On this episode of the Canada Basketball Coaching Podcast, Mike sits down with Micaëlla Riché — former NCAA Division I athlete, coach, Executive Director of Layup Basketball, and now a doctoral researcher exploring coaching methodology and athlete psychosocial needs.

Key Topics Discussed

1. Coaching as Stewardship & the Human Side of the Game

Micaëlla and the hosts explore why coaches must act as protectors of the sport — especially for young athletes navigating pressure, ego, NIL culture, social media influence, and performance environments.

2. Her Playing Journey & Shift into Leadership

Micaëlla shares her early start in basketball, development at Louis Riel with coach Andre, her NCAA career at Minnesota, working as a GA at Kansas State, and her overseas stint in Greece — and how each experience shaped her understanding of strategy, constraints, and player freedom.

3. Layup Basketball: Access, Belonging, and Community Stewardship

She breaks down Layup’s mission and model — using basketball as a vehicle to teach life skills, build community pride, and develop youth coaches from within the neighborhoods they serve.

4. Creating Psychological Safety & Trauma-Informed Coaching

The conversation dives deep into:

• limbic system responses (fight/flight/freeze/fawn)
• why kids’ “misbehavior” is often stress-based
• rhythmic activities for regulation
• interpreting behaviour through cultural and developmental lenses
• the importance of co-regulation, compassion, and avoiding public punishments

5. Autonomy, Competence & Relatedness (Self-Determination Theory)

A major thread throughout the episode is Micaella’s research focus:

• Autonomy: Asking questions, offering choices, building decision-making
• Competence: Designing challenges that match ability levels and celebrate progress
• Relatedness: Building trust, belonging, and meaningful team roles These three psychosocial needs form the foundation of athlete motivation, learning, and well-being.

6. Coaching Methodology & the Constraints-Led Approach

Through examples from her U12 girls team, Micaëlla describes how she uses:

• game-based learning
• small-sided constraints
• perceptual cues
• wobbling and scaffolding to build decision-makers, not robots.

7. The Cook → Chef Coaching Continuum

Together, Mike and Micaëlla unpack the analogy that new coaches start as “cooks” following recipes, but over time become “chefs” who can adapt, create, and elevate training based on the players in front of them.

8. Regenerative Leadership & Co-Constructed Learning Communities

Micaëlla outlines her doctoral plans:

• building a community of coaches
• co-creating best practices
• integrating reflective tools, video, and real-time evidence

9. Helping Kids Fall in Love with the Process

The group discusses modern challenges — transfer portals, year-round play, pressure to specialize — and why cultivating enjoyment, resilience, rest, and perspective is essential.

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation is a masterclass in modern coaching that centres human development over tactics. Whether you coach elite athletes or 6-year-olds at a community centre, Micaëlla offers a powerful roadmap for creating environments where kids feel safe, motivated, connected, and inspired to grow — on and off the court.