Mentoring Program for Female Coaches gears up for strong 2024-25 finish

MUNICH (Germany) - FIBA Europe's Mentoring Program for Female Coaches has entered the final stretch of its 2024-25 cycle after the conclusion of both important site visits for the season.

Coaching legends Natalia Hejkova and Marina Maljkovic, and acclaimed coaches Julie Barennes and Silvia Font, are the mentors who deliver the successful one-year program. The curriculum includes one-on-one mentoring sessions and group webinars, as well as individual development plans with a sports phycologist.

The first visit for the 2024-25 season was to Prague, under the guidance of Natalia Hejkova. The mentees shadowed the legendary ZVVZ USK Praha head coach during the EuroLeague Women club's games and also attended practices, scouting sessions, workouts and meetings as they shadowed their mentor during the four-day visit.

Additional activities included a visit to the Czech Basketball Federation offices for a presentation of the Czech top youth and senior women basketball program, where the mentees had the chance to meet the coaching staff of the Czech national teams and take in sessions.

The second visit for the season, in late February, gave mentees the chance to shadow mentor Silvia Font at Siglo XXI, the Spanish Girls’ Elite Academy in Barcelona. During the five-day stop, the mentees assisted Ms. Font at all practices and games, fitness and scouting sessions and other activities.

The agenda also included a tour of the high-performance sport center in Barcelona and a visit to the Catalan Basketball Federation, where the mentees had the opportunity to exchange views and collect information on PROMISE, the Catalan Mentoring Program for Female Coaches, which is supported by the Erasmus program of the European Union.

The four mentees that participate in the 2024-25 season of the one-year mentoring program are Andela Katavic from Croatia, Marta Montoliu from Spain, Laura Hebecker from Germany and Anemone Scheel from Denmark.

As is customary every year, this season's mentees were selected by the FIBA Coaching Instructors after excelling at the Women’s Basketball Summit that took place in Postojna, Slovenia.

The 2024-25 Mentoring Program for Female Coaches is set to conclude at the EuroLeague Women Final Six in April 2025.

FIBA