TORONTO, ONT. (December 7, 2018) – Canada Basketball has announced the coaching staff for Team Canada ahead of the FIBA U16 Women's Americas Championship 2019.
Head coach and Manitoba native Cheryl Jean-Paul will lead Team Canada at the FIBA U16 Women's Americas Championship 2019 (date / location TBD) and be joined by assistant coaches Nate McKibbon and Tamara Tatham, as well as apprentice coach Fabienne Blizzard.
Since 2010, Jean-Paul has been head coach at Trinity Western University and last season was named the Canada West Coach of the Year after leading the Spartans to a program-best 16-4 regular season record. Prior to joining Trinity Western, Jean-Paul was an assistant coach at the University of Manitoba from 2005-07 and involved with the Manitoba Provincial Team and Centre for Performance programs.Jean-Paul has been involved in Team Canada for several years and has served as a support coach for both Cadette / Junior National Team programs from 2015-17.
Last summer, Jean-Paul led the British Columbia provincial team to a bronze medal at the 17U Girl's National Championship.
She is NCCP Train to Compete certified and an NCCP Master Learning Facilitator.
McKibbon joins Jean-Paul’s staff after spending the past four years as the women’s basketball head coach at Mount Royal University. Before Mount Royal, McKibbon was an assistant coach at McMaster University from 2004-07 and 2014-15.
This will be McKibbon’s fourth year with Team Canada after he served as an assistant coach with the Development Women’s National Development team that finished seventh at the 2017 Summer Universiade. He also was a performance analyst with the Junior National Team in 2014 and 2015 that finished 8th at the FIBA U19 Women's World Championship.
A national champion as head coach of the Team Ontario U15, last summer McKibbon was head coach of Alberta’s U15 program.
McKibbon is NCCP Train to Compete certified.
Following a ten-year playing career as a member of Team Canada, Tatham, a two-time Olympian, is now an assistant coach with the women’s basketball team at the University of Toronto.
This will be Tatham’s first time in a coaching role with Team Canada after serving as Apprentice Coach / Team Manager last summer at the FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship 2018
In addition, Tatham is currently a mentee coach with the Raptors 905, the Toronto Raptors G League affiliate.
Tatham is currently in training in the NCCP Train to Compete stream.
Currently the head coach at Capital Courts Academy, Blizzard joins the Team Canada staff for the first time as an apprentice coach.
From 2015-18, Blizzard was the head coach of both U15 and U17 Team Ontario provincial teams. Prior to being head coach, Blizzard was assistant coach of U17 Team Ontario for the 2014-15 season.
Following a celebrated playing career at the University of Ottawa, Blizzard served as both the head coach and assistant coach of the Gee-Gees between 1994-99.
Blizzard is currently in training in the NCCP Train to Compete stream.
Source: http://www.basketball.ca