133 episodes

A podcast that looks at people, and how their lives have been shaped by basketball. Hosted by Aaron Mitchell.

A Hoops Journey ahoopsjourney

    • Sports
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

A podcast that looks at people, and how their lives have been shaped by basketball. Hosted by Aaron Mitchell.

    Episode 129 - Michael Bartlett

    Episode 129 - Michael Bartlett

    On Episode 129 of A Hoops Journey, we get a unique opportunity to sit down with the CEO of Canada Basketball Michael Bartlett. Growing up around sports and loving the intricacies that came with it, Michael had a passion for all but baseball is what stood out most! After being in a good job role with MLSE the job at Canada Basketball came open and Michael jumped at the opportunity, feeling like it was exactly what he needed. Since that time (3 years ago come March), Michael and his team have worked tirelessly to build Canada into a hoops nation!Mitch and Michael have great conversation around values, being vulnerable and the importance of being open-minded as a leader. Further to that, they discuss the upcoming Olympics, why Canada basketball fans should fear no more, and so many other great things!A fun episode and a great snapshot of what happens at Canada basketball, this episode is for all the real heads out there! Thank you to Michael for being with us, and we’ll see you in Vegas!Michael Bartletthttps://www.basketball.ca/news/canada-basketball-president-ceo-michael-bartlett-selected-to-fiba-americas-boardhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelrobertbartlett/?originalSubdomain=caAaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

    • 59 min
    Episode 128 - Ben Howland

    Episode 128 - Ben Howland

    With the madness of March just around the corner, it’s perfect timing to sit down with a long-time Division 1 basketball coach and 2002 Naismith Coach of the Year; Ben Howland.
    Born in Oregon but growing up in Santa Barbara, Coach Howland fell in love with the game like many of our former guests; he was invited to check out a neighbourhood youth league and it all went from there! Shout out to the Goleta Boys and Girls Club! Developing and growing his skills as a player, Ben then had his eyes set on Division 1 and he ended up going the Junior College route first, with his final years being played out at Weber State.
    From there Coach had some great opportunities as an assistant, including being a graduate assistant at Gonzaga and having to guard future HOF PG John Stockton! Ben got his first head coaching gig at the University of Northern Arizona where he turned the program from one of the worst in the whole NCAA to Conference Champions and the schools first-ever trip to the NCAA tournament in 1997-98. (Yes you are correct, our friend and former guest Andrew Mavis was a key part of this tournament run and program turnaround).
    From Northern Arizona to PITT, then onto UCLA Coach Howland gives great reflection on how he approached each program with a different lens and mindset on who he wanted to recruit and why, finding a way to lead all those programs (including NAU) to a tournament appearance.
    At UCLA coach worked with numerous future overseas and NBA pros, most notably names like Jrue Holiday, Kevin Love, Norman Powell and Russell Westbrook. He also led the Bruins to three straight Final Fours from 2006-2008.
    The last chapter finds Ben at Mississippi State where in 2018-19 he took his team to yet another Tournament appearance, their first since 2009 (Sidenote- Only a handful of coaches have led four programs to March Madness appearances, with Coach Howland being one of them). His resume, pedigree and experience speak for themselves, this episode is fantastic and one you really won’t want to miss.
    In the meantime please don’t forget to like, share and subscribe, we thank Coach Howland for being with us! Tap in!
    Ben Howlandhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Howlandhttps://twitter.com/ben_howland
    Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
    Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
    Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
    ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

    • 1 hr 18 min
    Episode 127 - Jasmine Bascoe

    Episode 127 - Jasmine Bascoe

    Episode 127 is an opportunity to meet and know more about young gun, Villanova commit and National Team member; Jasmine Bascoe. Someone who shows maturity and game beyond her age, Mitch and Jasmine have a great conversation about life and hoops!
    Early in the episode, Mitch realizes that Jasmine is indeed the daughter of Shane, a former CCAA All-Canadian and Player of the Year! From there the conversation turns to having a family so tied to the game (Mom and older brother included) and what that means for the Bascoe’s. Jasmine is another product of being around hoops at a young age, finding herself riding her bike and watching her dad’s team practices from day one! From there she was drawn to the sport and everything that came with it, embracing and enjoying the grind to get better and hopefully play Division 1 for her Country.
    Knowing that Jasmine has her best years ahead of her, she discusses how she was able to become the player she is, why representing her Country means so much to her, having a positive mindset during COVID, being called up an age level for Team Canada and why Villanova felt like home!!
    Next up are the playoffs for her Kings Christian team and then getting ready for post-secondary! We will be watching, and wish Jasmine all the best in her future career!
    Tap in!
    Jasmine Bascoehttps://www.basketball.ca/athlete/jasmine-bascoehttps://www.instagram.com/jasminebascoe
    Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
    Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
    Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
    ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

    • 56 min
    Episode 126 - Steve Baur

    Episode 126 - Steve Baur

    Episode 126 has us chopping it up with long-time coach and specifically with our women’s national teams; Steve Baur. Steve truly has one of the most unique stories out there with his career starting in an unorthodox way.
    After spending time finishing his degree and coaching some community ball in his hometown, Steve then has a few opportunities that come across his table, luckily for him he decided to go for it and follow his heart!
    Steve ends up going all the way to Brandon, Manitoba where he and Mitch first met. Helping take over the women’s program in a rebuild, Steve and long-time mentor Les Berry stayed the course recruiting and trying to get the lady Bobcats on the map. From there is where things get wild, moving to coaching the Men’s program in Brandon, heading back to his alma mater and so much in between, this episode cannot be missed.
    Throw in his experience with Canada Basketball to this day, Steve carries one of the best coaching stories in Canada, he offers great reflection and insight, sit back and enjoy this one!
    Steve Baurhttps://twitter.com/coachbaur?langhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-baur-a1396545
    Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
    Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
    Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
    ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

    • 1 hr 35 min
    Episode 125 - Sean Anthony

    Episode 125 - Sean Anthony

    Episode 125 might be one of the most unique stories you’ve heard to this day! Sean Anthony is a born and raised Vancouverite but his path turned into an interesting one.
    A young Sean was not exposed to the game early on, and it wasn’t until he made the move to St. George’s School that he was introduced to the game and why it was so great. From there Sean played Provincial team, and had successful high school years but carries some interesting reflection on why his grade 12 year maybe wasn’t as heavy a recruiting list as he would have hoped!
    Ending up at McGill, where the coach that recruited him had left made for another interesting experience where Sean persevered learning lots about himself and his game! In 2010 Sean was the 6th overall pick and adjusted to the pro game quickly! Fast forward to today, Sean is a long-standing PBA basketball player, with many career and league highlights!
    We also touch on things like perspective on business and life after hoops! A great story that shows how many paths there are for us and the game, tap in and hear more about Sean! Let’s go!
    Sean Anthonyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Anthony_(basketball)https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Sean-Anthony/Summary/40329
    Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
    Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
    Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
    ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

    • 1 hr 26 min
    Episode 124 - Andrew Parker

    Episode 124 - Andrew Parker

    From the heart of Edmonton and beyond we have the chance to chop it up with a hooper, an educator, a strong human, and someone who is motivated to make the world a better place; Andrew Parker.
    A Caribbean native and family man, Andrew immigrated to Canada in 1976 and his family made an impact on the local community. It didn’t take long for Andrew to realize he was athletic, however translating that to becoming a hooper was the challenge Andrew was ready for and it took off from there! For those who know, this man is one of the best dunkers in 🇨🇦 history!
    Some life choices and trouble meant Andrew had to go to Concordia College to prove he was ready for the U Sport level. It seemed like destiny as all Andrew wanted was to follow the footsteps of his older brother to the University of Alberta and play for the Golden Bears! Andrew worked hard at his craft and knew he was built for all that came and more. From there AP finished his teaching degree, started coaching again and found himself to be a huge positive influence for many in his community.
    This episode really has it all, we hope you and yours have a great holiday season and are thankful for Andrew taking the time to be with us!
    Andrew Parkerhttps://andrewgparker.com
    Aaron Mitchell - HostInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_a_mitch/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ahoopsjourney/Website: https://www.ahoopsjourney.com/
    Sponsors: PGC Basketballhttps://pgcbasketball.com/
    Parkside Breweryhttps://www.theparksidebrewery.com/
    ATO Basketball Merchantshttps://www.atobball.com/

    • 1 hr 24 min

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