Coach Profile: Tai Upoko - Under 17 Boys
Coaches Profile
TAI UPOKO
Name
E-mail: tai.upoko@dol.govt.nz
Birthdate: 09 March 1969
Birthplace: St Helens Hospital, Auckland
Height: 5'11"
Nicknames: Taiman, Big Guy
Previous teams:
1989 - 1991 Bay of Plenty Hawks (second division)
1989 - 1991 Tauranga Warriors (club)
Achievements: (NBL, CBL, WBL, ANBL, AWNBL, Reps, Club and school)
2008
BBNZ - Coaching Staff (High Performance Camp 1 & 2)
Sydney Cup (Team Support)
Port Macquarie (Team Support)
Under 17A Waitakere Boys Reps - Assistant Coach
Under 17B Waitakere Boys Reps - Head Coach
Under 17 Avondale Boys - Head Coach
Under 15 Avondale Boys - Head Coach
Auckland Maori Tournament under 17 Waitakere Boys - Head Coach
2007
BBNZ - Coaching Staff (Cluster Camp 2)
Under 15 Waitakere Boys - Auckland Maori Tournament - Head Coach - Placed 1st
Under 15 Waitakere Boys - New Plymouth Nationals - Assistant Coach - Placed 12th
Under 15 Waitakere Boys - Auckland Regional's - Placed 4th
Under 15 Waitakere Boys - Intercity - Placed 3rd =
Under 15 Avondale College Boys - Western Zone Competition - Placed 3rd
Under 15 Boys Club side - Chicago Sharks (season 2) - Placed 1st
Under 17 Boys Club side - Triple Threat (season 2) - Placed 4th
1989-1991 Tauranga Basketball (Division 2)
1989-1991 Tauranga Warriors (club)
1987-1989 Senior Mens League Mt Albert - Shirkan Tigers Club Basketball
1987 NZ Secondary Schools u18 Boys Basketball - Australia International
1985-1987 Senior Mens A League YMCA Auckland
Senior Mens A League ASB Stadium Auckland
1985 Kaitaia Mens Basketball Tournament - Placed 3rd
1983-1987 Senior A Basketball Seddon High School
Greatest moment in basketball:
Making the Under 18 Boys NZ Secondary Schools Basketball Team 1987. Australian test series played 3 tests but went down 2 - 1. Great experience though.
Prefer to coach boys or Girls and Why?
Either or doesn't make a difference, coaching is an overall identity. I have coached mainly boys but I am open to coaching girls, actually in some cases I sometimes wonder if I am coaching girls .....joke guys.
Strangest place ever played basketball:
Waiheke College, court was half size and the sidelines were practically non existent as the spectator benches were the sidelines and in some cases you had to actually stand on the bench to inbound the ball. Weird
Best ever game (result, points, year etc):
A grade Mens Finals, Auckland YMCA 1987, Scored 42 points and slammed one home in the beginning of the second half in front of a home crowd. Great game. Picked player of the game and walked away with the trophy that night.
Toughest ever opponents:
Wellington Giants. Going up against Peter Pokai and Tony Brown man what a beating.
Favorite player:
Has to be Michael Jordan of all time, But talking NZ definitely Ronnie Joyner and Warrick Meehil for the Waitakere Rangers back in the day.
Favorite team:
Chicago Bulls is a no brainer (Jordan years). But Talking NZ ....any team at Waitak.....yeah ...yeah.
Personal - Any other sports:
Power Lifting and Body building - I love lifting heavy weights (Power Lifting) - I represented the NZ Customs Service at the World Law Enforcement Supergames in 2005 and won the gold medal in the super heavy weight division, with no training.....Cool aye.
Hobbies:
Coaching basketball.........and telling my son off ......and getting told off by my wife for telling my son off.....is that a double team or what?
Favourite music:
RnB, Classic hits and old school jams
Favourite food:
Chicken
Favourite movies:
Action movies and Horrors ...cracks me up everytime.
Favourite literature (books, mags etc):
Gone with the Wind......Not. Anything to do with human development eg muscles, nutrition, training etc and it's got to have plenty of pictures..........(hopefully not too much reading).
Role models:
My wife Caroline. She has tamed me and my reckless ways in every aspect of the manner. She has shown me that dreams do come true when you set your mind to it things can happen. ............Thank You my dear.
Philosophy on life:
Life is like a box of chocolates, run forest run.........Life is full of surprises, every sunrise is a challenge and every sunset is a conquest. You have to take life as it comes and do the best that you can. When things start getting you down just think of a time you were at your happiest or look upon the ones you love to truly realize that not all is lost but only in limbo and for that split second think of something that brings you back to you.
GO WAITAK GO !!!
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