Brendan Flynn

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>BR</strong><strong>ENDAN FLYNN </strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <h2><strong>1984 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC GAMES</strong></h2>

Sort Order HTML <p>Brendan Flynn started playing basketball as an eight year old in 1961 when he played for his school, Marist Brothers College in Adelaide. He remembers, “The school had a real passion for sport and Basketball was one of the major sports. The school actually produced many District grade and South Australian State players.”</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>His early teachers Brother Desmond and Brother Alphonsus had a profound influence on him. “Both were excellent sportsman and could have been top Aussie Rules players, but they couldn’t play due to their religious responsibilities.”</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In 1963 Brendan started to play basketball with the Catholic Youth (CY) Club in Adelaide. The club became Glenelg District Basketball Association (and then Noarlunga). He was to be involved with the Club for the next 35 years.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Brendan represented South Australia (SA) in Under 16 Men in 1967 and 1968 and again in Under 18 Men’s in 1969 and 1970. The 1967, 1969 and 1970 teams won the National Championships while the 1968 team finished second.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>His basketball coaching career had an early beginning as he coached a number of Glenelg/Noarlunga Under 16 and Under 18 Women and senior Women’s teams from1971 to 1981 and 1988 to 1998. Under Flynn’s coaching Glenelg won the SA State Championships in 1978 and 1979 and won the Australian Women’s Club Championships in 1977. Glenelg also won the Women’s Adelaide City Conference (summer competitions) from 1976 to 1979. He coached Noarlunga to the SA State League title in 1996.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Flynn credits his mother for teaching him the skills for life. “My mother taught me many skills that took me a long time to understand! In respect and love for her I actually buried all my Olympic memorabilia in her coffin.” </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>He also credits basketball coaches Jim Madigan, Terry Aston and Alan Dawe for supporting, educating and mentoring him.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In 1981 Brendan was appointed as Head Coach of the Australian Women’s Team. Brendan recalls, “At my first National Women’s training camp in Melbourne prior to a 1981 tour to China three quarters of the squad were older than me, as a 28 year old. It was very intimidating and thank God I had support from the very experienced referee Eddie Crouch!” Brendan was on a fast learning curve but he and the players who were now playing in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) were improving in leaps and bounds. </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>The 1983 Women’s World Basketball Championships were held in Brazil. The Australian Women’s team had a mixture of experienced players such as Jenny Cheesman, Karen Maar, Pat Mickan, Julie Nykiel, and Robyn Maher who had played at the 1979 World Championships and newcomers like Patricia Cockrem, Karen Dalton, Kathy Foster, Wendy Laidlaw and Karen Ogden. They were hoping to do well. The Australians finished the tournament with three wins and two losses. Unfortunately the early losses in their Group to Poland (73-66) and Yugoslavia (90-58) relegated Australia out of the Quarter Finals. In the playoffs for positions 9 to 14 the Australians lost to Cuba (76-63) and Canada (56-53) and defeated Zaire (86-63), Peru (92-66) and Japan (84-58) to finish in 11th place in the World Championships.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In 1983 Brendan coached the Australian Team in the inaugural Commonwealth Basketball Championships (held in New Zealand) which the Australians won.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In 1984 he took the Australian Women’s Team on a tour to China as preparation for the 1984 Olympic Qualification Tournament.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>The 1984 Olympic Qualification Tournament was held in Cuba. Nineteen teams competed in Cuba for the right to play in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The Australian Team won all four games in its Group to proceed to the Finals in Havana. In the finals the top eight teams played a round robin competition with the top six teams going to the1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Australia won two games and lost five to come seventh out of the eight teams. They would not be going to Los Angeles for the Olympic Games. Brendan cites playing in front of 18,000 Cuban fans was one of the highlights of his career. He adds, “One of my memories from Cuba was the Polish Coach coming up to me to congratulate us on beating Poland. The Coach said congratulations, your team played very well, but you have cost me my job and my house!” </p>

Sort Order HTML <p>The Australian Women’s Basketball Team received a reprieve when prior to the Olympic Games Hungary and Cuba boycotted the Games and Australia and Korea replaced them in the1984 Olympic Tournament. The Australian Women’s Basketball Team and Brendan were off to their first Olympic Games!</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>In the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games the Australian Women’s Team coached by Brendan with Kay McFarlane as his Assistant gained fifth place out of the six teams in the Tournament. The Australians were outsized by most teams and battled gainfully against all opposition. They lost to China 67-64, Canada 56-46, Korea 54-48, and the USA 81-47. The Australians saved their best to last when they won their only game when they defeated the mighty Yugoslavian Team 62-59. The Australian Team under the guidance of Brendan Flynn had made a giant step in world rankings and performance. This was the foundation for four years later when the Australian Women’s Team played in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games Semi-Finals and gained fourth place.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>While he coached the Australian Women’s Basketball Team Flynn was appointed Head Women’s Coach at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra. Under his guidance the cream of Australian young women’s talent was rapidly developed and given world wide experience. He coached the women’s basketball at the AIS from 1982 to 1985.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Flynn coached the Australian Women’s Team to the Gold Medal at the inaugural Australia Games in Melbourne in 1985. The Australia Games were his last appearance as Australian Women’s Team Head Coach.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Flynn moved to fulltime positions as a sports administrator at the AIS from 1986 to 1998. He held the position of Sports Manager. In 1987 he was appointed Manager of the AIS Adelaide Unit, overseeing Cycling, Cricket and the Del Monte facility. In 1988 he was appointed General Manager for the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC). He was appointed CEO of the APC in 1999 and held that position until 2002.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Since 2002 Flynn has held CEO positions at Interrelate Family Centres (2003-2009) and Odyssey House (Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation).</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Brendan Flynn has been one of South Australia’s finest and most successful women’s basketball coaches. He has coached the Australian Women’s Team at a World Championship and Olympic Games. He was Australia’s first Women’s Basketball Olympic Coach. Flynn was influential in coaching some of Australia’s finest young players at the Australian Institute of Sport and has been a prominent administrator for the AIS and other organizations. His contribution to basketball has been profound.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Brendan Flynn is a Life Member of Noarlunga and Basketball South Australia and in 2000 he received the Australian Sports Medal.</p>

Sort Order HTML <p>Brendan Flynn at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games (Basketball Australia)</p>