Dan Gayle interview

Inside MCBA (Myerscough College Basketball Academy) is a feature which will see the coaching staff at the academy contribute regular educational blog posts to the site. We will conduct introductory interviews with each member of the coaching staff which will be published in the coming weeks.


Dan Gayle is 2nd team Coach at Myerscough Basketball Academy.. 

When did you first begin playing basketball?

I started playing when I was around the age of 8/9 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. My mum and I migrated when I was young and to make new friends she signed me up to play in a local club called 'ft Lauderdale Lakers'

How and when did you decide to pursue a career in Coaching?

It was apparent pretty early in my playing 'career' that I wasn't as talented at playing the game as most of my peers, growing up training at Brixton Topcats in the same era as Luol Deng, Matthew Bryant Amaning, Justin Robinson to name a few, it was obvious I wasn't going to be the next big thing. To make matters worse I was also riddled with countless health issues so that kind off pushed me into coaching.
 

 Can you tell us about your base of experience - where have you worked?

At the age of 16/17 I started out as an assistant coach for the London Towers U13's National league team with Aston Smith. I met u18's England head Len Busch at the Towers set up and he had me coach a few junior clubs with him over in Hinchley wood and Walton on thames. I worked at the Guildford Heat for 3 years coaching U18's, Div 3 men, and assisting Creon Raftopoluos. Coached with Surrey Rams headed up by Lekan Popoola, after which I spent 3 season at CBA (Canarias Basketball Academy) under Head coach and Director Rob Orellana.


What are the main differences between basketball in the UK and in Spain?

Although I wasn't coaching in mainland Spain, I learnt a lot from the coaches at the academy and those coaches who briefly visited. The coaches teach continuity, lots of repetition, fundamental movement with and without the ball, work ethic and the importance to repeat all of those things. The main differences I found between the two systems are that in Spain (Europe) the players can play\train within the same system from u10's - senior level and it’s all a part of the same type of play, whereas here I don't believe we do the same. Fundamentals skill development is also big over in Europe, while here in the UK coaches seem to be more focused on getting players to run set offences and winning games.

 What advice would you give to young  coaches who wish to progress up the ranks? 

I'm still a young coach myself, still trying to polish off my repertoire, be known for my philosophy and for producing players. Two big things that's helped me along the way are: Listening and watching, Speaking to other coaches and keeping an open mind. Networking is huge, take as many opportunities as possible and be seen everywhere!

How did you end up at Myerscough?

I came to Myerscough college by networking. I was seeking a new coaching position coming off the end of my time at CBA, while speaking to assistant coach Chris Haslam of Montana State during the off season he told me about a possible coaching opportunity. He mentioned to me that there was a new academy starting at Myerscough and put me in touch with Commander and Chief Neal Hopkins. My self and Neal spoke for a couple of weeks and agreed and shared the same enthusiasm to create and coach an elite basketball program here in the UK... The rest as they say is history.

Nick McCarthy Interview

Inside MCBA (Myerscough College Basketball Academy) is a feature which will see the coaching staff at the academy contribute regular educational blog posts to the site. We will conduct introductory interviews with each member of the coaching staff which will be published in the coming weeks.

We spoke to the Academy's Sports Therapist Nick McCarthy about his background in the sport, his experience working in professional basketball and about his role here at Myerscough..

Nick working at the Jordan Brand Classic

When did you first begin playing basketball?

I first began playing during high school, probably around 12 years old. I was looking for an excuse to stop playing rugby and was told I had to play some sort of sport. A good friend of mine was already a good player and invited me to come down and train with him, I enjoyed it so much that I began to play basketball at every single opportunity I could. I continued to play through school and when I moved to the North West I began playing for Bolton U16/U18 national league whilst playing for Bolton men's team. I eventually played in the men's National league.



How and when did you decide to pursue a career in sports therapy?

I've always loved sports so it was always going to be in the sports industry I looked to create a career. Sadly my dream of professional basketball wasn't looking like it would be an option so I needed to find a way to stay involved in the sport I love. Initially I studied a sports science degree and found that the classes on anatomy and physiology and sports injury were ones I truly enjoyed and wanted to pursue. After researching sports therapy and working out exactly what the role included I decided that it was the right choice for me and a career path that I would really enjoy!

Can you tell us about your base of experience - where have you worked?

Initially I started out working voluntarily for the Midnight Madness summer basketball tour where I make great contacts with players and coaches up and down the country. Following that I got the job as head therapist of a non-league semi pro football team in Crosby, Liverpool where I developed a great understanding of another sport. In 2009 I was introduced to Coach Tony Garbelotto who hired me to work for the Mersey Tigers basketball team (BBL) where we enjoyed a fantastic few season and won the Trophy, League and Playoffs. I have enjoyed numerous other roles in basketball as well; including working for the 2010 GB u23's program in the summer, where we travelled to play Germany in a series of games. I have been Head therapist for the European Jordan Brand Classic, I have also worked briefly with the England u18 program and the North-West regional U17's. More recently I have worked with the England men's select team. Currently I'm in my second season as therapist for the Manchester Giants BBL team, and obviously here at the Myerscough Basketball Academy..

During your time working in professional basketball is there an individual who stands out as a model pro/role model?

The first name that springs to mind is Nate Reinking (former-GB International). He was a pleasure to work with. He was fully committed to excellence. He took no days off when it came to looking after his body and was very in tune with what his body was able to do at certain points so maximised his efficiency. He was a calm presence on the team and a real role model in the locker room to younger guys. Drew Sullivan stands out also as a good role model/professional. He's an excellent player but leads by example. He demanded excellence from everyone on the team and made the guys around him better.


What advice would you give to young players who aspire to work within pro basketball?

My best advise would be to network with as many people as possible. The basketball community reaches all round the world and knowing people can give you avenues to 100's of places. Secondly be known for your hard work, for going the extra mile and not skipping steps along the way! Hard work plus a talent is an unstoppable combination.


How did you end up at Myerscough?

I have worked with Coach Neal Hopkins for years in the BBL and we both have an appreciation for developing basketball in this country. When the the academy was formulated by Coach Hopkins it was a no-brainer that I would apply for the job at the college.


What does your role as sports therapist at the Academy encompass?

My role is to keep the guys healthy and on the court. I also have a role in the strength and conditioning; to ensure that as much as possible is done to screen the players and see if we can identify any warning signs that could lead to injury and reduce the chances of them occurring. When a player gets injured it's my responsibility to rehabilitate them and return them to full functional fitness again with minimal risk of reinjury and then ensure that their strength and conditioning allows them to develop further. I work closely with Coach Hopkins and the other coaches to ensure they are aware of issues and guard against anything that could be a detrimental factor to the athlete.

How do you feel the first term went?

The first term has been fantastic, and the guys on the program have been a credit to the college. It's been great to see the guys develop into smart basketball players and become great athletes at the same time. The sky is the limit for a lot of these guys.

Click on the image to read Nick's injury
prevention blog contribution

Inside MCBA: Alex Hodgson Interview

Inside MCBA (Myerscough College Basketball Academy) is a new feature which will see the coaching staff at the academy contribute regular educational blog posts to the site. We will conduct introductory interviews with each member of the coaching staff which will be published in the coming weeks.

Alex Hodgson is the lead Strength and Conditioning coach at the academy. He played professionally in his native Australia and in Europe and brings a wealth of basketball expertise to the programme. We spoke to Alex about his playing career and his role here at Myerscough..

When did you first begin playing basketball? 

I started playing when I was 9 years old in my home town in Australia. I was quite tall as a kid so it seemed a logical way to go with sport! I really enjoyed the sport so I continued to play there onward.

How did you end up playing professionally? 

I just kept playing! I played locally for my town when I was growing up and played representatively. I continued to make better teams and kept progressing until some opportunities arose which allowed me to get paid to do what I enjoyed!

Tell us about the different places you have played (and which was your favourite?)

I have played in lots of different places. My favourite place to play is at home with my friends and people I grew up with in Australia. If  c had the chance to play in Barcelona which was definitely my favourite place I have played away from home. I have also played here in the UK which was a great experience

What advice you would give to young players who aspire to play professionally?

Be obsessed with the game! If you want to be a professional you have to be dedicated and do your best. Not many people end up playing professionally just through cruising along and waiting for it to happen.

How did you end up working at MCBA?

I had played for Neal (academy head coach) for a couple of years. He knew my background and recognised that my basketball knowledge matched well with what he was trying to do here. I had finished my strength and conditioning degree locally at UCLan (University of Central Lancashire) and the opportunity came up and I thought it was a really good match.

What does your role as lead Strength and Conditioning coach encompass?

My main role is to develop the athletic side of the academy players. They're all at a developmental age so we are really looking to strengthen guys up and improve various performance aspects such as speed, agility and fitness.

How do you feel the first term at the academy has been?

It's been a learning curve but I think we've improved every week. I'm really impressed with the way the athletes have progressed so far. We're only a few months in and I think everyone has seen a marked increase in performance and strength. They are all seeing the benefits of all the training we do which is great! We're really looking forward to the future

Watch out for Alex's first blog post, due to be published in the coming weeks.