BASKETBALL ENGLAND LEVEL 3 COACHING COURSE AT RED STAR CONTINUES TO PUSH TALENT FORWARD

Red Star Basketball Camp UK has continued its commitment to developing pathways and opportunities for coaches in partnership with the National Governing Body. Hosting Basketball England's annual Level 3 Coaching Certification for the second year, the candidacy were the beneficiary of three full days of core lectures, domestic and international signature speakers, on court observation, peer led review and discussions on performance environments including technical and tactical development.

Under the stewardship of Basketball England Talent Pathway Manager, Dr Sam Messam, the fledgling performance coaches received insights from Serbian and British Master Coaches Milan Mandaric (Player Profiling - Individual Development - Developing Decision Making) Zeljko Vasiljevic (Foundations; developing Defensive and Offensive Philosophy) Matthew Newby (My Coaching Journey), Chris Mayes (American Pathways; NIL and a New World) and Manny Bloom (Practice Planning through the season; the Macro and the Micro), This allowed the candidates to unpick their own philosophy, interrogate the ideas and beliefs of others and identify their own strengths and areas of development. This community of practice approach which Dr Messam has tailored for the Level 3 has been very popular with the 2025 class identifying the merits of the way the course has been structured and delivered.

Dr Sam Messam, Course Tutor:

"We are really pleased with this years level 3 coach award, delivered in partnership with Redstar and the City of Leeds. The purpose of bringing the award into a camp environment was to expose coach candidates to a live coaching environment, engage with high level clinicians and take advantage of a playing cohort. In doing so we were able to explore coaching though small communities of practice, peer observations and guest speakers. Of note, we heard from Coach Thompson, FDC Associate Coach, Milan Mandaric, Matt Newby, Zeljko Vasiljevic, Chris Mayes and Manny Bloom. Coach education and development often occurs in a vacuum, with a single tutor. The make up of this level 3 is both innovative and responsive to the call for a more immerse learning environment that meets the needs of a contemporary coaching community.”

Kieran Matthews - Candidate:

"Doing the Level 3 through BE and Red Star was a hugely valuable experience. I got to learn from some of the best British coaches and also see the game through a completely different lens with Red Star’s Serbian basketball curriculum. The open conversations and Q&A sessions were a highlight for me — getting to ask questions, swap ideas, and hear honest insights made the whole thing even more meaningful and left me with a deeper understanding of coaching and player development."

Shanice Turner - Candidate:

"Completing my Level 3 coaching qualification alongside coaching at Redstar Camp was an incredible experience. I had the chance to learn from coaches at every stage of their journey, and the inspiring talks reminded me that there’s no single ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to coach – it’s a true expression of who you are. I realised that my values and beliefs form the concrete foundation of my coaching philosophy, and I’ve been able to explore how these come to life in my practice. Observing other coaches on camp gave me the chance to develop a mindset that’s critical for growth, but never for critique. I came away with new perspectives, deeper self-awareness, and a renewed passion for what I do. I’d highly recommend the experience to anyone wanting to grow both as a coach and as a person!"

Cameron Stewart - Candidate:

"Starting the level 3 at Red Star was fantastic. The course tutor was excellent at delivering the content and am broke down the content clearly giving great advice of how best to complete the portfolio. Dr Messam also fostered an environment which allowed for constructive and thought provoking discussion between all the leaners. For me, the standout of the course was the quality of lectures that spoke to us. The blend of European and American expertise provided a well rounded wealth of knowledge that I took a lot from."

Matt Newby - Red Star Camp Director:

"Having run the inaugural Level 3 in 2024 and with the feedback from candidates being so strong, we felt it was important to renew the offer and endeavour to add further value. The unique nature of the setting affords the coaches the opportunity to observe elite coaching practice, experience the delivery Serbian basketball curriculum and the technical nuances of individual player development. Dr Sam Messam has once again guided the candidates through a variety high level learning tasks and professional discussions, developing and refining areas such as planning, periodisation and pedagogy. This was fortified with the signature lectures from the Master Coaches at camp, each delivering quality insight in to different quarters of the game. The value of this environment and the style of delivery is integral to developing coaches for the future; whom are more self aware, more robust and have the appropriate Appetite, Attitude, Aptitude and Application to navigate the coaching domain with success. I am thankful to the clinicians from camp engaging in the educational piece, the coaches were engaged curious and thirsty for more detail which is alway great ingredient for learning. A huge thanks to Basketball England and Sports Structures for assisting in the launch and administration of the course and for Dr Messam for championing and delivering from its inception this is definitely a blueprint for future educational pieces."