North Bay, Ontario - Nipissing Lakers Women's Basketball Head Coach Rachel Van Woezik recently had the opportunity to assist Canada Basketball's U18 Women's team as a court coach as the team prepared for the 2026 FIBA Women's AmeriCup tournament. 

The camp brought together 12 of Canada's top U18 athletes, including several committed to NCAA Division I programs 

Van Woezik's role as a court coach during the camp was primarily to support the athletes and coaching staff throughout the week. That included things like playing guided defense, rebounding, passing, helping demonstrate drills, reinforcing teaching points, providing encouragement and feedback to athletes, and assisting wherever needed during practices. 

"One thing the experience reinforced for me is that great coaches are great coaches regardless of level," Van Woezik said when asked to describe what the experience meant to her.  

"The game becomes faster and more precise, but what struck me most was that the work is still about people. The best coaches are exceptional teachers and relationship builders, and there was a shared commitment to learning, development, and helping athletes reach their potential that I found incredibly energizing." 

Rachel said that one takeaway from this experience that stood out was the level of intentionality around communication, teaching, and athlete development in a high-performance setting. 

Van Woezik was asked about the possibility of future opportunities to work with Canada Basketball and said "I certainly hope so. I was honoured to receive the invitation from Steve Baur and I really enjoyed it. I would welcome the opportunity to continue contributing in similar environments in the future." 

Canada will take on USA in the AmeriCup Final on Monday, June 15. 

Congratulations, Rachel!  

#GoLakers