GAME CENTRE
After a short break from the representative coaching ranks, Chad Kirkwood is returning to coach the Newcastle Falcons Youth Women for the 2024 Waratah Basketball League season.
Chad, whose basketball background stretches back to his representative playing days in Gloucester, has spent the past 30 years in Newcastle as a player, referee and coach, and is looking forward to returning to the sidelines to impart his knowledge and help develop Youth League players for NBL1.
“I am very excited to be back on the whiteboard after three years being a spectator,” said Chad, pictured above.
“I have had some coaching experience with a few of the prospective players and I’m very keen to see the growth in their game over the past couple of years.
“With a bit of junior level experience, I am very keen to test myself again in the senior rep ranks.”
Chad coached various boys and girls teams for the West Basketball Club from 2016 to 2020, collecting the West Coach of the Year award in 2018.
He coached Newcastle’s Division Two Youth Men to the finals in 2019, and coached Newcastle junior representative teams to collect silver medals in Basketball NSW competitions in 2016 (Under-14 Div 2 Women), 2018 (Under-16 Div 2 Women) and 2019 (Under-18 Div 2 Women).
Basketball is a family affair for Chad. He and his wife Tracy are aligned with West Basketball Club, and their children Jackson and Bella enjoyed successful junior careers with West and they were regular Newcastle representative players.
With help from Bella, Chad ran Newcastle Basketball’s first “Daughters and Dads” program earlier this year.
“Chad has vast experience supporting our female athletes through our junior representative programs, as well as having coached our Youth League men, so we’re excited to welcome him back to our senior coaching ranks,” Newcastle Basketball General Manager Matt Neason said.
“His vision for team, specifically around shaping the Youth League program to be a genuine feeder program for our NBL1 team, really aligned with what we’re trying to achieve.
“Chad headed up our very first Daughters and Dads program earlier this year, which shows that he’s connected from grass roots through to senior representative basketball.”
