The Saskatchewan Rattlers have teamed up with Basketball Saskatchewan to celebrate the coaches of the community. Each month, one coach in Saskatchewan will be chosen as the Community Coach of the Month. The winner will receive a prize pack put together by Basketball Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Rattlers. If you have a deserving Community Coach that has made a difference to a player, team, or community - nominate a coach and take a moment to
fill out the form.
Please join us in celebrating the Community Coach for January 2022 - Andrew Herrick. We sat down to discuss his career, current teams that he is coaching, and the basketball community. Take a minute to read the conversation below.
Where are you currently coaching? What age group and team are you coaching?
Andrew Herrick -
I am currently the head coach of the Senior Girls basketball team at Swift Current Comprehensive High School. In the spring I also coach the U15 girl’s team in our Surge club program in Swift Current. I also operate and oversee all of the Surge teams, camps, and programming throughout the year.
Tell us about how you got involved in coaching. What mentors have helped you along the way?
AH -
To start I had great experiences as a high school athlete playing under two coaches I looked up to
in Unity, Saskatchewan. Doug English and Jeremy Wagner were coaches that were dedicated to building basketball programs in the community and they both left an impression and fostered my passion for the game which sparked an interest in coaching. I really started developing as a coach under the tutelage of Tyler Sharp who gave me the opportunity to get as many coaching reps as possible in different experiences. With Tyler, I coached at St. Joseph High School, the Jr Huskies basketball program, and the RTC training program with BSI. Through these experiences, I began to appreciate how much I enjoyed the coaching side of athletics. I’ve been lucky enough to have an office beside Adam Jackson at SCCHS and over the years have picked his brain on a daily basis during the basketball season. I’ve also been very fortunate to have coached alongside Duane Regier for nearly 10 seasons now where there have been a lot of van rides and basketball problem-solving sessions.
What makes a good basketball coach? What can you share with other coaches that are looking to leave an impact on their community?
AH -
I think that adaptability--changing with different circumstances and situations--is what equips coaches to give athletes the best chance at succeeding. Continual learning and interest in the game are fundamental to coaching; every coach knows at least one thing you don’t and is a resource of information if you choose to see it that way. The most important thing I’ve learned from coaching at the high school level is that relationships are bigger than the game and the effect of those relationships is powerful.
What are your TOP 3 coaching highlights?
AH -
1) Hosting 3 Pink Games fundraising for cancer benefitting different organizations and local families in Swift Current.
2) Founding and growing the Surge club program from 1 team of 10 girls to now having 100+ athletes enrolled each year, with multiple girls and boys teams competing each spring
3) Representing rural 5A schools at HOOPLA championships in 2015 & 2019
Where do you hope to be in the Basketball Community of Saskatchewan in the next 5 years?
AH -
I hope to continue coaching and growing the game here in Swift Current, and look forward to the experience of coaching younger age groups as my kids have the opportunity to start participating in basketball.
Special thank you to
Basketball Saskatchewan for their partnership with the Community Coach initiative. Nominate a coach that has made a difference to a player, team, or community -
fill out the form.
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