Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, coach Mike MacKay sits down with Senior Men's National Team Head Coach Gordie Herbert for a second conversation to dive deeper into Coach Herbert's coaching philosophy, style of play, NBA and FIBA differences, and much more. This is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into the mind of a National Team head coach and an episode you definitely won't want to miss.

On this special episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, we are extremely excited to welcome the new Head Coach of the Senior Men's National Team, Gordie Herbert to the podcast. Coach Mike chats with Coach Herbert about his journey from playing on the National team, to coaching in Europe, to finding his way back to lead his country. Coach Herbert shares his personal coaching philosophy as well as what he believes makes great teams. This is an episode you do not want to miss.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Coach Mike MacKay and Coach Brandon Brock take some time to answer some of the questions that coaches have submitted from across the country. The conversation covers all sorts of topics from Transition Defense to Performance Safety. To submit a question of your own, send an email to coaching@basketball.ca with "Podcast Question" in the subject line.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Mike and Brandon discuss the topics of delivering feedback to athletes to help prepare coaches for having those crucial conversations. Mike and Brandon explore different types of feedback, when to give feedback, and how to set yourself up for success ahead of time. Then, the coaches finish the episode with some scenarios that coaches may experience and provides some suggestions on how to work through them.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Jon Goodwillie is back in the studio to breakdown game film with Coach Mike MacKay. Jon and Mike chat through offensive and defensive transition concepts and provide coaches with ideas on what to look out for when watching film. To view the video version of this podcast, head on over to Game Plan (gameplanbasketball.ca) and subscribe to Game Plan Pro!

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching podcast, Brandon and Mike talk through the important topic of Leadership. Through leadership, they explore Mike's 4 Levels of Leadership along with the core tenants of Transformational Leadership. Then, as the episode wraps up, they hit the film room to break down some on-court concepts.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, we are extremely excited to welcome Jon Goodwillie onto the podcast. This is the first episode of a 2-part sitdown with Jon that explores his coaching journey as well as stories from his time coaching in the NBA and with the National team. This is an episode you do not want to miss!

In this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Brandon Brock and Mike MacKay explore reflection as one of the most important, and most overlooked, skills in coaching. Moving beyond the traditional end-of-practice debrief, they unpack how reflection can be used before, during, and after training to help athletes think more critically, make better decisions, and take greater ownership of their learning. Through practical tools like Notice, Name, Navigate, See–Feel–Need–Do, and AAA (Ask, Anchor, Action), Brandon and Mike share how coaches can build reflection into the flow of practice to develop more adaptable players and more thoughtful leaders. They also explore reflection as a coaching skill, discussing journaling, mentorship, and the discomfort of growth through the lens of “learning like a lobster”, a powerful reminder that meaningful development often requires vulnerability before progress.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Coach Mike sits down with Betsy Butterick, coach, communication specialist, and author of Kids These Days, to discuss how coaches can better connect with and coach today’s athletes. The conversation explores co-creation, communication, emotional regulation, failure recovery, and the importance of care and connection before challenge. Betsy shares practical strategies for coaches who feel like what used to work no longer works, and offers ideas to help coaches communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships, and create environments where athletes can perform and grow.For coaches interested, there is a 15% off discount link for the purchase of "Kids These Days" here: Canada Basketball Podcast Discount Link

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Coach Mike and Brandon dive into the concept of motivation through a practical coaching lens, exploring how everyday coaching decisions can shape, shift, and sometimes unintentionally disrupt athlete motivation. Building on ideas from self-determination theory, they unpack the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and introduce the concept of “motivational displacement”, how drills, constraints, and coach behaviours can redirect what athletes are actually motivated to do.Through real coaching examples, they explore how environments can either foster autonomy, confidence, and connection, or create fear, compliance, and short-term thinking. The conversation challenges coaches to reflect on their own motivations, the impact of reward and punishment, and how to design practices that truly support athletes in learning, adapting, and performing in the storm.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Coach Mike sits down with Alan Keane, performance psychologist, coach developer, and co-founder of MVMT Sports, to discuss coaching with care, developing self-aware athletes and coaches, and designing learning environments that translate to performance in the storm. Their conversation explores the principles of care in coaching, including empathy, motivational displacement, and athlete empowerment, while diving into topics such as reflection, decision-making, confidence versus competence, and the role of connection in high-performance environments. Alan shares practical frameworks and research-informed insights on how coaches can better support athlete growth, build meaningful relationships, and create environments where learning, adaptability, and performance can thrive.

On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Mike and Brandon continue their discussion on intentional practice planning. This episode does a much deeper dive into the what's and the how's of practice planning and encourages coaches to consider the smaller details of what they include in their plans to ensure that their activities align with their intention and intended impact.