With more than a combined 300 Women’s National Basketball games experience between them, emerging young female coaches Zoe Carr and Renae Garlepp are making a difference as they forge forward in the second phase of their basketball life.
The pair have recently returned from Guam, where they combined on the coaching staff in leading the Australian girls team to a gold medal at the FIBA Oceania Under 15 Championships.
Carr, who was the head coach in Guam, played 152 games in the WNBL with Canberra and Bulleen and is currently employed as the Head Coach of the Basketball Victoria Country Women’s high-performance program.
An Australian Institute of Sport basketball scholarship holder 2002-2003, Carr has made a seamless transition to coaching after her successful playing career and served as an assistant coach on the Australian Under 17 Women’s Asia Cup gold medal team earlier this year.
“I never saw myself becoming a coach, I just thought I was a player and that was it,” Carr said after arriving back from claiming her first international gold medal as a coach.
“But since investing in coaching and in myself as a coach, the sense of purpose and fulfilment have far outweighed those I ever had as a player.”
Like many coaches at all levels of the sport, Carr values the holistic impact a coach can have on their players.
“To be able to impact young athletes to become better basketball players, but more importantly better humans is something very special,” she added.
Renae Garlepp was an assistant coach for the Australian Under 15 girls in Guam and likewise, has enjoyed a successful transition from 160-game WNBL star and former Australian Opals squad member.
A former WNBL grand final Most Valuable Player, Garlepp works extensively in the Basketball NSW State Performance and state teams programs, as well as coaching in the NBL1 East competition.
Garlepp spent three years at the Australian Institute of Sport as an athlete and played internationally as well as forging a highly successful WNBL career.
Similar to Carr, she said impacting young people holistically was the attraction to coaching.
“I’ve loved competing with teams and staffs while working towards a shared goal,” she said.
“Helping players in their basketball experience and being able to pay it forward is a special thing.
Post their respective playing careers, both young coaches have engaged in developing their coaching craft, completing Basketball Australia coach accreditation courses and engaging in various professional development opportunities.
Basketball Australia General Manager of High Performance and former Australian Opals mentor Jan Stirling said the importance of role modelling for young players could not be understated.
“Both Zoe and Renae have worked hard on their coaching craft, engaging in clinics and courses and investing in themselves as young coaches and role models” she said.
“We are proud of these two young women and all the female coaches across the country investing back into the sport and providing leadership and role modelling for players at all levels.
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