Photo caption: Players, UC students and Head Coach Piet Van Hasselt at the 3×3 U23 NZ Basketball Selection Camp at the UC Rec Centre.
In preparation for the upcoming FIBA U23 Nations League, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury (UC) hosted the Basketball New Zealand 3X3 U23 Men's Selection Camp in early June.
In a unique collaboration, 12 UC students assumed pivotal Management, Logistics, Performance Analysis, and Strength and Conditioning roles for the camp, showcasing the University’s dedication to hands-on education.
Malachi Drye, in his final year of a Bachelor of Sport Coaching, took on one of two Management roles, which saw him responsible for organising the camp’s logistics. As a keen basketballer with an eye on performance analysis for a professional or semi-professional team after he graduates, this opportunity ticked all the boxes.
“UC has provided heaps of opportunities for me to get hands-on experience throughout my studies, but by far this has been my favourite,” Drye says. “I’m doing some sports management papers at the moment and the skills I’ve gained through the camp will definitely help me in my studies.
“I’m also excited to add to my resume that I’ve managed a high-level camp at a professional level – not everyone gets to experience that.”
UC School of Health Sciences Lecturer and 3×3 U23 Tall Blacks Head Coach Piet Van Hasselt emphasised the importance of such unique opportunities for students.
“We wanted to create a high-performance environment, and we had the opportunity to do that through hosting the camp,” says Van Hasselt. “We really want to push applied learning and provide internships and practicums as a part of a students’ degree.”
“The enthusiasm from students is what made this event so successful. It makes such a difference for them to learn in the real world,” Van Hasselt adds.
Following rigorous training and evaluation, coach Van Hasselt has been tasked in handpicking five athletes from the camp to represent the NZ 3×3 U23 National Team at the upcoming U23 Nations League in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Learn more about what UC is doing to deliver an accessible, flexible, future-focused education here.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 - Quality Education.
