From Rio and the Olympics last summer to CARSA and sa国际传媒 West this week, it鈥檚 been quite a journey for Lisa Thomaidis.
The Canadian Olympic team head coach brings her defending national-champion University of Saskatchewan Huskies to the sa国际传媒 West women鈥檚 basketball pre-season tournament, which begins today on Ken and Kathy Shields Court in the CARSA Performance Gym.
It鈥檚 been a hectic pace for Thomaidis, who guided sa国际传媒 to the quarter-finals of the Rio Olympics.
鈥淚 have awesome assistant coaches . . . that鈥檚 how I can do it,鈥� she said, of the toggling back and forth between the national team and the Huskies.
Thomaidis has become a role model for Canadian hoops coaches.
鈥淚 give a lot of credit to Basketball sa国际传媒鈥檚 search process in that they saw they did not have to have a foreigner coaching our Olympic team,鈥� said Thomaidis, who took over from former national team head coach Allison McNeill, also a Canadian, in 2013.
鈥淥ur entire coaching staff in Rio was Canadian and that says a lot for our system and coaching model in sa国际传媒,鈥� added Thomaidis, in her 17th season on the Huskies bench, and four-time sa国际传媒 West and two-time national U Sports coach of the year.
The host Vikes meet the Alberta Pandas tonight at 7 p.m. and Thomaidis鈥檚 Huskies on Friday at 6 p.m.
Saskatchewan won the national championship last season while Alberta placed fifth, although both squads now face retooling with the Huskies 1-4 so far in pre-season while the Pandas, featuring Claremont-grad and former UVic guard Shaylyn Crisp, are 3-5.
鈥淲e have a very different look than last season and are rebuilding,鈥� said Thomaidis.
鈥淏ut we will be up to speed soon. There鈥檚 going to be a lot more parity in sa国际传媒 West this season with a lot of teams in the mix.鈥�
Dani Sinclair鈥檚 Vikes, preparing to host the 2017 national championship at CARSA, are coming off a 2-1 record in the Ryerson tournament in Toronto.
The sa国际传媒 West pre-season tournament at CARSA also showcases the UBC Thunderbirds, Fraser Valley Cascades, Thompson Rivers WolfPack, Calgary Dinos and Regina Cougars. Admission is by donation.
Meanwhile, the UVic Vikes men鈥檚 team plays its final exhibitions before the start of the sa国际传媒 West regular season with a pair of friendlies against the Mount Royal Cougars at 8 p.m. on Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday at CARSA.
