KRISTA PHILLIPS – SPIRE ACADEMY (OH) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH (PLUS DASHA & KHADY) – EPISODE 944

Website – https://www.spireacademy.com/academy/academy-basketball-women/

Email – kphillips@spireacademy.com

Twitter/X – @SPIRE-Institute

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Krista Phillips is the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio. On this episode she is joined by two of her graduating seniors Dasha Shishkina and Khady Leye.

Krista was the starting center for Team Canada at the London 2012 Olympics, and spent six years playing with the Canadian National Team. Prior to her time with Team Canada, Krista spent four years at the University of Michigan as a Wolverine. As a senior, Krista received an All-Big Ten conference honorable mention, as well as awards for Athletic Achievement and Rebounding. She started all 35 games in her senior year and became Michigan’s 20th 1,000 point scorer. After college, Krista continued her basketball career professionally playing in Italy, Spain, Australia, and Prague. Upon retirement, Krista spent many successful seasons coaching high school basketball. Her passion for player development is what drives her, and her background in finance allows her to manage operations efficiently.

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Listen and learn as you check out this episode with Krista Phillips, Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Spire Academy in Geneva, Ohio.

What We Discuss with Krista Phillips, Dasha Shiskina & Khady Leye

• Spire, an international boarding school
• The reasons Dasha and Khady wanted to come to the United States
• How Dasha & Khady were introduced to the game as kids
• Adjusting to life in US both on and off the court
• Where they see themselves 5 years from now
• Growing up in Canada and eventually playing for Team Canada in the 2012 Olympics
• Her experience playing for Team Canada in the 2012 London Olympics
• “There’s a big jump between international basketball and American basketball.”
• “I think that’s kind of what makes Spire unique. In a way that we have the ability to help transition these young women to the American game.”
• “I’ve done the things that they want to do, I’ve played all of the basketball that they want to play, professionally, national team, power five, I’ve walked the walk and it really makes it easy to relate to them.”
• Coaching players for who English is a second language
• “We’re not just teaching them basketball we’re teaching them English. We’re teaching them life. We’re teaching them how to go from girls to young women.”
• The incredible facilities at Spire
• “If the lights are on, these kids can be in the gym.”
• “Social media is such a big part of the sport world right now.”
• Using social media to gain exposure for players looking to play college basketball
• “I want these young women to be as prepared as possible so that nothing they see next year isn’t something they’ve already had to deal with at this level because that’s what makes our experience valuable.”
• The impact of the transfer portal on high seniors looking to be recruited
• Running the program at Spire like a college program and the advantages that gives players
• “These players need to learn how to think on the go for themselves in the moment.”
• “I’m coaching them for who they need to be, not who they are.”
• “We have to create that culture for them that they can think for themselves because they’re the ones playing.”
• “I’m not a because I said so coach. If they have questions, I love to talk about the whys.”
• “They have learned to be great teammates. They’ve learned to be free thinkers. Their basketball IQ is really high. They’re learning skills that only college players are doing. And to create that environment now to make sure that that continues through the growth of the program is super important.”

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THANKS, KRISTA PHILLIPS

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TRANSCRIPT FOR KRISTA PHILLIPS – SPIRE ACADEMY (OH) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH (PLUS DASHA & KHADY) – EPISODE 944

[00:00:00] Mike Klinzing: Hello and welcome to the Hoop Heads Podcast. It’s Mike Klinzing here tonight without my co host Jason Sunkle, but I am pleased to be joined by Krista Phillips, the head women’s basketball coach at Spire Academy here in Geneva, Ohio, and two of her players, Khady and Dasha. Ladies, welcome to the Hoop Heads Pod.

[00:00:17] Dasha Shiskina: Hi, thank you. Hello.

[00:00:21] Mike Klinzing: Excited to have you guys on. Looking forward to learning more about all of your unique journeys to Spire. We’re going to start with you, Krista, just for people who maybe aren’t as familiar with Spire Academy. Just give us an idea of what it’s all about, what the women’s basketball program is all about, just kind of a quick overview, and then we’re going to jump into a little conversation with a couple of your players here.

[00:00:45] Krista Phillips: Absolutely. So, Spire Academy is located in Geneva, Ohio. And it is basically an international prep boarding school. We have seven sports at Spire, including women’s basketball and women’s basketball is in, it’s coming into its third season at Spire. So we’re still a pretty new program. And getting the word out there that we’re here and we’re doing amazing things.

With the premise that we’re preparing these young women for college through an accelerated high school experience, essentially. So that’s kind of the basis. Our facility we have eight hardwood courts one of which is was donated to us by the Cleveland Club of Years. So we have an actual Cleveland Cavaliers court and our it’s, it’s about 25, 000 square feet.

For it’s an amazing facility, something you have to kind of see to believe. And we’re really fortunate to have that space and everything that comes with it. In terms of our women’s basketball team, we’re looking to bring in young women who are interested in the basketball space post secondary.

And our main goal is to ensure that we can bridge the gap for these young women from high school to college, so that the transition from a senior in high school to a freshman in college is a little bit easier and you’re a little bit more ready.

[00:02:13] Mike Klinzing: Absolutely. And for people who aren’t familiar with Spire, it is an incredible facility, huge facility, top notch in every single way, and so I can certainly understand what would be attractive to prospective student athletes coming to Spire both nationally and internationally? So, girls, let’s start with the two of you and I guess we can just kind of bounce back and forth. I sent you guys a list of questions before. And I want to start with the first question being, how and why did each of you make the decision to come to Spire?

As Coach Phillips said, program’s relatively new. So how do you hear about Spire and what’s the process for getting from your home country here to Spire? So I don’t know who wants to take it first. But go ahead. One of you go ahead and take the first part and then we’ll jump to the second, we’ll jump to the other one.

[00:03:07] Dasha Shiskina: So I’ll go first, Dasha. I would say that it was my dream since I was like 10, I think, to come to USA, like in general. And my mom and I, we were just like looking for school in America. And we found the Spire and we checked the Spire site and we really liked the program and teams. So we checked it and we had a call with coach and Spire staff.

So we talked about the Spire and their program and I really liked it because it was going to be my new experience, like the first time in America. And I really like the program, I would say. So yeah, I just choose the SPIRE. My first time to be in the USA.

[00:03:57] Mike Klinzing: Khady, how about you?

[00:03:58] Khady Leye: All right, me coming to USA was one of my goals because I always wanted to get my degree here.

So back home, I was in the academy, the Coliseum Academy that I got recruited to be there. And then my coach told me about SPIRE. She told me that SPIRE was interesting. And We find the school was, was interesting. They have a good sport. And then but they, at that time they didn’t have the basketball team, so they were, the coach was still coding.

So I talked to the coach and he asked my, for my position and everything, and everything sounds good for her. So that’s how I got here.

[00:04:43] Mike Klinzing: Going back to when the two of you were kids, Dasha, we’ll start with you again. How did you get introduced to the game of basketball when you were a young girl? Did your parents play? Just how, how’d you get connected to the game of basketball?

[00:05:00] Dasha Shiskina: Yeah, so my older brother, he used to play basketball. And I used to do gymnastics at that time.

I just came to his game and I really liked how he played, how the basketball is look like, so I told my parents, like, I want to try it. And after that I had a coach. She saw the potential in me and she said like, the basketball is yours. And I just, like, started to play basketball because of my brother.

[00:05:30] Mike Klinzing: Khady, how about you?

[00:05:31] Khady Leye: For me, I started to play basketball because of my sister. I used to follow her when she went to play to the club. I used to follow her and then have fun. It was something fun at the beginning, and then I started loving it. As it goes, I was watching some basketball game, some WNBA basketball game, and then I asked my dad that I wanted to do an episode to play basketball too because it’s something that I love and I believe that I can succeed in it, so. Yeah, that’s how I joined the basketball.

[00:06:04] Mike Klinzing: Alright, Heidi, let’s start with you on this one. How does basketball here in the US and your experience playing Inspire, how does that compare to the basketball that you left behind in your home country?

[00:06:18] Khady Leye: I would say it’s a little bit different. I would say back home we play.

A little bit more with aggressiveness because yeah, I feel like sometimes I feel like it’s a little bit easier on the aggressiveness wise, but it’s really different. I think the basketball in USA is more developed and better than the basketball back home because here you can find some people at your same age that can really hook and then you gotta fight for your spot and you gotta, you gotta be challenging every single day.

[00:06:56] Mike Klinzing: Dasha, how about you?

[00:06:58] Dasha Shiskina: I would say the same, but it’s kind of different than back home. I would say that it’s here is more aggressive and more contact, which is good. I really like it. So everything I would say, if Heidi is, I think is like a little bit higher level here. Which is really good and like it’s a new experience for me to be in a new level.

[00:07:24] Mike Klinzing: What’s been the biggest adjustment, Dasha, for you? Let’s start with on the court. What was the biggest adjustment to coming over here to the U. S., coming to Spire and just having to adapt to this American style of play? What was the biggest adjustment for you on the court?

[00:07:47] Dasha Shiskina: I don’t really know, but to be in the higher level and to improve my skills. And be a pro in the future. So I decided to be the best player for me, for myself. That’s why I came here.

[00:08:06] Mike Klinzing: Khady, what about you?

[00:08:07] Khady Leye: For me, my biggest adjustment is being able to play inside the paint and outside the paint.

Cause when I came here, I was a guard, so I wasn’t really into the paint. But when I got here they, my coach had teached me how to play the game.

I can handle the goal as I can. Play inside the play. Yeah.

[00:08:29] Mike Klinzing: What about girls off the court, just in terms of leaving your family behind, leaving your home country behind, adjusting to a whole new world, a whole new culture, new language. What does that look like for each of you off the court? What are some things that maybe you really enjoyed about coming to the U.

S.? What are some things you miss about home? Just what were, what were the adjustments? Dasha, let’s start with you.

[00:08:54] Dasha Shiskina: In the beginning, when I came here, it was more than a year ago. It was so hard with my language and yeah, it was the biggest problem, I would say, because I didn’t know, like, English so good.

But the people here are so friendly and always helped, like. Ready to help you with English and everything. So I really glad that people are so good with this. I will say like this, and I really like miss the home, my family, of course, my friends, because it’s eight hours different in Russia and here, but yeah.

[00:09:35] Mike Klinzing: How long, Dasha, was it until you felt comfortable enough with the English that you felt like you could communicate with people pretty well. How long did it take for you to get comfortable with the language?

[00:09:50] Dasha Shiskina: I will say old school. So from September to August, I, because when you’re in this routine, every day, your English is improved every day.

So I, I don’t really know what I noticed that my English got improved it because people around me started telling me that your English improved it. So I didn’t really like notice when it started getting better.

[00:10:19] Mike Klinzing: That makes sense. Khady, what about you off the court? What are some things that you had to adjust to and what were your biggest adjustments?

[00:10:27] Khady Leye: For me, it was kind of the same thing, the English too. When I got here, I couldn’t understand people and what they were saying to me, but it was hard for me to explain my feelings and talk to them. I, when I knew a little bit, but this English was still not that good. So I worked really hard with my teachers and my friends.

So I started. Speaking a little bit more, because at the beginning I was uncomfortable, but as I go I knew more people and then myself being comfortable myself. And then they helped me a little bit, and there was also understanding, um, that I didn’t know English, so they helped me. Every time that I say a bad word, they say, no, it’s this, so I correct myself as I go.

And On the school tools, my teachers always help me to understand better. So that’s how, that’s one of my biggest adjustments. And the thing, one thing that I enjoy here is the, they made me feel at home. They really made me feel at home. When I came here, I was thinking about, I don’t have nobody, I’m going to struggle when I go there.

But when I came here, I found that some people that are really, really, really good and helped me also on and off the board to develop myself.

[00:11:42] Mike Klinzing: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think, obviously, from a standpoint of being able to understand the language, and I know that, I teach as my regular job when I’m not podcasting and we’ll have students that will come into our school district that are from other countries that oftentimes don’t speak any English.

And I always wonder and feel for them that, Hey, it’s gotta be kind of scary. And we’re talking about, I teach at an elementary school, so we’re talking about boys and girls that are younger than you guys. But I always feel like, man, it’s got to be really scary to be in a place where you can’t really communicate with anybody around you.

And then to your point, Dasha, like you were talking about how you kind of just, it’s just starts to happen because you’re surrounded by People speaking English all the time. So you kind of just immerse yourself in it and figure it out. And eventually you just start to realize that, Hey, now I can understand and I’m speaking it better.

And you just, you kind of don’t have a choice. So I’m sure a big adjustment, like you said. What do you guys miss most? Obviously the people, your family are things that you miss, but besides that, Is there anything about your home country, whether it’s the food, whether it’s the climate, whether it’s the just some customs or traditions that you don’t get to practice, maybe as much here in the U, but what’s something besides the people, your family, which obviously are your, your biggest thing that you miss, what else do you miss about your home country, Dasha?

[00:13:18] Dasha Shiskina: I would say, Because the Russian food is like it’s so really good, especially my mom. When she cooks, I really like her food and I don’t miss my climate because it’s really cold in Russia.

So I would say just food. Just food.

[00:13:35] Mike Klinzing: Have you, have you found any food, any restaurant that makes it? Makes food similar to what you eat if you go to a restaurant that claims to serve Russian food. Is anything close to what you actually eat at home?

[00:13:52] Dasha Shiskina: I don’t think so. But maybe they do have here the restaurants or stores with the Russian food.  But I never tried to find it here.

[00:14:04] Mike Klinzing: What’s your favorite American food that you’ve tried?

[00:14:07] Dasha Shiskina: I don’t know. I don’t think so that I have here. So it’s just, it’s just something new every day to try. So yeah, I don’t have one.

[00:14:19] Mike Klinzing: Khady, what about you? What do you miss most about home?

[00:14:22] Khady Leye: So for me, I miss more is the food too.

I mean, sometimes I make the food here, I can get it on my own, but it’s different when my mom cook it. That one is really good. When my mom cook it, that’s, that one is. And also I miss going outside, cause here you can, you can not really go outside, but back home, you can go outside every time, whenever you want with your friends.

And I miss also the tradition. There is some culture that we try to celebrate at home, but we don’t do it. And for those traditions, all the families used to gather in one house and we celebrate together. So that’s something that I really miss too.

[00:15:13] Mike Klinzing: All right, let’s talk a little basketball. Khady, we’ll start with you on this one.

As a player, what’s the best part of a basketball game? Your game and how did you develop it and work on it to make yourself good at that particular aspect? So what’s the best part of you as a basketball player and how do you practice that to get better at it?

[00:15:35] Khady Leye: My best part is I would say inside the post.

It’s something that I’ve really worked on this year and then I think I got better at it this year. So because I can I’m strong on the post. Sometimes it’s a little bit off, but it’s something that I’ve really been playing on. So it’s something that I would say.

[00:16:05] Mike Klinzing: Dasha, how about you?

[00:16:06] Dasha Shiskina: I would say my three point line because I feel like I’m the shooter. Like I always and I’m trying to improve my shot to be a better shooter. I’m shooting every day to be better. For my colleges and my future. So yeah, my viewpoint.

[00:16:27] Mike Klinzing: All right, Dasha, we’ll start with you on this one.

When you look ahead, let’s say three years from now, five years from now, what, where do you see yourself? What do you hope to accomplish? And how has or how does Spire kind of contribute to what it is that you’re trying to accomplish as your goal? So where do you see yourself in three years, in five years? What do you hope to be doing?

[00:16:56] Dasha Shiskina: So in three years I will be still in college. So I will say that in three years I see A good player and playing in college to be best in the team. And five years I would say, I would think that I would see myself if I was like a pro. I would play really like a pro.

And it doesn’t matter in America or Europe, just being a pro and being the best player myself.

[00:17:31] Mike Klinzing: What do you think you, you might study? When you go to college, you have an idea of what you’d want to study when you go to school?

[00:17:38] Dasha Shiskina: Yeah, I was thinking about it a lot because it’s really hard. And I decided to be to study as a sport management, which is really interesting for me.

[00:17:53] Mike Klinzing: Khady, how about you? Where do you see yourself in three years and five years? What do you plan to be doing? What do you hope to be doing?

[00:18:00] Khady Leye: In three years, I’ll probably be in college and I see myself as one Top basketball player and in five year I see myself with WNBA playing PRO or in the WNBA because it’s something that I really wanted to succeed on.

And I believe that I can get there.

[00:18:24] Mike Klinzing: And what do you think you might want to study in college?

[00:18:27] Dasha Shiskina: For that? It’s still undecided. I’m still thinking about doing the graphic design. Well,

[00:18:42] Mike Klinzing: how do you, I always tell people I’m 54 years old and I still really don’t know what I want to do. So you are, you are, you are not alone. You have plenty of time to figure that out.

And so enjoy being a basketball player and a student for as long as you can because eventually that real world and getting a job and all that stuff comes calling. And so you got to enjoy being a kid for as long as you can. And I want to ask you guys. One final question, or just give you a chance to Share your thoughts on this question.

And that is, if you were going to talk to someone who was a basketball player that was maybe in your situation a year or two ago, where you were considering or they were considering coming over here to the United States and they were thinking about coming to Spire, what would you tell them about Spire and why they should come and play their basketball at Spire for Coach Phillips. So just kind of give the sales pitch that you might give to a girl who’s younger than you that’s kind of in the same position that you were in. Why should they consider coming over to Spire and playing for Coach Phillips? So I’ll let Dasha, you go first on this one and then Khady, you can take it second.

[00:19:56] Dasha Shiskina: Okay. I would say that it’s a really big opportunity to be in a new level and my coach Krista, she will give you all skills she got and not only Krista, our assistance coach, they’re going to give you all skills they have to, like, to improve your skills, to improve your potential, everything you got. If you come here, you will be a new level every day.

So it just you need to decide it. If you want it, but Krista, my coach, she will give you everything you need.

[00:20:36] Mike Klinzing: Khady. How about you?

[00:20:38] Khady Leye: For me, I will say Spire is a big, big opportunity to be good at basketball and academic wise. At basketball, you’re going to have a coach and an assistant that’s going to help you physically and.

Mentally, because they’re never going to let you down. They will always be there to support you. Whenever you need them, you will see them. And, academic wise, I would say you will have a teacher that will support you to get your assignment done, and they will also help you to understand better what you’re doing.

And, yeah, that’s one of the things, one of the biggest things that I would say.

[00:21:20] Mike Klinzing: Well, they’re going to have to hire you two as saleswomen for the program because you guys have done an awesome job answering the questions and I think giving our audience a feel for what Spire Academy Women’s Basketball is all about.

So I want to thank the two of you for coming on and answering my questions and sharing with our audience. And I wish both of you the best. Nothing but the best of luck as you move forward in your basketball career. And hopefully you have outstanding college careers and you both get an opportunity at some point to play some professional basketball along the way.

And you know, who knows where you end up in terms of your professional career, but I want to say thanks to both of you for, for being a part of it. And and then we’re going to talk a little bit to coach Phillips. So girls, thank you very much for, for being a part of it.

[00:22:08] Dasha Shiskina: All right. Thank you so much. And thanks for having us.

[00:22:14] Mike Klinzing: Absolutely. Thanks for coming on girls. We really appreciate it. And Krista, we’ll talk a little coaching and a little bit about your journey now.

[00:22:22] Dasha Shiskina: Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Bye.

[00:22:25] Mike Klinzing: Thanks girls. Bye.

[00:22:26] Dasha Shiskina: Thank you. Bye.

[00:22:31] Mike Klinzing: So Krista, let’s start with you. Going back to you as a basketball player, tell me a little bit about how you got into the game of basketball when you were younger and eventually you get a really unique opportunity to play at the University of Michigan.

You play for the Canadian Olympic teams. Just give us an idea of how you got into the game as a kid.

[00:22:52] Krista Phillips: Sure, absolutely. So I had a really good friend in elementary school and her dad was a basketball player. And I think I had started in soccer when I was young. And our we became family friends and found out that he was a coach.

And so basketball just kind of happened. And it took me a long time to figure out that it was something that I could do. You know, I wasn’t always. The tallest kid obviously I’m 6’6 now but I never, I never felt like the tallest kid. I grew a significant amount in high school. So it was never really an obvious choice.

And obviously being from Canada basketball operates at the time was operating on a smaller scale. So, It wasn’t really well known as to what the options could be. Now, once I started playing with the national team, I understood a little bit more because I was seeing teammates that were older than me getting recruited and learning about that process.

But it did, I mean, it took me till like my freshman year in high school, I didn’t make the varsity team. And it, it wasn’t devastating because I got to play with all my friends because I would have been playing up with girls that were three or three years older than me. So it wasn’t, it wasn’t devastating at that time because I was like, all right, that’s fine.

I’ll play with my friends. We’ll have a great time. And we did. And it was awesome. And I think that’s the reason that I kind of figured out that it was possibly something I can do. And then all of a sudden I grew. And then it made a little bit more sense, obviously. But it took me until my sophomore year in high school before I really thought like, Oh maybe I should like make some plans for what this could look like for me.

Cause again, high school in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is pretty, Uneventful like AAU wasn’t a thing in Canada. We had a travel team, but it was on such a smaller scale. So to dream that big, I mean, again, lots of girls that I played with played at the University of Saskatchewan which in its own right has made a name for myself.

And obviously that seems like the logical choice. And then I decided to commit myself to basketball. And then suddenly. So it’s, it’s, it’s a bit of a funny journey cause I really never thought that seriously about it until I suddenly I did. And then I was like, okay, what can I do? Where can I go?

How can we and I was fortunate enough to, to be able to play with the national team. I actually graduated my senior year, like a month and a half early to go play with the national team. But before that played junior nationals and again was just like super fortunate to play with players that were already being recruited.

Which was the case for me. I ended up in Michigan because someone that I played on the Canadian national team with went there. So it was a super logical choice. And at the time seemed like a great choice. The only other visit I took was to Oregon. And again, it was because a girl that I played with on a Canadian national team was already there.

So it was a funny journey. And of course, like, like, most, I’m assuming most players these days, right, the colleges just come knocking and it’s an overwhelming experience and that process can be really scary. But I went on my visit to Michigan and I just knew. And I tell that to my players now.

It’s like, you’ll go and it’ll feel right or it won’t. And that usually happens pretty quickly. And as it did for me. And then it kind of took off from there. I actually didn’t play with the Canadian national team kind of during my college because I just felt like I suffered kind of injury after injury.

Tore a meniscus. Had to, had to have several knee surgeries. And then my senior year, I played with the national team and it kind of just was history from there. Played with an amazing group of women that were all at their kind of peak. Most, again, most had played in the States somewhere. I think that’s just like somehow the international players dream to play in America, because that’s what dreams are made of.

But it’s true the girls say it, and it’s absolutely true, because Basketball anywhere else is just not the same. And we’re so fortunate in the U. S. to just, especially now, have such a tremendous space for young women to play basketball. It’s just phenomenal. And that was the case back when I played too.

Most of my teammates played for colleges in the U. S. And it just really solidified my experience. And then, and then the national team kind of kept rolling and we kept we were gritty and we did some really cool things. And that ended up with the London 2012 Olympics. So it was, it’s a journey, but it’s fond, fond memories for sure.

[00:27:41] Mike Klinzing: I want to go backwards before I ask you about your Olympic experience. Let’s go backwards to that sort of pivot point where you said all of a sudden you kind of looked around and realized that before it wasn’t something that you thought about. And now all of a sudden, Hey, it is something that I can maybe think about.

How did you then approach becoming a better player. What did you do? Was it a lot of time in the gym by yourself? Were you playing with the girls that were part of your high school team? Again, you said it yourself and I think it’s 100 percent true that when I look at the opportunities that girls and young women have to play the game of basketball today in 2024 compared to even 10 years ago, the number of opportunities is, is much greater.

So when you kind of flipped that switch, what did you do to become a better player? How’d you go about that process?

[00:28:38] Krista Phillips: So I was really fortunate. My high school team that I played on took basketball really seriously. And I came from a really small, in Canada we call it elementary school. And I had several girls and boys from my elementary school that went to the same high school as me.

And we picked That high school again in Canada, the rules are a little bit different, but you can kind of, or at the time could kind of go wherever you liked. And there was a high school across the street from where I live. And I went to high school two high schools down the road. Because that’s the word basketball was well known.

And I knew that at the time, but I still was like, Oh, if I want to basketball school, I should go there. And there was a few of us that went there and then we all just kind of, it turned into this really cool thing where we’d all just show up in the morning before school. Again, my friend her dad was on staff and he was the men’s basketball coach.

So we had gym access and we could kind of go in whenever we wanted. So there was a group of us that played in the mornings before school. And it, it feels like different times now, but it’s just, we had access that lots of kids don’t have anymore. And again, surrounded by coaches that were just invested.

We have a provincial team in Canada so did that during the summer. Again, not on the scale, obviously, that AAU is now. But the ability to kind of play across the province at a young age, kind of in the summer, was another thing that kind of really helped me. become the player, start to become the player that I wanted to be.

[00:30:14] Mike Klinzing: All right, let’s jump to the Olympic experience. What’s that like, just being a part of your team and participating in the Olympics, first of all, just as a group with this Group of women, as you said, that you guys kind of grew together, gritty and keep working and you get that opportunity. Let’s, let’s start there and then I want to jump to sort of the overall Olympic experience.

But first, let’s start with just within your team and that opportunity to go and participate as a group with that particular group of women.

[00:30:47] Krista Phillips: Absolutely. So we actually qualified July 1st which is the latest I think you could possibly qualify. We won against the Japanese national team, like in a nail biter on Canada Day, which was phenomenal.

And we literally had to turn around and we were swept right into the process by the Canadian National Olympic Planning Committee. Because we had like less than, I don’t know, four weeks or something to really turn it around. So we had scheduled games, we kind of did all of the things that you have to do going up to it.

So we didn’t really have a whole lot of time to process what we had done because we were already in it, right? So by the time we got back to the country, we did all of the prep things you have to do and then flew over. We were in Scotland beforehand. And it just was a whirlwind. And so then we get there and it’s, I mean, it’s everything you think it would be.

It’s the coolest experience. You’re surrounded by thousands of like minded athletes and it’s to be, and actually being at Spire reminds me a little bit of that experience because it’s very, Olympic Village esque. In terms of everything’s there, everything’s kind of close. I mean, the, the biggest thing that we were warned about the Olympic Village in London was that it’s a lot of walking if you’re not careful.

Because I think from where we stayed to the cafeteria, don’t fact check me, but it was like, I think two miles or something. Like, it was a significant distance. So we were really warned about, Being on our legs too much and really planning ahead. And Canadian Olympic team the, the actual team of volunteers at the Olympics we had snack tents and we had, we were all fortunate to stay together in a townhouse.

And so it’s just like, it really was an experience and just have Canadian athletes that are at the best in their sport in the same area as you, it’s just a really cool experience.

[00:32:50] Mike Klinzing: What was your favorite person that you met at the Olympics could be from your country, from another country.

What, what was, what was an experience or a conversation or just someone that you met that, that sticks out when you think about that time?

[00:33:05] Krista Phillips: There’s a few, we still hard for me to talk about, but we lost the team USA in the quarterfinals. I remember walking through the tunnel and the US team USA men’s Olympic basketball team was there.

And it just was like, I’ve just lost the most devastating game of my life, but like there’s some of the top men’s basketball players in the world. That was really cool. We also we’re fortunate enough. We were in a townhouse that had TV that we could watch some of the Olympic sports and we had Olympians come in off the grass into our, into our townhouse because the TV was on and we could watch other sports.

So it’s just the coolest experience to see, again, people from everywhere, from every sport. But that one will stick out in my mind because I remember being so frustrated that we lost, but like I’m walking past Kobe and LeBron and all those guys that played at that time. Crazy.

[00:34:00] Mike Klinzing: Yeah. I mean, when you think about just being in that environment and as you said, being surrounded by not just great athletes from basketball, but some of the greatest athletes in the world across sports, it had to be just an incredibly unique experience when you’re playing.

And as your playing career is starting to wind down, was coaching something that was always on your radar, or was it something that you started to think about as your career was winding down? Like, did you think of yourself always as, hey, someday when I’m done playing, I’m going to coach, or was it more, hey, I’m done playing.

What am I going to do now? And I kind of want to have the game still in my life. Do either one of those scenarios describe you better?

[00:34:47] Krista Phillips: Absolutely. I mean, from the jump had always thought that I was getting back into coaching. And then I after my pro career was finished and I had officially retired, I just, I was so burnt out.

I just didn’t have it in me. And I went, I had to have surgery when my career was over. So I went home and had surgery and then kind of thought, I think, I think I just need a break. And was fortunate enough to be able to just take a year off. And in that time spent a little bit of time coaching high school basketball, but it wasn’t really for me.

And then started a eight year career in finance. And again, did a little bit of high school basketball here and there, but to be honest, I thought it was out, which rarely happens.

[00:35:35] Mike Klinzing: What was it about it that you didn’t, that you didn’t like that much? What part of it was made, made you kind of think, Hey, I’m not sure that this is what I want to do.

[00:35:44] Krista Phillips: So I think if I have to pick one thing, I think it’s that high school basketball at that level. Some people are there to get to the next level because they love it, and some people are there because it’s something to do.

And being that the last basketball that I played was at the highest possible level, I had a hard time with that. Not necessarily the effort, but just the fact that the last basketball I remember playing is this, and this is what it’s supposed to look like, right? And there’s some people in high school basketball that never play basketball again.

And that was, I think that was tough because being so passionate about it. Translates in different ways and it was hard to kind of turn that down a little bit. I guess.

[00:36:36] Mike Klinzing: That makes total sense I mean, I think that I look at my own experience and finishing up playing and then I got into coaching and It’s almost like again You have such a passion for the game as a player that there are some people who like immediately feel like coaching replaces Replaces Being a player and they get the same rush of adrenaline, they get the same competitive juices, they get all the same feelings that maybe you got as a player, they get that from coaching.

And I know in my first experience or two, like coaching was something that I had to grow into. I didn’t feel like it immediately, just like you were describing, I don’t feel like it immediately grabbed ahold of me and was like, yeah, this is something that is going to immediately replace. the thrill of playing for me.

I still felt like playing was kind of where my mindset was, even though I was done after my college career. And so I think that’s a question. It’s just, it’s interesting when you hear different people and their sort of journey to the coaching profession where you have people that it immediately grabs them and they’re like, yeah, this is replacing all that competitive fire that I have.

I can now channel into coaching. And then there are other people that kind of like you described and kind of how I felt where you, you get into coaching and you love coaching, but it doesn’t have that same feeling as it does. as a player, and then I think you grow, I think you grow into that over time, if that makes any sense.

[00:38:09] Krista Phillips: For sure. Well, it’s rewarding in a totally different way to me because it, I think it would be different if I could Let’s go back to 2010 when I graduated. If I could still do what I could do then, I think I would feel differently about it. Because then when I’m frustrated because they don’t get it, I could show them, right?

But you know, that’s 20 years ago and a different me. And I just can’t it has to be like a do what I say, not what it looks like, because it’s going to look totally different on a 17 year old who’s fresh in their career. But I think in that regard, it’s rewarding in a different way because watching them actually get it is probably the best part because as Dasha and Khady kind of alluded to there is a jump.

There’s a big jump between international basketball and American basketball. FIBA basketball is entirely different in terms of how the game is played and the skills that are used. And I think that’s kind of what makes Spire unique. In a way that we have the ability to help transition these young women to the American game.

I think it’s tough because I would say it probably takes two years because of what we’ve experienced over the last season. Khady’s been there two years, Dasha a year and a half, kind of in there and I would say they’re, like, I think the light bulb has just clicked. Obviously they’re talented enough to have them both going to Division I schools.

You The growth will continue as, as they see kind of what the next level is like. And I think that’s something that we do well. But it’s hard to replicate because the intensity is different. These girls are surrounded by teammates that want the same things as them. But you have to have it in order to understand.

And it’s really tough, to really emulate for these girls what that next level is. And I think, but on the flip side of that, I think that’s something that we do well. Because Again, this is where the, I’ve seen it and done it all thing really comes in handy because I’ve done the things that they want to do, I’ve played all of the basketball that they want to play, professionally, national team, power five, I’ve walked the walk and it really makes it easy to relate to themhat they’re good now, but if they want to get to where they’re going, they have to be great because the C is a whole lot bigger now than it was when I played. You know, basketball, girls, basketball, especially has been, has been great. Women’s basketball has been great for a long time. Everyone else is just kind of catching up right now.

They’re not seeing what we’ve seen for a while. And trying to get the kids to understand that in a way that makes sense to them is kind of the fun part. You know, Dasha is a great shooter. She’s got great feet. She needs a mid range game, and she has one now. Hottie has, she’s quick.

She’d be a great floor player. She learned to love contact and she’s great at it and it’s going to, it’s going to take her far. I mean it’s, that’s I think the part that really does it for me is seeing these kids and the transition they’ve made. Not only in their English because sometimes I have to remember to speak slowly because English is not their first language, right?

And so it’s we’ve all kind of grown together over the last year And we you know I still have to sometimes remind myself that they don’t have the full vocabulary That those of us that speak English as the first language do but it also has to be a balance between I can’t We can’t use broken English either because that doesn’t teach them, right?

I’ve played in foreign countries. I’m not sure if you had any pro career, but playing in foreign countries, you get really used to the broken English and it’s it takes us. We really have to think about it to make sure that, because we’re not just teaching them basketball we’re teaching them English. We’re teaching them life. We’re teaching them how to go from girls to young women. And it’s multifaceted, especially kind of where we are being an international prep academy.

[00:42:29] Mike Klinzing: Yeah. There’s a whole nother layer there, right? I think when you start talking about whether you’re a high school coach or a college coach and what I hear you saying is There’s more to your job as a basketball coach than just teaching basketball.

You’re also trying to teach life lessons and help prepare your players for life after the game. But then you have a whole other added layer when you start talking about helping your players to acclimate to a new country. a new culture. They’re away from home, away from their families. They got to learn a new language.

So there’s this whole other piece that goes into what you’re getting an opportunity to do. And again, the impact that you’re able to have on the young women in your program, I’m sure is immeasurable just in terms of helping them to get to some of the goals that Dasha and Hadi talked about when we talked to them a little bit earlier and just what they want to accomplish.

And for you to, as you said, kind of have the roadmap of. Yeah, I did it a little while ago, but it’s still something that I went on this journey already. And so you can pass that knowledge on to them and hopefully help them to better navigate the process. For you, tell me how you got to Spire. How does that opportunity come to you?

[00:43:45] Krista Phillips: It’s really unique actually, it kind of happened through COVID. Obviously Previous to that, I’m in corporate finance and I love it. And then I found myself through COVID in a relationship and was looking to kind of change some things in my personal life and found Spire and Spire kind of found me and we kind of went this could work actually. So the program was fresh and just had the ability to come in. It’s funny cause when you start a new job, usually there’s some training involved, right? Like you have to learn the processes you have to.

And it was a really cool experience to be able to walk in the gym and go, Oh yeah, I can do this. I don’t need any training. I don’t need to go and look through a booklet or look through a manual. I’d like this part. I got like, that’s the part that’s easy, right.

Being a player and transitioning that to those skills. To other players, that was kind of the easy part. So the ability to do that right off the jump was really cool. And really kind of set the tone for me. And the girls that are here, the players that are here, are starving for that knowledge.

Because they want to be the best. And again, knowing what that feels like. It’s easy to put together, not necessarily the things that they need because all of them need different things. But to take that passion and be able to harness it into something that they can use to build their skills with again, a facility that is absolutely phenomenal to work in with access is incredible.

[00:45:22] Mike Klinzing: What was the interview process like?

[00:45:25] Krista Phillips: So everything was done online and then I flew in kind of for a final interview and did it on site at Spire and just so previous to that had done kind of virtual tours. Had spoken kind of with everyone on staff and then flew in for the final interview.

And I mean, at that point we all kind of knew it was a, it was a good fit, which made it more of a formality, but just kind of fell in love with it right from the jump. Could see kind of how I can make an impact. Obviously met the girls while I was there and thought like, Oh yeah, I can see myself.

I can imagine what this experience could have been like, had it been available when I was that age. And I love that.

[00:46:05] Mike Klinzing: What’s been the biggest challenge in getting the program to where you want it to go?

[00:46:17] Krista Phillips: I think the biggest challenge will be letting people know that we exist and we’re doing this really well.

Spire in that regard I think is still relatively unknown, as is for the most part the prep space for women’s basketball. You know, men’s basketball prep space, kind of dime a dozen. There’s a lot, many to choose from, lots are doing it well but there’s not as many on the women’s side. So letting people know that we’re doing it, we’re doing it well.

And that the program will speak for itself. We’ve got three kids right now that are going to D1 schools this year which is phenomenal. There was, we had a couple of girls, three girls last year that went to really good colleges. So that part, that time will come, but the aspect of letting these players know that we’re here and this is what we love and what we’re excited about the reason we get out of bed every day is probably going to be the biggest challenge. And that will come it’s the idea this year is to have a team of 14. I think we’re about halfway there at the moment. So it’s, it’s coming along. Something I never considered through this process was the skills across the board that these kids would need.

So to further clarify, I have a guard. 5’4 needs to learn how to be sneaky. I have a 3 player who’s gotta also learn how to post up and take on from the wing. I have a 5’10 guard who’s can shoot but she needs a mid range. I have a forward who never liked to play in the post great rebounder but needs some back to the basket moves.

It’s the wide variety of skills that we need to focus on. Especially with the international kids not knowing what base they’ll come in. Like even across the U. S. today. I think the challenge that AAU has brought is that there’s a lot of games and the skill development is a little bit limited.

So I can’t we can’t say for certainty, well this player Jane is going to come in with great footwork, she’s got good form she knows X, Y, Z. There’s no guarantee anymore. I don’t know if there ever was but fundamentals is something that’s super important and something that we’re seeing a little bit less and less of.

So I think in that regard. It’s tough too because we have to be creative. This year, at a large part during the season, I had five players. So I’ve been more creative, I think, now than I think I’ve ever been, because we have to figure out how to make that work, right? Using, strategically using timeouts to give these kids rest.

Dealing with what drills can I do with five players? It’s probably, again, I’ve accessed some creativity I didn’t know I had to make to make this work for them. But we won big games with five players. And that’s a testament to the hard work that they put in. And a lot of that has to do with the access.

I mean if the lights are on, these kids can be in the gym. And that’s daily and on the weekends. And that access I think is what most kids are looking for. Because if you don’t know someone that knows someone, it’s hard to get gym time whenever you like, around your parents schedule or your schedule or a coach’s schedule.

So that access that we have we’ve got three shooting machines and five courts, so 10 baskets, right? On a regular basis where these kids can be in the gym with someone who loves it just as much as them. And I think that’s just the coolest thing.

[00:50:06] Mike Klinzing: So you mentioned sort of the challenge and just getting people to be aware of Spire and what you guys do and what you offer.

What’s been the strategy? What have you guys tried? What’s working? How are you trying to get the word out to let players know both nationally and internationally that this is a viable option for them to be able to try to reach their goals, goals both academically and athletically?

[00:50:34] Krista Phillips: Social media has been a big help.  And that’s, I think, one thing that surprised me when I came is how much basketball is involved with social media. Lots of these players that we’re seeing and now we’re encouraging our players for college coaches is your bio and your profile has to have, you know. Your class, your height, your position, where you’re at, you got to be readily available so that your highlights are available so people can see you the tech is a big part of it now.

Again, we’re fortunate. We’ve got Hudl we have the ability to cut clips. Save full game. So that access to be able to provide that to coaches, but on the same note, to be able to find players and players can find us. Social media is such a big part of the sport world right now.

And I think it’s great because these kids can get themselves out there, even if they don’t have Spire. Cause I mean, something we do well is the exposure. Right, going to tournaments that college coaches are at, but players can do that just by working really hard to get themselves out there.

So, social media is definitely one. Being on the road and recruiting is another big thing. Telling people who we are and what we do, finding girls who have some talent, who are interested in this experience that we can provide. And then doing stuff like this, doing interviews, doing whatever we can to get the word out there that we’re here, and this is what we love, and, and we really believe that we can help these young people achieve their goals and dreams, as long as it’s realistic.

[00:52:21] Mike Klinzing: How do you, as a head coach, it’s always a challenge to be able to build team chemistry and build a culture and get people on the same page and playing for each other. That’s a challenge no matter what the environment is. But now you’re kind of adding this other piece of, you have kids coming together from All parts of the world that maybe speak different languages and you’ve got to kind of meld them together and build a culture and get them to bond.

So how do you think about that team culture piece as the head coach and maybe what are some things that you do to try to facilitate that togetherness, that feeling of creating great teammates?

[00:53:03] Krista Phillips: Absolutely. So let’s talk about the incoming class. So Khady and Dasha, they’re kind of on their way out.

I think they’ve got two and a half weeks of school left before they move on. But all the incoming players I meet with online and or in person. On a several, several situation basis. So I’m pretty aware of kind of what we’re bringing in we look for, I think it somehow works out that these athletes, student athletes that are super dedicated to their sport are the ones that typically work really hard, keep to themselves.

So us personally, we haven’t had personality issues. What we have had are We’ve got, this year we had seven on our team, four of those are don’t speak English as their first language and are more or less really quiet, soft spoken people. So we’ve had to work really hard on the culture of communicating on and off the court with your teammates and your coaches.

Because at some point, some of these kids don’t have the ability to readily do that without help. We have a player right now from Mongolia, where when she got here, it was Google Translate everything. And it’s just such a unique challenge that you’re never going to find anywhere else. And now she understands and can communicate with me on a regular basis without help.

And it’s work on both of our parts. I have to really be conscious of what words in my vocabulary I use to make it as simple for her as possible. And she has to really do a job of listening and then letting you know, if she doesn’t understand, because to have a shy player, that English is not the first language is tough because she’ll nod and say, yes.

And I’ll go, do you understand? And she’ll say, yes. And I’ll say, okay, well, can you do this? And she’ll be like, wait, what? And I’ll be like, okay, let’s start over. Here’s what I’m looking for. You know? So it’s, again, learning to. To be able to communicate effectively has been, I don’t even think I would say it was a challenge.

It’s been kind of a fun, unique experience because I’m confident that I’m set for whatever could come my way at this point. But you know, we’ve had to teach these kids how to communicate with each other because as Dasha some kind of alluded to, she can’t sometimes find the word that she’s looking for.

And then will mutter to herself in Russian because she’s frustrated because she can’t find the word. You know, and that’s the experience of a lot of them. And so, again, just like being patient and letting them know that we’ll help you figure it out. Like but I think the communication in the court was a journey for sure.

Because some days it would be like crickets because they’re doing what they’re supposed to, but then they’re not talking to each other in a way that’s meaningful and helpful on the court. So in order to facilitate that, we did a ton of team building exercises where one’s blindfolded and one can’t speak, and the other one has to direct we’ve done tons of Those types of exercises just to encourage them that they can communicate in a meaningful way that just it takes a little bit of effort.

So lots of team building exercises. You know, one’s blindfolded and has the ball and has to be directed by another one who can’t move or touch them to the basket. And they have to again, creativity is flowing. I don’t anticipate that there’s something I haven’t thought of that we need to do.

Because of how interesting that this year was. But I, again, that’s what kind of fills my cup is it’s been so incredible to watch them grow and to process and to be able to speak to me and to you in a full sentence it’s an everyday growth for them. You had asked like, what’s the moment?

And I was like, every day is the moment I think where they’re having that conversation where I’m like, do you just realize we had a conversation and you didn’t stumble over one word or you didn’t, weren’t at a loss for word or you weren’t cause public speaking for a someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language is tough.

And we’ve done a lot of that. We do mock interviews and we do because again, It’s the college model and so it’s something I did at college and it’s something I’m bringing here because, again, I want these young women to be as prepared as possible so that nothing they see next year isn’t something they’ve already had to deal with at this level because that’s what makes our experience valuable.

It’s the fact that we work really hard to bridge that gap between high school and college because so many players, and I think the portal is a testament to that, so many players, so many coaches are looking for sophomores instead of high school seniors because there’s no transition. They’ve already played college basketball.

You know, that’s easy. That’s why the portal I think is so powerful right now. So it’s even harder than it ever has been for high school seniors to find spots on these teams. And have an impact, have the ability to actually play their freshman year as well.

[00:58:22] Mike Klinzing: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the portal, it’s amazing, Krista, the number of conversations that I’ve had with coaches, both on and off the podcast, just talking about the impact of the portal on the recruiting, specifically the recruiting of high school players.

And as you said, I mean, it makes sense, right? If you’re a college coach and you can get a kid out of the portal who’s already proved themselves. As a college basketball player, but also just as a student who can go away to school and do the schoolwork and manage and be away from home and all those kinds of things that it makes sense to take a player like that.

As opposed to somebody coming out of high school that you might think but clearly recruiting is an inexact science and doesn’t always work out the way you think. So, It’s clearly had a huge impact on kids coming out of high school and trying to find opportunities to play at the college level.

So to kind of piggyback off of that, when you think about the total program that you guys have available to your student athletes at Spire, what are some things that maybe you guys can provide that a normal high school environment maybe can’t. What are some things that Spire does really well that help their student athletes both on and off the court to prepare for that transition like you’re talking about to eventually being a college student athlete?

[00:59:43] Krista Phillips: I think the biggest one that really sticks out for me that’s kind of outside the high school experience is performance. So our student athletes are in the weight room every single day. Not necessarily lifting every day, but they’re doing something so we have an amazing I don’t know. Have you ever been to Spire, Mike?

[01:00:03] Mike Klinzing: I have.

[01:00:04] Krista Phillips: So our performance Again, so much has probably changed since you’ve been here, but our performance facility is phenomenal and we have an incredible staff. So our players are in there every single day they’re lifting they’re doing agility. They’re doing hand eye coordination. They’re strengthening tendons and joints and preparing their bodies for that next level.

And I think that’s something that is not typical of the high school experience. And something that we strive to do with SPIRE is to make sure that they’re ready for that. So again, when they get to the next level, they don’t necessarily have to be taught what to do because they’ve already had that experience.

And that gives them, again, the ability to have an advantage in terms of not being potentially as injured as someone else because they’ve been lifting for the one or two years, three or four years they’ve been at Spire. And so the development in that regard is incredible. And just something that we have a unique opportunity to high school.

And then outside of that, they’re already doing the boarding experience. So they’re away from home. They’re having to make decisions on their own. They’re having to get themselves to and from during their schedule. They’re responsible for their class, for the travel. So it’s already kind of the college experience just on a much smaller scale.

And we’re giving them the tools to be able to. really get through this process in a meaningful way that makes the freshman year of college incredibly less challenging than it would be if you’re going, I think, straight from the jump from high school to college. We have these kids working with our college and career counselor.

They’re doing the mental skills. They’re there’s so many things that they’re doing, the nutrition, these things that give them already by itself without the basketball program a leg up in terms of what to the expectations of college. And then you throw in their sport and what we’re able to do at our facility with our staff.

And it’s just, it’s unmatched. It really is. And it’s just, it’s so incredible they have the close proximity with their teachers, because and again, you play at the Division 1 level, so you have to be able to communicate with your teachers that, hey, I’m going to we’re gone for a tournament, or we have this game, so I need to write this test earlier, take it after the skills to be able to speak with your teachers and to pre plan how you’re going to deal with things, like it’s when you’re in high school and at home and your parents are kind of there and they’re helping manage your schedule, it’s easy, right?

Like I’ve got to be at the gym at eight, mom’s going to drive me, like no worries. Where these kids have to plan like what time they have to leave their houses to be at the gym to be warming up and stretching and rolling and getting themselves ready for practice. And then dining hall’s open until this time, so we have to get there before we go to this the, the scheduling part they’re already doing and they don’t really have to think about it. So again, come college, when you get handed that piece of paper that has a schedule, it’s going to go, okay, well, I’ve already done this. So this should be pretty easy.

[01:03:25] Mike Klinzing: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think that all of what you just described, that ability to acclimate into that environment prior to going and participating in college athletics. Has to be a huge advantage. I mean, there’s just no way around it that getting those experiences earlier in life as part of your high school years clearly is going to give you an advantage when you get to the college level.

You have to manage all that stuff on your own. Your kids have already done that, which I’m sure gives them a leg up when they eventually get to college. Tell me a little bit about your philosophy as a coach and just kind of how you developed and thought about the way you wanted to play. With your team and just how you develop your coaching philosophy over time.

[01:04:12] Krista Phillips: I think that I like to identify What the biggest challenge is first so players at this age haven’t necessarily Hammered down on the fundamentals right have it we haven’t mastered We seem like masters of none. And I don’t want to throw shade on the AAU experience, but it’s hard to four games in two days to really be dedicated to the principles.

So we start our season again, much like a college season. We have the preseason where they’re doing the conditioning, they’re working on the fundamentals we’re solidifying that package so that when we get to the, to the games You know, that’s the fun stuff where setting both screens and we’re coming off screens and we have the ability to do that well.

And I like to, again, the way that I normally do things is a little different this year because we were we had some challenges with personnel. But I typically like to play fast. I think the data shows that most of the best scores happen in the first seven seconds of the shot clock.

Not that in Ohio we don’t play with a shot clock in the high school level, which was an adjustment. But I’d like the team to play fast. I want them to be basketball IQ.  I’m not big on set after set after set because These players need to learn how to think on the go for themselves in the moment.

And I really think that’s important. We dealt a lot early with our players predetermining the move that they were going to do. And then being frustrated when that didn’t work for them. So to change their thinking from here’s these three moves you have in your bag, go ahead and do those to, here’s what the defense does.

What I have in my bag is what I can do if or, so to change their thinking, to be able to do that, because again, I think the best players have a really good basketball IQ. And can in the moment adjust to kind of whatever’s necessary. And I think I’m a big proponent of that. I will call plays from the sideline, but it’s not something that happens all game long.

Because again, I want them to understand what’s working, what’s not working. What we here’s, Dasha’s hot. What play can we run? We can get Dasha a shot. Like, I want them to be able to think for themselves on the go in that regard. Because that’s what’s going to make them better players. And I’m a big, I harp on it a lot.

I’m coaching them for who they need to be, not who they are. Because again, this is just a stepping stone for them. Not many that Spire is the last basketball they play. So it’s not I’m very, very much not content with how good they are now. To me, that makes less of a difference as to the work they’re putting in to be the best possible player that they can personally be.

And I talk to them a lot about they can sometimes be frustrated. Well this is what I’ve been doing and it’s been working. And that’s perfectly acceptable, comma, however, what, how do you want to, what kind of player do you want to be at the next level? And so I think that forcing them to learn how to think like that is again, what’s going to give them, what’s going to help them stand out as student athletes at the next level.

And so that’s how I try to coach them. I want them to be free thinkers. I want them to say, Hey, I think this is working. You know, or, hey, I think we should switch to his own. Or, Josh is really hot right now. Or, Khady’s got six doctor backed baskets. Like, let’s get her the ball again. Because that’s what makes them great basketball players and we have to teach them that it’s you’d be hard pressed to find someone who just has it Right. We have to create that culture for them that they can think for themselves because they’re the ones playing and that’s I think what’s different for me about coaching as to playing is I was fortunate to play for coaches who at a high level allowed us to do that.

You know, my national team, we’re not spring chickens at that point. Like we’ve all graduated college we’ve kind of been through that experience and we know what works and what doesn’t. And so there’s not a whole lot that our coaches could have said in the moment that we weren’t already one step ahead because you feel it because you’re in it in the moment.

I think that’s the big difference to coaching is that I think, and something I love is that I want them to. I’m trying to teach them how to feel it because it’s something that, yeah, you can learn, but if we, if I can teach them early, then they’re already ready for the next step. So going into a game or a timeout, there’s not much I can say that we haven’t already covered because again, I’ve kind of already done it.

I understand kind of what it takes and I want them to have that power to live in the moment. Cause that’s what’s fun about basketball. That’s the best part.

[01:09:46] Mike Klinzing: I think that what you’re speaking to, right? That decision making piece and being able to understand what goes on out of the floor. I think basketball IQ is something that oftentimes gets lost in today’s game with the amount of time that kids spend with trainers and kind of working in isolation.

And so they don’t necessarily have some of those skills that you’re talking about, that you’re trying to develop. Your players to understand game situations of, Hey, this player’s hot. Let’s see if we can figure out a way to get them the ball on this next possession. And those are things that I think when you start talking about being able to think the game and as a coach when you can give your kids opportunities and practice to be able to make those decisions and see those things and talk through ’em.

And start to understand. I think really that’s where you’re giving your players a huge advantage because I think the skill level today in the game is probably higher than it’s ever been. And yet at the same time, I think that the ability to think the game like you talked about is something that. If you’re spending all your time just working in isolation, you sometimes lose some of that feel for the game and that ability to make decisions.

So I think when I hear you talking about how you kind of design your program and your philosophy, to me, I think that that’s the way that you develop a really good teams because you have a team full of players making good decisions. And you also help those individual players, which clearly is something that you’re trying to do.

They’re inspired to get those kids the opportunity to be able to attend college and eventually play college basketball. And who knows, in the case of some of them, maybe have an opportunity to return to their home country and play professionally or play professionally here in the US, whatever it might be.

And so I think that that’s the right way to approach team building and the right way to approach player development. We are, I want to ask one final, go ahead.

[01:11:42] Krista Phillips: Oh, I just was going to say, I’m not, and I, and I love it because I’m not a because I said so coach. If they have questions, I love to talk about the whys.

You’re going to set the screen because here’s what you’ll get. And if this happens, then this happens again. Like that basketball cue I’m trying to build. I want them to be like, why would I use that footwork? And I’ll say here, here’s what your exact reason we use your footwork, but it’s never going to be this situation, only this situation, because that’s not how basketball works, right?

You’re playing off a defender, you’re playing off your teammates. So I’ve never said like, do this because I said so, because I don’t, again, that doesn’t foster the kind of free thinking that I want these kids to have to be able to make those decisions. in the moment. I think that’s what’s the most important.

[01:12:28] Mike Klinzing: Absolutely. I mean, there’s no way, basketball is not a game where you can dictate what goes on from the sidelines. Your players have to be able to make decisions in the moment. You don’t get to huddle up after every play like you do in football and say, Hey, you go here, you go there. It’s a much more free flowing game as we all know.

And so to be able to have good decision makers out on the floor as a coach, Obviously, that helps your team to be successful. And then when you talk about players moving on to their next opportunity, the better decision makers they are, the better players they’re going to be and the more opportunity they’re going to get to continue to move on and foster their career and give themselves the best chance they can to advance as far as they can with the game of basketball.

Before we wrap up, Krista, I want to ask you one final two part question. I know we kind of talked a little bit about this first part in terms of the challenges. We said, what are the challenges that you’ve kind of had to this point, getting the program to where it’s going to go. When you look ahead, let’s say in the next two, three years, what do you see as being the biggest challenge that’s in front of you?

And you can take that on the court, off the court, however you want to go with that question. And then the second part is your biggest joy. So your biggest challenge, and then your biggest joy that you get from what you’re doing every single day.

[01:13:43] Krista Phillips: I think the challenge is two parted because I’m looking to create, I think the culture is so important.

So I want to create the culture. But that being said, I can also predict, I think in three years that this is going to be much bigger than anyone thought it was going to be. Because we’re in such a rich environment where girls more now than ever are motivated to play basketball, which is incredible.

But I can also see that, yeah, on our men’s side right now, we’ve got four teams. And I can see us headed in that direction. So the challenge to me right now is to make sure that the culture is such where that growth can happen in a really easy way. Because we’ve already done the work. So that’s the challenge I face right now, looking ahead.

Cause again, this program is still kind of in its infancy in terms of where we’re deciding what we want it to be and what we want it to look like and what our value system, what our culture will be. And that’s something that I want to make sure is solidified so that girls can say, I Spire because they’re prepared. They have learned to be great teammates. They’ve learned to be free thinkers. Their basketball IQ is really high. They’re learning skills that only college players are doing. And to create that environment now to make sure that that continues through the growth of the program is super important.

So I would say that’s probably the challenge that I’m thinking about is, The growth will come, I know it will. You know, we’ve already seen it. It’s a bit on a smaller scale, right? But we’re, it’s April and we’re, I guess it’s May now and we’re halfway through kind of where we want to be recruiting wise.

And that’s leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year. So that growth is coming. So to solidify what we want Spire to look like, how we want teams to talk about Spire when they talk about us. That part’s important and something that we’re working hard at every day.

And I think the biggest joy, I think, as I said, as we’re coming up on the end of the season is just to see the growth. We’re in it every day and sometimes it can be hard on the day to day to really see it. But I have the opportunity every once in a while. We’ve got great staff, our men’s and women’s programs are integrated as such that all of the coaches are really focused on the future of these student athletes and to see the growth, to see us do something in practice and then to turn around and put it in a game is phenomenal because it’s more than just dribble, set a screen, shoot. We’re asking them to raise their shooting pockets. We’re asking them to have a better handle. We’re asking them to be sneaky and to be strong and things that aren’t necessarily the normal basketball experience. So to see that click and it happened with Khady kind of around Christmas this year where All of our coaching staff, both men’s and women’s we’re really excited about getting these players off two feet because the college, as you get higher and higher in the level, you have to change your skills in order to kind of meet your competition where it’s at.

And so Khady worked really, really hard on going off going two feet. We were in Phoenix at the Nike TOC, and it just like, you could see it click and it was the probably the most phenomenal thing I’ve ever seen. And we said like, Khady, what’s the difference? She’s like, it worked. And we were like, oh, okay,

You’re like, that’s okay. You got it. And that’s the important part. You got yourself there. The hell is not important . But I think that’s the best part. And then again, to see them kind of realize their dreams. I mean, Holly’s going to Towson d has been and Merrimack, and they’re so incredibly excited.

You know, that’s it. That’s the why is the reason that the reason that I do it and the thing, that’s the coolest part of the experience for sure.

[01:17:38] Mike Klinzing: That’s awesome. I mean, again, being able to help those kids and get them to reach their goal and, and to know that you were a part of that, there’s, there’s really nothing more satisfying as a coach than, than being able to do that before we wrap up.

Krista, I want to give you a chance to share social media. website, email, however people can reach out, get in touch with you, find out more about the program at Spire. And then after you do that, I’ll jump back in and wrap things up.

[01:18:06] Krista Phillips: Absolutely. So our website is pretty easy. It’s just spireacademy.com.

And our basketball team has its own Instagram. So we are @Spirewbb I believe I say it now, and now I’m not confident. It’s not that I look at it every single day. That’s right.

[01:18:26] Mike Klinzing: We’ll find it, we’ll get it in the show notes.

[01:18:28] Krista Phillips: So that’s our Women’s Basketball page. And we do a really great job of kind of showcasing the journey of kind of what this looks like. Regular season, tournaments. A couple weeks ago they played pickleball. And had a great time. And you know, like, we’re just kind of doing it all.

So it’s a really cool sneak peek. Into kind of what life as a women’s basketball player looks like. And then Spire has a main account on Instagram as well. And our basketball team does have a Twitter. So we’re kind of all over all over the social media and it’s been so great to use it as a tool to show people kind of what we’re all about for young potential incoming student athletes to kind of get a little sneak peek at the experience.

And it’s a really cool way to kind of see what we do on our website. It’s kind of where you reach out to us. So if you visit spireacademy.com, you can typically connect click a button that says connect with Spire. Fill out a little questionnaire on the website and someone from our admissions team will get in touch.

And that’s a good way to start the process. And we we’ve also had a couple people reach out on Instagram, which is awesome. So social media, it’s. Really taken off.

[01:19:48] Mike Klinzing: It’s quite amazing, right? It’s kind of crazy when you think about crazy. Here’s a conversation that you and I are having and it can go out and be heard all over the world.

And we, in this episode, here I am a guy from Cleveland, Ohio, and I’m talking to you. Grew up in Canada. Talking to the girls that grew up in two other foreign countries. And it’s just kind of, it’s kind of amazing, what the internet and social media and all these things are, are able to do in terms of the, as if the basketball world wasn’t small enough already to be able to connect in this way is, is really something special.

So Krista, I cannot thank you enough tonight for jumping out with us. Can’t thank you enough for allowing the girls to jump on and join us. And it was a lot of fun to be able to talk to them. So thank you for all that. And to everyone out there, thanks for listening and we will catch you on our next episode.

Thanks.