BANMI sought out Smith’s expertise since June last year after the completion on the 6th staging of the FIBA OBT in a collaborative effort to steer the CNMI’s governing body of basketball to the next level.
As a skilled facilitator and speaker both in basketball and business with a particular interest in strategic planning, culture change and leadership as well as his extensive business management skills, Smith will have much to offer and share during his week-long stay in the CNMI.
From April 12 to 19, Smith will be working closely with the BANMI board of directors in different capacities as well as with the players and coaches of the CNMI Men’s National Team and the 2006 Micronesian Games Defending Gold Medalist CNMI Women’s National Team.
Smith has been involved in basketball in many ways. He played the game for 35 years at different levels and after retiring several years later, he held the presidential seat of his local basketball association which was facing financial difficulties and saw it and its semi-pro franchise through a successful future with a sound financial platform.
More recently, Smith became a board member of Basketball New Zealand where he also serves as Chairman of its Finance Sub-Committee.
In addition, he was added to Board of the New Zealand Academy of Sport.
Aside from his administrative work, Smith has had a long standing involvement in coaching having first coached in 1972.
Today, he coaches the New Zealand National Development Program, serves as a mentor coach on the New Zealand development team tours and as coach of the under 18, 19 and 21 years national age group level teams.
In 2009, Smith represented New Zealand during three overseas tours with these teams, including a bronze medal performance at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
He is currently the assistant coach of the Junior Tall Blacks as the teams goes on its 2010 World Championship qualifying campaign.
(PR)
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