How the love of the game changes as a coach

Feature image via: James O'Donohue Photography

Despite being one of the best WNBL players of the century, Renae Garlepp has an unquenchable appetite to improve as a coach. 

This year alone, the two-time WNBL champion has won a bronze medal with the Opals at the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, toured China with the Australian National Team, led the NBL1 East Norths Bears to a championship, and finished the season in second place across the entire Nation at the NBL1 National Finals. 

Garlepp explained that she was nervous about retiring, questioning what would give her the same adrenaline that being on the court gave her. 

She found that drive in coaching, a spontaneous decision that has led her to become one of the best coaches in the country. 

“The great thing that you get from basketball with playing, is the camaraderie and the drive to make yourself better every single day,” she said.

“I've really loved all the things you kind of got as a player, but now on the flip side, the biggest thing I enjoy about coaching is just constantly trying to find ways to help people make them better.” 

With coaching National teams, junior state teams and NBL1 teams, Garlepp said that experiencing different coaching styles and systems has been essential to her success with the Bears.

“Having the opportunity to work with so many different coaches, whether it’s with the Opals, with state teams or going to Australian Junior camps this year, I was exposed to so many different coaches,” she said.

“So each experience I could take something little away from it to bring back into the Bears and shape it within what we do and how to add it. Just continuously try to find ways to make myself better, and then hopefully the group better as well.

“I really enjoy the daily hunt to get better, and to get everyone else around me to enjoy that process too.” 

Garlepp has taken pride in the development of the younger players on her NBL1 East squad, and has been involved with the junior programs across the state. She’s seen the progress of the athletes first-hand in many cases and said the NBL1 East has been a breakthrough in many cases.  

The former Sydney Flame explained how the NBL1 East has helped unify and improve basketball in NSW.

“Since the NBL1 East has come in, it's definitely added an extra layer of professionalism to the state, which I think that we needed,” she said.

“Seeing the impact that it's having on all these young kids that I've had the pleasure of coaching and hearing them talk about their steps and their goals. The NBL1 is a legitimate goal for them of what they want to achieve. 

“I think that for them to all see the NBL1 brand across the entire country, and for them to see that we are in NBL1 East, which is the same as the rest of the country. And then you make this tournament (NBL1 National Finals), and we all get to play everyone from around the country, I think is a visible stepping stone for them that they all need to kind of strive for and help them with their development.”

Stay up-to-date with all the latest signings via the 2023 NBL1 Roster Tracker here.