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NZIS Basketball Academy

Basketball is one of the fastest growing sports in New Zealand. The New Zealand Institute of Sport recognises and is looking to provide opportunities for young aspiring athletes to excel with regard to sport performance, but also in terms of education and personal growth.

Our NZIS basketball special teams in the past have been very successful in winning back to back National U23 title’s in 2005 and 2006.

The academy director and head coach is Natu Taufale, who has won numerous NZ National titles in NZ basketball. He has two NBL titles to his name as an integral member of the Hutt Valley Lakers Championship teams of the 90′s, and was also a member of the Saints team in 1997. He has been the Wellington Saints Assistant coach from 1998-2000 and 2005. He was head coach of the NBL franchise in 2000. He coached NZ Age group teams internationally, and at age group level has won 7 National titles as well as a NZ Secondary Schools’ title. In recognition of his achievements, he was named Coaching NZ Young Athletes Coach of the Year 1996, College Sport Wellington Coach of the Year 2001 and Samoan Coach of the Year 2002.

In recent years many NBL basketball players have been part of our courses and all of our special teams:

  • George Leafa (Wellington Saints)
  • Matt Te Huna (Wellington Saints)
  • Everard Bartlett (NZ Breakers, ASB Hawks)
  • Mark Jones, Chris Daniels (Nelson Giants)
  • Darryl Jones (Otago Nuggets)
  • Tu Umaga- Marshall (Nelson Giants, Waikato Titans)
  • Lance Baker (Auckland Stars, Waikato Titans and NZ Breakers)
  • Brendon Polyblank (Tall Blacks, Saints)

Whether your goal and aspirations are to play for the Wellington Saints NBL side, Christchurch Wildcats, to play college basketball in the US, or just to improve your skills as a basketball athlete – then our academy programme will significantly assist you in achieving them.

All academy athletes will also have the opportunity to take part in our generic high performance training sessions with renown former New Zealand Olympic representative and athletics coach Tony Rogers.

Call us on 0800 NZISPORT (694776), or contact us online for more information