Local basketball players had a unique opportunity to pick up some elite instruction from one of the top professional coaches in Europe at the Golden Ticket Sports Centre on Thursday night.
Elite Athletes Belgium coach and trainer Joerik Michiels made a stop at the local facility as part of a cross-Canada tour put together by Golden Ticket owner Tanner Brightman.
Around 30 players from Grade 7 through 12 took part in the event, which saw Michiels run participants through a range of drills designed to focus on player development.
It all came out of Brightman working with Michiels on a smaller tour through Saskatchewan back in 2019, which saw 17 camps in seven locations over nine days in the province.
This time around?
No less than 50 camps in 17 communities, covering 19 days and involving over 700 players. It all kicked off on June 1 in Fredericton and has been rolling west since, having stopped off in Winnipeg on June 8 before heading to Moose Jaw.
“It’s been amazing, not just with the kids and the camp itself, but to meet everyone and different cultures and what basketball is like over here,” Michiels said prior to the Moose Jaw event. “It’s a very different culture compared to Europe, so it’s been a great experience both on and off the court. And having a chance to see Canada, too, it’s an absolutely beautiful country.”
Michiels brings an impressive depth of knowledge in the game, having worked with more than 150 professional players and served as an NBA Europe skills trainer in the past. He’s also an NBA Basketball Without Borders clinician, part of a program that brings the sport to developing countries.
Brightman had worked with Michiels in Belgium earlier this year, which led to things coming together for the Canada trip, with Moose Jaw an obvious stop.
“We wanted to get to Moose Jaw for sure, not only because we have the space but to see the community and how good the year has been at the Sports Centre,” Brightman said. “It’s been a really good trip, we’ve met a lot of people and been able to pass on a lot of stuff.”
The training session focussed on what Michiels terms the Super Six -- Finishing, Shooting, Passing, Footwork, Decision-making and Creating off the Dribble.
“Those are what I focus on and it’s all player development and skill development,” Michiels explained. “It’ll be teaching them, going over details, then a lot of small-sided games to put it to practice.”
That aspect of training is something that isn’t always looked at as much, giving Elite Athletes Belgium a unique approach to skill improvement.
“We’re one of the first ones to do it, using small-sided games for skill development, and I think a reason is the culture here doesn’t have as many player development coaches,” Michiels said. “Here it’s mostly head coaches who go over the style of play and tactics, so you can see it’s pretty new for everyone. But I think the kids really like it.”
The tour continues in Regina and Saskatoon before heading into Alberta, making a stop in Whitehorse and finishing off with visits to Vancouver and Victoria at the end of the month.
It’s all part of what Brightman hopes will become a regular occurrence for Golden Ticket Sports, now that a well-developed connection has been established.
“Stuff like this will be an annual thing, having an international connection like this and being able to go back and forth is a cool opportunity,” Brightman said. “It doesn’t seem like anyone else is doing it and the rule and style of play are quite similar, it’s a nice fit and something we’ll definitely be interested in in the future."
