Going back to grassroots

Yee Chun Leong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, December 25, 2009

WHAT better way to usher in the new year than come up with something new. Kevin Reece, the new national basketball coach, just got here but he's already cooking up something big.

The American is ready for the challenge of changing the face of Brunei basketball after being appointed the national team coach two days ago.

The seat has been left vacant for too long the previous coach, Bennett Palad of the Philippines, left one and a half years ago and Reece a.k.a Coach K wants to start his job by developing the sport from the grassroots.

"The priority that I have set for the job here is that I want to help and assist as much as possible to change the face of Brunei basketball. This is going to take a lot of patience but we will have to move in a positive direction.

"I believe that with the administration here (Brunei Basketball Association and Brunei government), who have the same vision as me, we will be able to pull it off," said Reece in an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday.

"What I want to do is put in a structure, a successful one, that starts from the grassroots (children aged between five and 18) or even deeper than that," added Reece, who has been coaching basketball professionally since 1985

"What is needed for the future of the sport here is for the players to lose the old (attitude) and go with the new.

"They will develop but they will need to be patient and eventually they will see the results of them improving," continued the 39-year-old Los Angeles native. Read More…

Source: The Brunei Times