Whalen, Brewster headline high school girls coaches clinic
New University of Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen will be among the presenters. (Photo courtesy of U of M)
The game of basketball is changing fast, and coaches who fail to adapt over time often find themselves on the wrong side of the win-loss column. That’s why it’s important to stay current which is what nearly 250 high school coaches will be doing Friday, Oct. 26 at the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association fall clinic at the University of St. Thomas. ”I love clinics. One of the purposes is to get you thinking about what you do as a coach,” said Sauk Centre coach Scott Bergman, one of the event organizers. “I think going to clinics helps keep you from getting stale. The game is evolving and it’s important to stay fresh.”
This is the 40th year of the clinic which occurs about two weeks prior to the official opening of practice for the high school season. The roster of college coaches presenting is quite diverse, from Division 1 high- and mid-majors to D2, D3 and NAIA programs. The headliner is new University of Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen, who is much in demand these days leading up to her college coaching debut Nov. 9 at Williams Arena. “We’re so excited to have Lindsay Whalen coming in. We are thrilled to have her, and the new staff has been just great to work with,” said Bergman, who coached his Sauk Centre Mainstreeters to the 2A state championship last spring. “We have had high school coaches speak in the past, as well, but it just happened this year that all of the college people I asked to speak agreed. It is intentional to try and have coaches from different levels participate.”
Head Coach Jason Christensen of Dakota Wesleyan will be on hand Oct. 26. (Photo courtesy of yankton.net)Presenters include Travis Brewster of Division 1 North Dakota, Tom Webb of Division 2 Southwest State and Ruth Sinn of Division 3 St. Thomas. Players from the University of St. Thomas and the University of Northwestern in St. Paul will be demonstrating on court. Topics include guard skills, developing post players and favorite practice drills and games. “We try to have a wide variety of topics, and I think this year more than ever we have certainly done that,” Bergman said. “We love the skill development part of it that Coach Whalen and Coach Brewster will bring. When coaches ask us what topics we want them to cover, we always tell them to speak on what they are passionate about and what they think their strengths are.”
Here’s the complete lineup:
- Lindsay Whalen, University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) – Guard skill development
- Travis Brewster, University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) – Developing post players
- Ruth Sinn, University of St. Thomas (St. Paul) – Topic to be determined
- Aaron Kahl, University of Northwestern (St. Paul) – Favorite practice drills and games
- Tom Webb, Southwest State University (Marshall) – Dribble drive offense including breakdown drills
- Jason Christensen, Dakota Wesleyan (Mitchell, S.D.) – Secondary break and baseline out-of-bounds plays
More than 200 coaches have already pre-registered for the clinic and about 250 are expected to attend. The registration fee is $100. Coaches can register via mshsca.org or at the clinic.
Top photo: Head coach Travis Brewster of the University of North Dakota will be among the presenters at the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Clinic Oct. 26 at the University of St. Thomas. (Photo courtesy Grand Forks Herald)