KAZAN, Russia (courtesy of Kelsey Wright – FISU Young Reporter) - Ducking through the doorway before walking onto the court, Patrick Tatham is one of the youngest (and biggest) up-and-coming coaches taking over Canadian basketball.
“My goal is to be one of the youngest head coaches in CIS ever,” says the 29-year-old Tatham, who stands at 6’7” and over 200 pounds.
Working at the 27th Summer Universiade with the Canadian development men’s national team is just as much about his development as the players’ he is helping coach.
“I’m still completely learning,” he says. “This is whole new level, I’m blessed to have this opportunity to learn.”
Having worked under two of Canada’s top basketball coaches, Roy Rana and now Jay Triano, he has studied a lot of coaching and has developed a hybrid of coaching styles.
“I’m able to sit in on meetings with coaches and learn the aspects of what they are trying to get out of the players and stuff,” he says. “It’s a good spot for me right now.”
Tatham, whose two younger sisters play on the Canadian senior women’s national team, was a player on Team Canada before he began coaching.
“He’s been part of our national team program in different capacities,” said Triano, the head coach of the Canadian senior team and the student squad competing in Kazan, and one of the biggest names in Canadian basketball. “[The universiade] is an opportunity for us to develop as many coaches as we can.”
Tatham said being in Kazan is amazing and one of his best experiences as a young coach.
“That’s part of what this is
about,” says Triano. “It’s developing coaches as
well as developing our players.”
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