Finishing 2018 strong with the Toronto Raptors

Over 600 coaches spent the last day of 2018 at the 8th annual Toronto Raptors Coaches’ Open House Presented by Tangerine.

The free half-day event on December 31 welcomed coaches of all ages (15+) to Scotiabank Arena for a one-of-a-kind opportunity to observe and learn from Toronto’s coaching staff.

Tangerine provided water bottles for all attendees, and the first 400 guests received a Raptors whistle, coaching board, Coaches Manual and refreshments. Participants also earned Professional Development points to help maintain their NCCP coaching certification.

The day started with a welcome message from Raptors sportscasters Paul Jones and Sherman Hamilton, followed by a two-hour session with Raptors assistant coaches. Guests heard from Nate Bjorkgren, Jim Saan, Adrian Griffin, Phil Handy, Sergio Scariolo and Patrick Mutombo about the how-to of creating culture, strategies for training bigs in today’s game, practice planning, player skill development and inbound/end of game scenarios.

The Toronto Raptors then joined the event and participants watched an exclusive two-hour team practice run by Head Coach Nick Nurse.

The event wrapped mid-afternoon, but not before attendees had the chance to ask the coaches questions and gain further insight from them.

This memorable learning experience provided participants with a strong finish to their year.

Keep an eye on Ontario Basketball’s Professional Development Opportunities page for information about the 2019 Toronto Raptors Coaches’ Open House and other valuable professional development opportunities.