When Dani Sinclair was Canadian assistant women's basketball coach to Allison McNeill at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, she didn't let the moment go to waste.
"I picked her brain to learn everything I could," said Sinclair of McNeill, the latter who guided Canada at the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
That tells you a lot about Sinclair, who also coached the B.C. team to third place at the 2012 Canadian U-15 championships. Having apprenticed six years as University of Victoria Vikes assistant coach, Sinclair has prepared herself well as she steps up this season to take over as Vikes head coach on an interim basis while Rich Chambers takes the year off on family/personal leave.
But Sinclair might be feeling like she's reaped the whirlwind. When that happens, all you can do is hang on. Not only was she thrown into the Vikes head coaching role, but Sinclair is expecting her second child next month.
"It's a unique situation," she said, as the Vikes look to open the Canada West season tonight at 6 in McKinnon Gym and Saturday at 5 p.m. against the UBC-Okanagan Heat.
"Rich and I still talk by phone every day."
As for the prospect of child birth in mid-season, Sinclair is thankful the baby is due during the Christmas break, after which her husband will handle many of the baby duties until the end of the season.
"After six seasons as assistant coach at UVic, this felt like a natural step to move into," said Sinclair, a standout Vikes player during her playing days under her maiden name Dani Everitt.
"But it's obviously a huge step to jump up from assistant coach to head coach. As assistant coach, you could go home at the end of the day and put some distance between yourself and the court. As head coach, you can never let go of it. It's 24/7."
Sinclair welcomes back only a handful of main returnees but they form a solid core - Debbie Yeboah, Chelsea McMullen, Jessica Renfrew, Shaylyn Crisp and Cassandra Goodis.
The recruiting class looks promising. It is led by swing-guard Jenna Bugiardini from Hamilton, a provincial team member for Ontario.
"She has already started playing important minutes for us," said Sinclair.
Bugiardini is augmented by three other true freshman. Point guard Ashley McGinnis from Oliver and six-foot-one Nicole Karstein from Kamloops are both provincial team players for B.C., while guard Jenna Krug is from Seacove Secondary in North Vancouver.
But the key recruits are transfers who don't need experience at the post-secondary level and can make immediate impacts. Six-foot-two post Kristen Monasterski was Alberta colleges MVP last season and led Grant MacEwan to third place in Canada.
Tessla Rennie is a third-year forward from Everett Community College in Washington, who Sinclair describes as "very aggressive and a good rebounder who will add toughness to the team."
AROUND CANADA WEST: The Vikes will be looking to get back to the playoffs after missing the post-season dance last year and are getting some preseason respect with their CIS national No. 7 ranking.
The class of Canada West looks to be nationally second-ranked Regina and third-ranked Fraser Valley, with Saskatchewan ranked No. 6 and UBC 10 in CIS.
ON THE COURT
VIKES HOME GAMES - TODAY-SATURDAY
- vs. UBC-Okanagan - NOV. 16-17
- vs. Trinity Western - NOV 30
- vs. Lethbridge - DEC. 1
- vs. Calgary - JAN 18
- vs. Regina - JAN 19
- vs. Brandon - FEB. 1-2
- vs. UNBC - FEB 16
- vs. UBC
