I had the great opportunity to represent Luxembourg at the 18th FIBA Women’s Basketball Summit, which took place from July 8th to 12th, 2025, in Postojna, Slovenia. The event was organised by FIBA Europe in collaboration with the Slovenian Basketball Federation, as part of FIBA’s “Women in Basketball” initiative. It was a unique experience that brought together female coaches and referees from all over Europe.
During the week, we worked closely with the Slovenian and Hungarian U16 national teams, which gave us the chance to apply technical and tactical concepts directly on the court and also to scout their preparation games for the upcoming European Championships. One of the highlights was the collaboration between coaches and referees — through shared sessions and open discussions, we gained a much better understanding of each other’s perspectives and roles during games.
The summit was led by some incredibly inspiring coaches:
– Julie Barennes (France), head coach of Basket Landes, shared her insights on leadership, building a coaching identity, team culture, and how to organise a season. Her energy and openness really stood out to me.
– Silvia Font (Spain), from the Barcelona Girls Academy, ran very practical on-court sessions, focusing on small-sided games and player development. I really appreciated how applicable her ideas were to our youth programs.
– Betty Cerbian supported the entire coaching group throughout the week and was always available with advice, structure, and encouragement. Her presence helped keep everything running smoothly.
Personally, this summit was a very enriching and motivating experience. It was the first time I attended a clinic of this kind, and it left a big impact on me. I came back with new ideas, useful tools for my coaching, and a broader perspective on leadership. It was also great to meet and connect with other female coaches from all over Europe — especially those from bigger federations — and exchange experiences and challenges.
I’m very thankful to the FLBB for giving me the chance to take part in this event. It has definitely helped me grow as a coach, and I hope to bring back and share what I’ve learned within our programs here in Luxembourg.
