Allison McNeill has been coaching female athletes for over 30 years, and has been the head coach of the Canadian women’s basketball team since 2002. She is also a keynote speaker and conference presenter, having established the Women’s Coaching Circle in 2009, which provides female basketball coaches with the opportunity to interact and learn from senior coaches and facilitators. Over the years, she has devoted thousands of hours to running clinics for youth basketball players and youth coaches in British Columbia.

At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the team reached the quarter-finals - their best result in the last 35 years, proving once again, McNeill’s contributions to the sport of basketball and the entire coaching community. Her dedication and recognition to coaching led her to be named a recipient of the Geoff Gowan Award for lifetime contributions to coaching development in Canada. The CAC touched base with Allison at the end of September to talk about the Olympic experience and to get some coaching advice from one of our best.

CAC: What was your biggest success at the London 2012 Olympic Games?

Allison McNeill: There were so many! Our team was playing so well throughout the games - that’s number one. We were also very proud of our team and how they stuck together, played together, and enjoyed the Olympic experience together. They are such an incredible group of women and such an amazing team. Beating Brazil and finishing in the top eight was a great result. This was the first time Canada had been in the Olympics for 12 years! This is the best finish we have had in 35 years. Our athletes also did an amazing job of balancing preparing to play, playing, and enjoying the pageantry of the Olympics.

To read the entire interview, click here.

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