Coach Enevoldson set to work with U15 provincial team

After winning a bronze medal last season, Mount Royal University (MRU) Cougars women’s basketball head coach Joe Enevoldson is looking to take his team to the next level, as he prepares to lead the Team Alberta U15 – women’s squad to the Canada Basketball National Championships.

The championship will take place in Toronto, Ontario from August 1-8, 2010 and will feature the best female basketballer’s born January 1, 1995 - December 31, 1997.
After spending last summer as an assistant coach with Team Alberta, Enevoldson will now assume head coaching duties, as he takes over from Dawn Smyth, head coach of the Red Deer College Queens, who moves over to become the Juvenile Women's Head Coach.

The team, made up of athletes from Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge, began their extensive five week training program in July, training out of MRU, as well as Edmonton.
In addition to their grueling practice sessions, the team has participated in two tournaments in anticipation of their trip to Toronto, heading for a tournament stop in Medical Lake, Washington, as well as Regina, Saskatchewan to play club and provincial teams throughout the surrounding areas.

Though it’s a long grueling road to their eventual date in Ontario, Enevoldson says it’s an experience he relishes.

“Just getting to work with different athletes and coaches and learning from them, it’s always new and exciting,” says Enevoldson. “It presents its own challenges, but if you can take a couple of things from everyone, then you’re constantly learning and that’s what’s great.”

Joining Enevoldson behind the bench is a pair of seasoned coaching veterans in Erin McAleenan from the University of Alberta and Drew Hanson from Ross Sheppard Highschool in Edmonton.

With a trio of knowledgeable and prepared coaches, Team Alberta hopes to improve their third place standing from last season, but face stiff competition in round robin pool play, as they’ll square off against Team Ontario, Team B.C. and Team Quebec, generally three of the toughest competitors in the championship. It’s a test that Enevoldson says the team is looking forward to.

“We’ll get three great games right off the bat and that gets you ready for playoffs, it’s exciting and will let us know where we stand. I can’t wait.” 

Best of luck to coach Enevoldson and the under-15 women’s Alberta provincial basketball team!