Interview with Tenicha Gittens

Tenicha Gittens

Eurobasket had the chance sit and chat with Tenicha Gittens (164-G-81) (164-G-81), leading scorer for St Vincent & Grenadine National Team. Top scorer ifor her National Team in the 2010 Centrobasket Games in Mayagiuez Puerto Rico, currently serving a Assistant Coach at Mc Gill University in Montreal.
EU: Tenicha Gittens its a pleasure having u here
TG: Its a pleasure to be here.
EU: Now looking at your bio, we see that you had a heck of a layoff from plaing competitive basketball, pleas tell us more about that.
TG: Well, the end of my career cam abruptly and I didn't know what I wanted to know. I was still in school figuring things out, I left school and started work at an insurance company. I then decided that I wanted to coach again, and to go back to basketball and be involved in basketball Now that was 3 years later, from when I ended playing, That's where I had that hiatus you can call it from actively playing and being on the floor.
EU: You said coach again...please tell us more.
TG: I coached camp since the age of 18 for about six years. I say coach again because I always coached kids at Trevor Williams Basketball Academy. Way back then, he gave me my 1stcoaching job, and that why I said coach again.
EU: Going a bit deeper, what were the next steps that you took to get back into the game? Aside from just coaching camps, etc
TG: I started at a high school and cant really say that I took steps before it. I kind of jumped into it. Like I said, I went from Hoftsra, finished school and then to the internship at the insurance company and from that I left and went straight into coaching at the high school. There weren't any steps that I took, I kind of just jumped into it. Now we both know that in Canada, you have these coaching levels, I didn't do that. I literally came in and started coaching. I literally just received my coaching license less than six months ago.
EU: WOW. Now, mind you I am interviewing you because you are one of the most outstanding, exciting to watch players here at the games. And we are talking about coaching, that leads me to believe that the playing side of things is not where your heart lies. Your heart is on the other side of the ball, maybe coaching. Am I remiss in saying that to you?
TG: No you are right. Initially I had no intentions pf playing in this tournament and I was asked to play base don how I played before. When coached asked me it was a You will play 5 minutes here and there..maybe give someone a breather. One of my player,s Nigel was to play and I figured to send her in my place, she's younger and she can do all of this. She had just come off of her season and I hadn't played since 2005. So I was like sure I will come play 5 minutes and relieve somebody and maybe even do abit of coaching as well. Thing pretty much crumbled as my player had an injury in our last season game. The doctors still don't know what's wrong with her and that happened at the end of feb in our last regular season game. SO I didn't want to leave Wayne high and dry so I came to honor my word.
EU: Well my entire life they always told mme that when life gives u lemons u make lemonade. The next thing that I wanna ask u is where do u go form here? It seems right now that you are in a state of flux if I may say. What do you foresee in the future for you?
TG: Maybe for the younger girls here to get acclimated to the level of intensity that they will need to attain, maybe as a result of this, some of them will decide yes I want to take basketball seriously or no I don't. The administration, Olympic committee can see that a lot has to go into preparation for a tournament of this magnitude and that you must have the right pieces in place.
EU: So after you return home are you going to take avid steps to inform others, write a letter to FIBA Americas, call people and let people know about coming together in a unified front to strengthen the team? Overall to tell them about your experience on the National Team, etc or to just let sleeping dogs lie?
TG: Honestly I had no intentions of doing anything but now that you say that I think I will take the proper steps and call FIBA call the NOC and I would honestly, if they can get the players, I would like to coach. As it stands I cannot fault the netball players because this is basketball and its new to them. SO yes, I would look to effect change as much as I can.
EU: So I suffice it to say that the next time we see you it will be on the sidelines and not on the hardwood?
TG: Yes sir.
EU: You have a very impressive, rather brief, but impressive coaching resmue. Jumping from playing to coaching immediately; in high school and then to a junior college as asst coach and then being an asst at one of the most storied programs in the entire countyr of Canada! That's [pretty impressive! Are we to see any more jumping out of you? I mean going right in without testing the waters first?
TG: No, but I believe that God prepares you for certain situations. Now on the outside, I may look unprepared but there are little things that come in my life that prepare me. I am the type of person that observes a lot and I like to pick peoples barn without them noticing. I will sit and listen to you and how you think about the game and that's how I learn. I am very visual I use that to prepare me. Now just because I don't have coaching levels or whatever steps you take to become a coach I don't have that, I know a lot or enogh to be able to go and jump in and coach high school or go to a juco to be able to go and do well at a Divison One, high level university. I pick and watch and see and I learn that how I do.
EU: You pick you watch you see and you learn! Is there anything that you would like to leave at the close of this interview?
TG: KEEP HOPE ALIVE!
Eurobasket would like to wish the best to Coach Gittens on the upcoming season as she has returned to the university and is preparing for a breakout season there. We look forward to seeing and hearing great things from her and the coaching staff at Mc Gill University.