Coaches Week – Omar Miles

During National Coaches Week OBA is going to highlight some of the dedicated coaches who have worked in multiple programs with OBA and continue to stay connected to the basketball community.

 

Coach Omar Miles

Current Coaching Position

Head Coach Humber College Men’s Basketball

 

Number of Years Coaching & Where

This year will mark my 13th year coaching. In 2008 I became a teacher and coach at St. Edmund Campion. Within those years I was fortunate to win multiple OFSAA medals. 2014 was a special year, winning OFSAA Girls 4A as an assistant coach and in that same year as head coach winning a Silver Medal at OFSAA Boys 4A. In 2016, I decided to move up to the College ranks, first as an assistant coach, then to an associate coach and this past May to the Head Coach position. Along with those years of coaching, I have had the opportunity to coach with Team Ontario as an assistant in summer 2018 and then head coach in the summer of 2019.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is Your Coach Mentor or Someone you Look Up To and Why?

I would say I have plenty of coaching mentors. Growing up in a single parent home, my mentors were not only coaches but father figures as well. You know the saying that it takes a village to raise a child, well, I was fortunate to be a part of an awesome basketball village.

Nick Christian the co-founder for Mississauga Monarchs was my first mentor, followed by club/AAU coaches Nicky Davis and Kurt St. Kitts.  In high school, I was mentored by Art Rutledge who was the former president of Canada Basketball. Lastly, during my career at Wilfrid Laurier University, I was mentored by Peter Campbell.

It was an impactful and truly amazing moment to see all my mentors sitting at the same table at my wedding where I was able to honour them.

 

What Motivates You to Keep Coaching?

There are a few things that motivate me to keep on coaching (in no particular order):

  1. As an educator, encouraging students to use basketball as a vehicle to higher learning is the greatest reward. I love working with student-athletes by making a positive impact on their lives, which in turn helps them to achieve their goals.
  2. I am a life-long learner. Coaching affords me many opportunities to learn and develop.
  3. Winning motivates me as I love to compete.

 

What advice do you have for young coaches/ players who want to get to the “next level?”

The advice I give to young coaches and players that want to get to the next level is simple: work hard, believe in yourself and your talents, but do not be complacent or satisfied. Be a lifelong learner, grabbing lessons from every experience, whether good or bad and improve on them.

 

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