Leaders of Unites #122 - Samuel Yemane

I’m really glad my parents gave me both cultures. It has made me a more open and complete person. I connect very easily with people from different cultural backgrounds. When I talk to them about where they’re from, I usually understand right away what they mean.

I also find it interesting to learn about other cultures, whether it’s the language or something else. This might sound a bit strange, but I really like country flags. I often practice matching flags with their countries. My goal is to memorize them all.

I got the basketball bug from my older brother and sister

I come from a family of four children and I’m by far the youngest. I have one brother and two sisters, and my youngest sister is ten years older than me. Despite the big age gap, we’ve always gotten along really well. And they were also the ones who passed on the basketball bug to me. My brother and sister used to play on the neighborhood court.

From the moment I could walk, I joined in. Honestly, I can’t remember a time when basketball wasn’t part of my life. If I wasn’t outside on the court, I was at home playing basketball video games on the PlayStation. Basketball literally connects people: on the court, kids come together as a team who might never have hung out otherwise.

I also find the tactics behind the game really fascinating. I’ve been playing since I was young, joined several clubs over the years, and now I play in the first team of Celeritas. But I’m also head coach of Celeritas under-19 and give training three mornings a week to talented players between 12 and 18 at the Basketball Academy of the Regional Training Center North (RTC).

Yes, I’m on the court every day, sometimes even more than once. But I don’t mind, that’s my passion. I honestly can’t see myself doing anything that doesn’t involve basketball. And I notice that I’m starting to enjoy coaching even more than playing myself. At 1.78 meters, I have my limitations as a player.

But as a coach, it feels like the sky’s the limit. I recently submitted my portfolio for Basketball Trainer 3 (BT3). I feel that the time I invest in coaching really pays off when I see the team and the players improve. That’s incredibly rewarding to experience.

I started coaching thanks to the 3X3 Leader Course

Fun fact: I actually got into coaching because of the 3X3 Leader Course. I was on a court in Groningen once when someone from 3X3 Unites asked me if I wanted to take part. At first, I didn’t really know what it was about, but once he explained it, it sounded interesting.

I quickly realized that I enjoyed running clinics and teaching others things that felt second nature to me. It was really satisfying to see young people pick it up and make progress. So when my club was looking for coaches two seasons ago, I thought: why not?

I still benefit from the skills I picked up during the 3X3 Leader Course. We learned how to present ourselves and how to really engage kids. You have to make sure it stays interesting for them, that they don’t get the chance to drift off. All of that is what I now apply in my coaching.

This past summer, I helped out as a 3X3 Leader at several community days, where children could try out all kinds of activities and sports. Of course, I was at the basketball court. Later on, I definitely want to do something with basketball. Whether that will be as a coach or more on the management side, I don’t know yet.