Australian connection runs deep with University of California Irvine women’s basketball head coach Tamara Inoue
I was recently able to spend a little time with coach Inoue who was visiting Australia briefly to view some of the talent participating in the U/18 national championships. Tamara has a long history with Australia, having first come here to play with the Bulleen Boomers and then the Nunawading Spectres, before coaching the Spectres youth league team for 6 years. Although having lived here for many years playing and coaching, she informed me that her desire to visit Australia developed as a child through her love for surfing and hearing stories of the beautiful breaks available down under. It would take her over a decade to first arrive, but she has loved what Australia has to offer ever since.
And now she is seeking to offer an Australian the opportunity to play for her in California at the University of California Irvine, where she has led the program for the past two years. The UCI program has improved drastically since her arrival and looks to continue to demonstrate it’s continued growth next season in the Big West Conference (participating in the NCAA Division 1 level). So what is coach Inoue looking for here in Australia? “I’m looking for athletes that are ready to come into our program and start from day 1.” “I believe there are Australian players who are ready for it and could contribute straight away.”
Tamara understands the basketball culture here in Australia and knows what level our athletes are best suited for and sees UC Irvine as a good fit for potential recruits. “Australian players love the game- they play at a fast pace and are very good students as well.” “I really believe that there are Australian players that would suit our system and love the location and experience in Irvine – after all, Disneyland is just down the road!”
As we say to all the athletes we meet with, finding the right fit for them is most important, and that joining a program that is going to develop you and provide you with opportunities is what you should be aiming for. Combine that with a coach that believes in you and will push you to achieve your potential and you have all that an athlete needs to succeed. In this instance, they are all the things that Tamara aims to provide her next Australian recruit. We hope she finds what she is looking for and we see another Australian continuing their journey through the college system at UC Irvine.
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