At just 19, Bree Christie's basketball journey has led her to discover more than just playing—she's also found a passion for coaching. Starting at just eight years old with the WizKids program at Northside Wizards, Bree was all in. She played club basketball until 2017 when she took a break to focus on swimming.
In 2020, basketball called her back, returning to the Northside Wizards under-18 representative team.
"I loved it. It was so much fun," said Christie.
Since then, she's continued playing through under-21s and, most recently, finished her second season in the QSL Youth League.
"The friendships I've made through basketball are a big reason I came back to the sport."
"Your teammates and the coaches really make it such a great experience," she shares.
As much as Bree enjoys playing, she realised that her basketball future might not just be as a player.
"I'm not entirely sure about playing, but I've decided that I really enjoy coaching basketball, and I feel like I'd probably go further as a coach rather than a player," said Christie.
Her coaching journey kicked off in 2021 when she returned to WizKids, this time as a coach. A year later, she was asked to be the assistant coach for the under-12 Northside Wizards representative team.
"I had so much fun," she said.
For the next two years, she took on assistant coaching roles with the under-14 girls to further develop her skills.
"I was really excited to learn different perspectives on the game," she said.
Her coaching career has hit some impressive milestones already, landing the top job earlier this year with the under-12 Northside Wizards Girls, who won a silver medal in division 4 of the U12 Girls State Championships.
"For my first season as a rep coach, I was pretty shocked but proud that I was able to help these girls go that far."
"Most of them hadn't even played rep before, so it was a huge achievement for them, and I'm really proud of how far we came together," Bree said.
Her coaching success has fuelled her desire to keep learning and growing in this new role.
"I'd love to coach other age groups and get a medal in higher-level basketball," she says, setting her sights on further achievements.
For anyone considering coaching as an alternative to playing, Bree offers this advice;
"You've just got to give it a go. Unless you try, you won't know if you enjoy it or how far you can go."
Bree's journey shows that basketball doesn't have to end when you stop playing or are unsure about your future as a player. Coaching opens up a new world of opportunities to stay in the game, connect with others, and keep learning.
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