Nate McKibbon, Head Coach for the Western Mustangs Women's Basketball team has been named as a member of the Support Staff for the Canadian Women's Basketball team at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
 
The Summer Olympic Games will take place July 28 - August 11, 2024 in Paris, France.
 
McKibbon is recognized across Canada for his exceptional coaching and has held national appointments with Canada Women's Basketball since 2014, including with the International Federation of Basketball (FIBA) World Championships and the International University Sports Federation (FISU) Games.
 
"My first opportunity [to support our national teams was] in 2014 as a performance analyst for the Junior National Team for FIBA Americas and initially I wasn't the first choice for that position. I was actually going to pay my own way to go down and shadow the Junior National Team. When the performance analyst got another job and couldn't perform the role, because I was already going, they just decided to coach me up in that position. So I'm not necessarily sure they chose me, but it was just an opportunity for me to show up and show that I was interested and continue to work." Coach McKibbon says modestly.
 
"I think the biggest thing that [experience] taught me is to just continue to work, continue to show up. You might not always be the first choice, but if you put the time in and you show your worth, you show your value to an organization, it pays off in the end. I think we can get caught up sometimes and worried about not being the first choice or worried about why did I get passed over or start to compare ourselves to those that are in positions maybe that we want. But the biggest thing I've learned is just continue to show up and continue to do good work, and good things will happen".
 
Coach McKibbon is very grateful for the opportunity to represent and support Canada at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
 
"It means so many things. I'm not necessarily sure I can necessarily narrow it down." He reflects.
 
"I think it's the culmination of a lot of effort. I think it's the culmination of a lot of support. I look at the support that Christine Stapleton [Director, Western Sports & Recreation] has provided me in bringing me to Western [University] and providing me an opportunity to do some of these things. I look at the support that I get from my team – they know it takes me away from Western, and it might take away some of my ability to be there for them, but they tell me to go because they know that I would support them if the tables were turned. And then the biggest thing for me is support from my wife, Jenna. She has to sacrifice an awful lot being at home alone and doing the work of two people around the house so I'm very conscious that it's not just my journey. It's the journey of all of those around me, and all those that provide me support and allow me the opportunity to be in a position like this". McKibbon said about those who have supported his journey to the Olympics
 
Being at the Olympics was always a dream for McKibbon, but it really only became a reality in the last year.
 
"This is going to be my 9th summer that I've been part of Canada Basketball. I had spent time as a performance analyst and assistant coach with all the different age groups, but hadn't necessarily thought it might be realistic for me to go with the senior national team. So when the opportunity presented itself, it was eye-opening that it was actually becoming real and that there was actually a path and an opportunity for me to have a chance to go to the Olympics. But it wasn't something that I took seriously up until last summer", said McKibbon.
 
"I don't think anyone involved in sports isn't inspired by the Olympics, or would love an opportunity to coach there. I mean, the fact that it only happens every four years and so few people get an opportunity to compete or coach at an event like that, I think it's always been the goal. Even those that are coaching high school and club or rec leagues, I think they would all say if they had an opportunity to go to the Olympics, they would. I'm not necessarily sure I've ever heard anyone say that that's not the goal long-term", he added.
 
The Canadian Women's Basketball preliminaries in the Olympics kick off July 29 against France, followed by Australia on August 1 and then they will wrap up on August 4 against Nigeria. If they win, they will move onto the playoff stage. All of their games will be held at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in France. 
 
McKibbon viewed the team's preparation as something that's a cumulation of their careers and has taken place over decades. "I think it's easy to look at it in isolation, but for a lot of these athletes this is a combination of years and years worth of preparation. I've been very fortunate to coach some of these athletes from the time that they were in middle school. And I look at it as not necessarily preparation for the couple months going through [the Olympics], but more like the preparation that they have put in for the last 10, 15 years. To get to witness the peak of their athletic careers has been kind of cool."
 
The journey is a busy one, and has involved multiple training camps across Canada, before the team head's off to Europe in preparation for the Olympics to start later this month.
 
Personally, McKibbon aims to go to these Olympic games, learn as much as humanly possible, and to value and embrace the experience. Professionally, he hopes for all the Canadian athletes to give their best.
 
"[I am hoping for our] team to go out and perform the way that I know that we're capable of. I think we have some outstanding talent. I think we have an outstanding coaching staff and outstanding support team - whether it be physiotherapy, strength conditioning, administrative staff at Canada basketball." McKibbon said, adding that this team has the potential and the drive to go the distance. "I just see so many capable people that are so invested in this. So my expectation is for us to go out and do our jobs, do the best we can, play at our best and I think we can compete with anyone in the world".
 
During his 18-year tenure as a club and high school Coach, McKibbon was primarily based in his hometown of Hamilton, and he has coached over 20+ athletes that have gone on to represent Canada on the international stage as well as over 50+ athletes who have played post-secondary basketball in Canada and the United States.
 
McKibbon's recipe for his athlete's success is founded on the power of belief. "I think there are a million and one different ways of playing basketball and there's a million and one ways to solve the different problems that basketball presents. I would hope that we provide them the feeling that we believe in them, and I hope that we inspire belief in themselves. I think the biggest thing a coach can do is really make their athletes know and feel that they are supported, that we believe in their abilities, and that we believe in them as people. I would love to say that we [as a coach] have all the answers - technically, tactically - but I think the biggest thing we try to provide is belief in our athletes and for them to believe in themselves", McKibbon emphasized.
 
His passion is fueled by the inspiration of his athletes. "It might sound cheesy, but … to see what [my athletes] do day in and day out in the classroom, in the community, and then on the court. To watch their achievements and see how much they go through and how hard they work - it's always inspirational. And it makes it real easy to come to work in the morning when you know you will get a chance to spend a couple hours with them every day on court", said McKibbon.
 
McKibbon is heading into his sixth season as Head Coach for the Western Mustangs Women's Basketball team this fall. Coaching for the Mustangs has allowed him the opportunity to coach in a town close to home and around friends and family. "To coach a nationally competitive program that I've had a tremendous amount of respect for, and a program which I had a lot of connection to growing up - friends of mine played here and I had opportunities to coach against [the Mustangs] when I was at McMaster – and which happens to be close to friends and family, it makes things very enjoyable".
 
His tenure as a part of the Mustangs coaching staff has also given him an opportunity to work with some really great staff members. "Someone like Leslie Kelly, and helping her develop her as a performance analyst, has forced me to think about the role and how we go through in building processes to really get the most out of her position. By helping develop a performance analyst in our own program helps put me in a better position for understanding the role and how it can be most effective within a team dynamic", said McKibbon.


 
The Mustangs will be cheering loudly for all the Mustangs competing at the 2024 Summer Olympics and are purple and proud to support Coach McKibbon and the Canadian Women's Basketball team this summer in Paris.

Watch for more stories on Mustangs at the 2024 Summer Olympics over the coming weeks.