Many sports are neglecting women in coaching positions but for the Southern Districts Spartans, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
After spending a year coaching the Lady Spartans in the QSL last year and winning three straight championships with them in the QBL before that, Parham took the reins as Southern Districts’ NBL1 Men’s coach in 2021.
She is the first female head coach of a men’s team in NBL1 history.
Hailing from a 10-year strength and conditioning background and running her own business, Sports Mindset, Parham knows what it takes to find success in a sporting organisation.
Her philosophy is based on getting to know the individual and building strong relationships with them, which she says has been positive for the team this NBL1 North season.
“Basketball players are basketball players,” she says.
“(Men’s basketball) is a different style of basketball but it’s more about dealing with the individual.
“You need to understand how each player communicates with one another.”
Parham has built a roster containing the likes of Brisbane Bullets star Lamar Patterson and recent Drake University graduate Noah Thomas, with NBL legend Mika Vukona also featuring both on the sidelines and on the court.
Although the season has been disruptive and results haven’t always gone their way, Parham says the spirits are still high in the Spartans camp.
“The guys embrace me,” she says.
“They know I’m here to make things better and what I’m saying is going to make that better. I’ve built that rapport and trust with them.
“They respect me, I respect them.
“We are all building, getting better and working towards the same goal.”
In terms of her own coaching journey, Parham admits that leading a team wasn’t always on her mind.
“I never really wanted to be a coach,” she says.
“The overall coaching component was never something I found very appealing.
“Then as I got involved in more state programs, I started to get more of an itch to be a coach.
“When the opportunity presented itself with the Southern Districts, I jumped at it.
“I’m still learning every day.”
As a player, Parham knows what it takes to be successful, having been part of the Seattle Storm’s training camp for two years, training alongside the likes of Diana Taurasi.
“You’re playing against some of the best women in the world,” she reflects.
“I was considered an athletic guard throughout my junior career but when I got to America, I was told I wasn’t big enough or strong enough.
“It was competitive in every single practice against the calibre of players like Diana Taurasi.
“I learned a lot over there.”
Parham got a big wake-up call out of that program, developing the resilience she now takes into not only her coaching, but her everyday life.
