her IQ, decision-making, and ability to compete at both ends of the floor. She brings that lived player experience into every conversation, every module, and every piece of coach education she touches.
Today, she’s here to take us behind the scenes: how she got involved, what coaches can expect, why this is such an important step forward for our sport and we will talk a little bit about her game too!

Today on Building Better Basketball, we’re joined by Sagalee Omer—Director of Shooters Shoot, a Melbourne-based charity basketball organisation. Through his events, Sagalee has raised over $100,000 to fund therapy, journaling programs, and even bicycles for young people’s mental and physical wellbeing. His leadership earned him Entrepreneur of the Year and the Minister for Youth Award at the 2024 Multicultural Youth Awards. He’s a powerful voice for community, creativity, and belonging—and I’m thrilled to welcome him to Building Better Basketball.
https://www.shootersshoot.com.au/

Welcome back to another episode of Building Better Basketball, the podcast for coaches who want to make a bigger impact on the game and their communities. I’m BA Community Capability and Educations Manager, Neil Gray, and today we’re talking about one of the most important areas in sport — making sure the game we all love is safe, fair, and inclusive for everyone.
To help us explore this, I’m joined by Lauren Halliwell, Basketball Australia’s General Manager of Integrity and Security. Lauren leads the work that ensures basketball in Australia is built on strong foundations — from child safety and safeguarding, to risk management, integrity policies, and creating environments where players, coaches, officials, and parents can enjoy the game with confidence.
In our conversation, we’ll talk about Lauren’s journey into this role, what a week looks like for her and her team, the systems and safeguards in place across the sport, and most importantly, the practical things coaches and clubs can do to make sure their environments are child safe and aligned with best practice.
So, whether you’re coaching juniors on a Friday night, leading a club program, or supporting athletes at the national level, you’ll walk away with clear takeaways on how to help protect the integrity of the game while keeping basketball fun, safe, and inclusive.
BA Play – Child Safety Resources hub (Children & Young People; Coaches/Officials; Clubs/Associations). play.aus.basketball
Reporting options & STOPline details: https://www.play.aus.basketball/child-safety/how-to-report
Safeguarding Children in Basketball online course: (enrol via etrainu) - https://basketballaustralia.etrainu.com/training/?event=course.purchase&bundleID=3E3FE4E8-21FF-42BD-8D3F-734C9514FE79&secret=5E2104A0-BE72-CB0A-62F8BC01C42F51F2
National Integrity Framework - https://www.australia.basketball/about/national-integrity-framework
 

Today on Building Better Basketball, we’re joined by someone who is leaving a real mark on the game through his work both on and off the court — Nick Haywood. Nick has built a reputation as a coach and leader who not only understands the technical side of basketball, but also the people side — the culture, the relationships, and the development journeys that make this sport special. From grassroots to high performance, he’s been at the heart of creating environments where athletes and coaches can thrive. We’re going to dig into his experiences, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and what he sees as the biggest opportunities for our game moving forward.
https://www.nickhaywood.com/