Former Mowbray Public School student Liz Mills is the only female coach of an International Men’s Basketball team. She is making waves and was recently featured in The Washington Post.
Liz Mills is the coach of the Kenyan Men’s National Basketball team. In February 2020, Liz Mills coached Kenya to a place at the African Basketball championship for the first time since 1993. The championships are called AFRObasket
She did it the hard way by coaching the Kenyan team to an upset win over Angola. This is no mean feat as Angola has won the African championships a record 11 teams, and Kenya had never beaten Angola.
Liz has been creating waves by showing she means business. Her coaching attire includes black leather high heel knee-high boots. At first, officials were not keen on her choice of footwear. They were concerned they would damage the court. Liz was not to be denied, and they are now part of her coaching outfit. She was proudly wearing them when Kenya beat Angola (see our picture below).
Liz Mills’ Coaching Credentials
Liz is highly qualified with a Bachelor in Sports Science & Sports Management from UTS and a Masters in Coaching from USYD.
Liz first started coaching at age 16 with the North Sydney Basketball Association (many Lane Cove basketball players are part of the NSBA). In 2011 she moved to South Africa. She has trained Men’s Club teams and Men’s University teams. She also served as an assistant coach for the Zambia and Cameroon national teams.
In 2020 she was approached by Kenya to coach their Men’s National Team.
We Need More Women Basketball Coaches
Liz is passionate about coaching and told SBS that there should be more female coaches in the Australian WNBL.
“I remember when I was growing up, female coaches absolutely dominated the WNBL,” Mills told Megan Hustwaite on Courtside 1v1.
“We had Carrie Graf, Jan Stirling, Karen Dalton, Lori Chizik.
“I think that there were eight teams back when I was watching, and six of them were coached by women.
“So now, in the 42nd season, we’ve now only got two female head coaches.
“If I was a young woman who dreamed of coaching the Boomers, I doubt that would be a possibility.”
“It is just as crucial for boys and young men to see women coaching, especially for them to see women coaching men. We need to change the narrative. The time for change is now.”
Liz Mills and the Kenyan team will travel to Kigali, Rwanda, in August to compete. You can follow their progress on the official Afrobasket website here.
Liz Mills Contact Details
Twitter: @coachlizmills
Linkedin: @https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/liz-mills-a06b1048/
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