Ron Wuotila

Both teams are now run under the auspices of British Performance Basketball (BPB), a company set up by UK Sport to look after the Great Britain Senior and U20s Mens’ and Womens’ teams.

The Performance Manager of BPB is Ron Wuotila who really is the man at the sharp end of things. I am delighted to bring you this exclusive interview for mikeshaft.com with one of the most important individuals in British Basketball.

Ron can you tell us a little about yourself, where do you hail from etc?

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. I started playing basketball in school and really fell for it, but I wasn’t blessed with physical gifts and became involved in coaching at an early age.

I have been either coaching or leading basketball organizations for about 20 years. Early on, I was fortunate to be influenced by a few great coaches (Wayne Thomas, Al Price, Gary Howard) and their lessons continue to guide my work on a daily basis.

Your role at BPB is as Performance Manager, what does the job of Performance Manager entail?

I would break it into three pieces: 1. relationship building and getting the best out of people (players and staff) 2. planning/strategic work 3. firefighting

What is British Performance Basketball?

BPB was established by UK Sport in early 2007 to lead the U20 and senior programmes. Currently, the organization is undergoing a proper merger with the BBF – the merger has been functional for many months now and we are now referred to as British Basketball.

You must have been delighted last season when both the GB Men and Women qualified for Eurobasket A?

I was pleased for Mark and Chris, their staffs and all of the players. The work Mark and Chris did between the 2006 and 2007 campaigns opened the door for the second year of the EuroBasket cycle and the players slammed it wide open! It is important to remember that England Basketball and Basketball Scotland gave this opportunity life by taking the programmes on in 2006.

How is the planning going for the games this season?

Good. We are excited about the women’s events in Cardiff and the three men’s matches are in proper facilities. The basketball community will be proud of what they see both on and off the court.

How confident are you that Great Britain will have a Men’s and a Women’s team playing in the 2012 Olympic Games in London?

Very

You must be delighted that NBA players like Luol Deng and Ben Gordon have agreed to play for the GB Men’s team.

We need world class players the likes of Luol and Ben on our team. It is a real treat to be able to deal with two NBA guys who are genuinely good human beings.

How difficult is it to persuade NBA players that the GB programme is now a professional one, and are you now finding players knocking on your door to get into the team?

The word is out. Players are aware that we are doing things right. The challenges we run up against with players are invariably related to contracts and club issues.

Tell me about the job that Head Coach Chris Finch has done since he was appointed to the post.

Chris is a consummate professional and has done a great job both on and off the court. He understands the value of planning and communication, especially within a virtual environment such as ours – players and staff spread across the world turns this into an art form. He makes everyone around him better.

What can the BBL as an organisation do to help the National Team?

Every successful basketball country has a functional domestic league. The BBL needs to continue to develop their product and spread the good word about the game. I thought there was a sense this past year that the league took a jump forward – the future looks bright for the league.

GB Women are also in action this summer; tell me about the job that Mark Clark and his coaching team has done?

It is safe to say that many people in the basketball community would have said a couple years ago that the women had a longer, more challenging road to London than the men. If that is/was the case, then obviously Mark has been at the top of his game. As with Chris, his work in the off-season has been critically important. Securing talented players and putting together a competition and training schedule that puts them in the best position to succeed. Mark, his staff and the players should be very proud, but the work has just begun….

What can the fans of British Basketball expect this summer?

History. We haven’t had the opportunity to play Division A teams in a forum such as this – what an opportunity to make a mark. I know the players are excited. Hopefully the fans will be as well.

There has been lots of talk about the NBA coming to the UK and to London in particular. Do you think that the performance of the GB team has improved the way people look at British Basketball.

There is a lot of momentum in our game right now. The NBA influence, our success, the BBL and just the fact that more basketball countries are waking up to the sleeping giant that is Great Britain (in terms of player recruitment and market potential). Upon my arrival to London following a couple decades of basketball in the US and Canada, I was struck by how much good basketball work was being delivered in the UK. The reality is that this good work (coaching, management, training) is terribly fragmented – not tied together.

We all have to jump on board and take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show Europe and the rest of the world that we can be an elite basketball nation. The great basketball nations leave no room for error. They have their challenges, but they are much more committed to their player and coaching pathways than we are. We have to change that – right now!

Finally Ron what are your hopes for the future?

I hope that in 10 years all of us that love the British game can look back and say London 2012 helped us turn the corner, as it provided better opportunities for our young players and coaches and that our senior teams are consistently competing with the very best in the world.

Mike S