MICHAEL PATTINSON
Assistant Coach 1988 Olympic Games (Women)
Michael Pattinson was the strength and conditioning coach for the Australian Women’s Basketball Team from 1988 to 1992. After the 1988 Olympic Qualification Tournament in Malaysia prior to the Seoul Olympic Games Sue Harcus one of the two Assistant Coaches with the Opals withdrew from the team for the Olympic Games. Michael Pattinson who was with the team in his capacity as Fitness and Strength Coach took on the added duties of Assistant Coach for the team. As such he is named as one of the official Assistant Coaches for the team at the Seoul Olympic Games. This was the only time he acted in this role.
Michael’s role in sport was to develop and implement year-round strength and fitness programmes for teams and individuals. He also co-ordinated rehabilitation programmes with sports-medicine staff.
His first appointment with major sporting teams was when he worked in the AFL with the Melbourne Football Club (1985 to 1986) and with the Victorian Sheffield Shield Cricket Team (1985 to 1991).
His introduction to basketball was when he was asked by Nunawading Spectres Men’s Team basketball coach Barry Barnes to design a fitness programme for his National Basketball League (NBL) team.
In 1986 Michael began an association with the Nunawading Spectres Women’s Basketball team that played in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL). Basketball was entering a stage where teams and coaches were becoming more professional in their approaches to the sport. The introduction of specialist fitness and strength trainings was part of that process. Michael worked with the Nunawading Women’s Team until 1988. Michael credits basketball coaches Barry Barnes, Robbie Cadee and Colin Donovan with being his major influences in these times.
He was now gaining a reputation in basketball circles as an excellent fitness trainer in basketball and he acted in this capacity with the Victorian Under 18 Men’s Basketball Team (1987-88), and the Australian Junior Women’s Basketball Team (1988 to 1992).
Michael was the Fitness and Strength Coach for the Australian Junior Women’s Basketball Team when the team won a Bronze Medal at the 1989 World Championships in Spain.
In 1986 he was appointed as the Strength and Fitness for the Australian Women’s Basketball Team.
In 1988 he was the Strength and Fitness Coach and an Assistant Coach for the Australian Women’s Team at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Michael describes his role, “My main duties in Seoul were videotaping opposition games, keeping statistics, conducting the fitness of the team, massage of the players and motivation of individual players. It was a very eclectic role and kept me very busy.”
Quote about the Games.
The 1988 Australian Women’s Team created history when they became the first Australian Women’s Team to reach the Semi-Finals of the Olympic Games. They eventually finished in fourth place. A magnificent effort!
After the Seoul Olympic Games Michael continued his association with the Australian Women’s Team. He was the team’s Fitness and Strength Coach through 1989 when the team won the Oceania Tournament and toured the USA. In 1990 he was with the team on their tour to Europe, the Seoul Goodwill Tournament, the Goodwill Games in Seattle, and for the World Championships in Malaysia where the team gained a highly credible 6th place.
In 1991 he worked with the Australian Women’s Team in the USSR/Korea/China tour in Australia and on the USA Tour. In 1992 he was the Fitness/Strength Coach in the series against China, against Italy in Australia and in the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Spain.
Unfortunately the Australian Women’s Team failed to qualify for the Olympic Finals in Barcelona. The Olympic Qualification Tournament was Michael’s final appointment with the Australian Women’s team and programmes.
From 1993 to 1995 he was Fitness/Strength Coach for the Dandenong Rangers Women’s Team in the WNBL. From 1995 to 1997 Michael worked with the Victorian Under 19 Women’s Softball Team.
Michael was awarded an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
He has taught mathematics in the USA since 2000.
2000
The was awarded during the Year 2000 to commemorate Australian sporting achievement and has been established as a commemorative award within the Australian honors system. The medal has been created to recognize the contributions of both current and former sports participants and for those who have provided support services to sport.
Developed and implemented year-round strength and conditioning programs for several teams, coordinated rehabilitation programs with the sports-medicine staff, assisted with teaching proper form of Olympic and strength lifts. Responsible for training individuals one-on-on, assisting them in achieving their health and fitness goals and providing them with guidance, support and motivation. Responsibilities included: prescription and progression of individualized functional exercise program, fitness assessment, body composition analysis, and nutritional consultation.
1985 - 1986 Melbourne Football Club [Australian Football League]
1985 - 1991 Victorian Sheffield Shield Cricket team
1986 - 1992 National Women's Basketball team [attended the 1998 Seoul Olympics and the 1990 World Championship in Malaysia as an assistant coach]
1986 - 1988 NunawadingSpectres [National Basketball League]
1987 - 1988 Victorian U/18 Men's Basketball team
1988 - 1992 National Junior Women's Basketball team [attended the 1989 World Championship in Bilbao, Spain: Bronze Medal]
1993 - 1995 Dandenong Rangers Basketball Team [National Women's Basketball League]
1995 - 1997 Victorian U/19 Women's Softball Team [Victorian Softball Association]
How you got started in/with basketball.In ‘86 Barry Barnes employed me to conduct pre-season fitness training for his NBL basketball team.
Any early influences you wish to acknowledge. Barry Barnes, Robbie Caddee, Colin Donavon.
An outline of basketball teams, Clubs you worked with (juniors and seniors as part of the official team. e.g. State junior teams, Club teams (VBA), NBL, WNBL etc. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive list. It is mainly to give the reader some feedback to the extent of your work with basketball and experience. See above
A few words about Sue Harcus pulling out of the Games and you being elevated to Assistant Coach.Sue Harcus was pregnant and unable to attend.
What was your main role with the Olympic team in Seoul and before? Coaching or training, combination.Videoing opposition games, stats, fitness, massage, motivation.
According to records you finished with the Opals after the pre-Olympic tournament in Spain. Is that correct? Yes
What did you do in basketball after 1992? 1993 - 1995 Dandenong Rangers Basketball Team [National Women's Basketball League]
What was your career after then until now? Mathematics teacher in USA since 2000
Awards/honours? MEd
Quotes: Any quotes about how you felt to be an Olympian (Opening Ceremony etc) or reflections.
A photo. I must have a photo (preferably from those days) at least a head and shoulders or you in action. (Scan a