Ready to take your coaching skills to the next level?

The world of professional sports has changed significantly over the past few years.

At the heart of that change is the application of sports science and research to coaching practices.

The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) will host a basketball-themed professional development workshop on August 5 at its Ipswich campus for university students, strength and conditioning coaches, basketball coaches, and other sporting professionals.

In collaboration with the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA), the event will feature presentations and practical sessions led by esteemed experts in strength and conditioning, recovery and performance testing.

Professor Stephen Bird, Director of high-performance sports at UniSQ, emphasised the importance of innovation in coaching and the workshop's goal.

“Great strength and conditioning coaches continually seek new ideas or techniques to give their athletes an edge,” Professor Bird said.

“The workshop offers a unique opportunity for attendees to gain practical insights into integrating performance testing protocols and data interpretation to monitor and enhance athletic performance across all levels of sport, from club through to elite athletes.”

Among the distinguished speakers will be visiting sports science researcher Hoani Smith from Lincoln University in New Zealand.

He will present findings from his PhD research and discuss how blood flow restriction training can be used for basketball athletes during the taper phase to maintain performance while reducing overall physical loads.

Attendees will also hear from Professor Bird and Dr Chris Gaviglio, a lecturer on strength and conditioning at UniSQ, who will share their expertise and experiences.

“The workshop provides a fantastic opportunity to hear about the latest research, innovative techniques, and practical insights, providing attendees with valuable knowledge to apply to their basketball coaching practices,” Professor Bird said.

Learn more about the strength and conditioning workshop.