"Xs and Os" Coaches Corner - Tyrone Thwaites

Welcome back for our second installment of our X's and O's series where we catch up with head coaches from around the NBL1 West to get some valuable insights from them. 

This week we catch up with 2023 NBL1 West Women's championship-winner Tyrone Thwaites to discuss all things Cockburn. Thanks to Ty for sharing his thoughts with us

Q: What's been your biggest challenge for you as a coach and also as a team so far in 2024? How does that affect the remainder of the season in your title defence? 

A: If you want the raw, honest coaching perspective - it’s been a real challenge to navigate the perceived pressures of performance coming off a championship. It’s uncharted territory and somewhere we haven’t been before as a women’s program. We approached this year with a strong perspective that the same work won’t get the same result, but it doesn’t change the underlying feeling. As the year has gone on you adapt, and I’ve had to remind myself quite a few times that our commitment to process and preparation is what has the potential to separate us from everyone else. 

It (pressure) doesn’t make it any less fun or a ride, and it’s been a really enjoyable 2024 so far. New challenges are good challenges.

From a team perspective it really has been dealing with integrating a lot more faces than we have been used to, while also moulding our identity and elevating our culture. A pretty delicate balance. It hasn’t been perfect, and not without some jitters, but it’s starting to come together both on and off court. We were very fortunate last year to start as well as we did which build us a bit of a buffer, while this year there were some early hiccups while we built some chemistry and identity. But it’s about building to make sure it comes together at the right time and we feel like we are on that path.

I’ve also learnt to step away from the ‘title defence’ mindset. New year, new faces, same culture, same mindset. It’s not about defending last year, because this group is not that group, and it’s really about writing our own 2024 story to put on the shelf.

Q: Off the court at Wally Hagan, you have been the catalyst in a massive change in not just the visual brand of the Cougars as an organisation, but also in working with the likes of Andy, Claydo and other senior coaches to making your WABL program an up and coming powerhouse - highlighted by your two U14 Championship Division teams qualifying for this year's National Club Champs to be held in Victoria in September. Describe for us that journey on and off the court, of that resurgence for the club over the last few years?

A: Why it’s happened like it has - really depends on who you ask. Personally, I am just proud of who we are and how we operate. It has been a lot of hard work by a lot of different people who have been involved over the past six years (and prior). 

I definitely think there has been a correlation between the growth of our domestic competition and the strength of our WABL program. Those two go hand in hand. We were a 100 team domestic competition in 2017, and we now have more than 265 in juniors alone. So sheer volume makes a difference. The other (and most enjoyable) part is the process we have gone through with out coaches and investment into them. We really do pride ourselves on our coaching cohort, and to get to 33 teams at WABL level with very few (and often zero) head coaching gaps, is a real testament to Andy, Claydo and all of our administrative team who have built it to what it is today.

Our quality of coaches has no doubt lead to an influx of athletes across the same time, which interestingly, are now all starting to graduate (or get close to), adult basketball. Contrastingly, our U14 athletes heading to nationals have been floating around since U12’s and highlights the steps it’s taken to get to where we are. Coaching is the first step to credibility in a program, then athletes follow to grow the credibility, and then you have the coaches AND credibility in place to build your own cohort from U12’s up. We are now just starting to see the fruit of that which is something we are very proud of, and very few clubs have been able to maintain (Willetton springs to mind as a club who have done this incredibly well!)

You will always have those who love what you do, and others who don’t. We certainly embrace anyone who is a part of our club, and don’t take the old school mindset that was around when I played that if you didn’t start here you don’t belong. That’s not who we are or any part of our ethos. And equally, if you decide somewhere else better suits who you are as an athlete or family, we don’t begrudge that either. Sport is a community builder, and no one place is the same. That’s what makes it as fun as it is!

Make sure to get your tickets to the 2024 NBL1 West Grand Final at RAC Arena below: 

Q: You have a very energetic, loud and sometimes even intimidating demeanor on the sidelines but clearly have the respect of your playing group based off how they play for you week in and week out. What's your biggest motivation and drive as a coach, and what advice would you give to young aspiring coaches coming through the system as to maintaining and reaching goals in such a tough and competitive league? 

A: Thanks mate (I think haha). I think that’s a relatively accurate description, I often just summarise it as ‘passionate’ so I don’t come across as a complete psycho. It’s probably my biggest strength and weakness (my sideline excitement), and something I have learnt to temper the last 18 months to make sure I remain level. I also have some outstanding assistant coaches and leaders who navigate that with me very well.

My biggest motivation is genuinely the development of the people inside our program. A championship is well and truly the by-product of that, but I just love the people I get to work with. The development of the individual person is my favourite part of what I am privileged enough to do. Our program is filled with such great characters, and seeing them develop is genuinely the most enjoyable part of it all. Jewel Williams is my favourite story, and to see her develop in the last three years on and off court makes me so damn proud! I would do whatever it takes for that kid (now 23, but still a kid), as I would for any of the wonderful humans we get to work with.

I’m also so fortunate to have so many athletes and coaches have a profound impact on me through the opportunity I have been given. That’s the other side of the coin, that you can learn so much from those you work with. That’s my biggest advice to any coach coming through the system - surround yourself with great people. 

I was very lucky to be gifted some opportunities very early in my career, which can be a double-edged sword. Without some outstanding mentors, there’s no way I wouldn’t have been anything less than an arrogant upstart. Andy Stewart, Mark Clayden and Mark Utley have been so instrumental in my early years of coaching. Andrew Cooper, Josh Farnworth and Fleur McIntyre kept me grounded through the state program years (in more ways than one), and in recent years, Kirsty Whitfield, Russ Hann and Al Monson have been bigger influences in my personal development than any of them probably realise.

Also, don’t ever switch off your ability to take in information. Chat to coaches, learn from them. I can say this year I’ve had input from Simon Parker and Craig Mansfield (and his Mum Nicole) that might be innocuous, but has certainly helped me develop as a coach. You would be stupid to not take in as much as you can from those who have driven the same road before.

So in summary: Be a sucker for information, learn from anyone (even people you don’t like), and become obsessed with the process - no matter how cliche it might sound.

Q: Describe the emotions of becoming the first ever Women's championship winning coach at a club like Cockburn with such an iconic history?

A: The moment itself still gives me chills. Every now and then when I ride the rollercoaster of coaching (I try very hard to not get on that ride!), I go back and re-live the event through photos and videos to remind myself of the emotion and ‘why’ of that moment. The photos of our athletes with our young Cougar kids, Kirsty Whitfield representing all the Cougar women who had proudly worn our colours before her, and just the joy of our community on that night is something I will never ever forget. 

To be honest, the idea of being the first coach on the women’s side has never crossed my mind, it really was about what that moment meant for the players and the club. Part of my pre-game message to the group was, ‘You only get to be first, once’. Win or lose, no one else at our club on the women’s side in the SBL/NBL1 era would be able to point to that moment in time as the first, which is something the group really embraced. I will never forget the moment or the group that came with it, particularly those that live overseas, who you are now permanently connected with in some form. 

I am so proud of what we achieved in 2023, and it’s built a real sense of purpose this year, knowing we have an even greater mountain to climb. As a club we have never shied away from a challenge. It’s the fabric that has built who we are, and we are ready to give this thing a shake again.

Q: Moving from a career as a radio announcer at one of the state's leading radio stations, to a front office job at your former junior club, then sliding into their Women's head coaching role is one heck of a career change. How has that transition been and were there any skills you brought over from your time in radio that have helped since joining the Cougars?

A: Yeah wow that feels like a lifetime ago. Still don’t know how it happened, but so glad it did. To be honest, coaching was the easy bit, I had always done that and it had been an aspiration from a very young age to work with an SBL or NBL1 program. The circumstances happened to fall in place and it worked out, but wasn’t necessarily part of the plan.

From an administrator point of view, it was probably an understanding of the product that was my biggest asset, but also how to point to a vision and row the community boat towards it. Radio was really good for that. You might not have seen your audience, but you had to bring them along for the ride every day using just your voice. That’s really been my underlying ethos since day dot, and it’s brought me a lot of joy and frustration along the way! Knowing how to use your voice means you can bring people along for the ride, or, you can also generate some bumps with some strong perspective. 

Communication and understanding the product is key, but I will say that there has to be some boldness behind what you do. Status quo is important in some contexts, but it also means you can’t separate yourself. We took some big steps to make some noise in a pretty crowded south-west metro basketball area, and we’re proud of who we’ve become.

Q: What's the next big challenge for you within your multiple roles at the Cougars - Back to Back NBL1 West Champions?  Wally Hagan Extension / Redevelopment? Something else?? 

A: The single biggest job is the future of our community and the stadium they call home. It’s no secret our club has been working to redevelop the shed for more than 20 years, and we are now right on the verge of a really exciting half-decade. There’s a lot of work being done in the background and we will hopefully have a lot to share with the wider basketball community over the next 6-9 months.

From a coaching perspective, it’s to ensure our program is sustainable, and full of a constantly evolving culture and high-performance standards. The outcome is the outcome, it’s the structures around it that keep you in contention every year. It’s no secret our club has worked hard to build a well-resourced program on both sides, and the sustainability of results only happens with an underpinning culture no matter who pulls on the uniform. Excitingly, I think we will see the fruits of that investment in both our men’s and women’s program in the next 12-18 months.

Finally, we have our Ten Quick Responses section to get some answers to life's real problems! 

1) Player or Team Staff Member on your team with the worst habit / why?

Nah I’m not even going there I already get torched enough by the players. This just gives them more ammo. No comment.

2) NBL1 West GM Brighton Pass lets you be League GM for a day - Name one change you would make / why? 

Innovative fixturing to spread the load AND grow viewership - IE mid-week school holidays games (April).

3) The unthinkable happens and the Cougars Women get knocked out of the 2024 Playoffs - Who wins the title & why?

If Alex Sharp returns, Rocko. If she doesn’t, Warwick.

4) Any pre-game routines or superstitions you have to do before tipoff?

Can only wear my avocado socks, have to high-five every player on the bench (double fist-bump for Harriet Ford), and I am constantly holding my white board pen under my thumb the whole game.

5) Coke or Pepsi? Why?

Both - but only Max and No Sugar.

6) Your fave NBA team and fave player (Current or Former) from that team?

New Orleans Pelicans - Trey Murphy (current) and David West (former)

7) GOAT Debate - MJ or LeBron?

I can’t give a one-word answer on this. It’s a game of eras, and our game has evolved so much you can’t even compare them.

8) Toughest venue in the NBL1 West to coach at outside of The Den? 

There’s only one venue in four years I have not won a game at - our cross-town rivals the Willetton Tigers (thanks Simon).

9) Add one player from another NBL1 West team and add them to your side - Who are you taking and Why?

Chloe Forster (Senators) - Stud!

10) Three words that sum up Tyrone Thwaites as a Coach? 

Passionate. Prepared. Empathetic