Laurentian Voyageurs men’s basketball head coach Shawn Swords has been selected by Canada Basketball to serve as an assistant coach at the upcoming FIBA U18 Americas Championship.
The team will be led by McMaster Marauders head coach Patrick Tatham, while two more U SPORTS head coaches will serve alongside Swords as assistant coaches; Wilfrid Laurier’s Justin Serresse, who played under Swords at Laurentian from 2008-2010, and Laval’s Nathan Grant.
Swords is no stranger to the international game, having suited up in more than 100 games wearing the Team Canada colours, highlighted by a trip to the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
On the sidelines, he was an assistant coach with the Canadian Junior National team in 2010 and 2011, the team leader of the U18 Canadian 3x3 team in 2012 and a guest coach with the Canadian Senior National team in 2012 and 2016.
He also served as the assistant coach on the FISU Games Canadian men’s basketball team in both 2013 and 2015 and the head coach of the FISU team in 2019.
Last summer, Swords served as an assistant coach at the U19 FIBA World Cup in Latvia where Canada won bronze in the 16-team tournament.
With all of that experience, Swords said he is excited to pass on his knowledge to some of this country’s best up and comers.
“Canada continues to produce some amazingly talented young basketball players,” he said. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to share with them some of the things I’ve learned as a former player and now coach.”
The draw for the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2022, happening June 6-12, will take place at an upcoming date yet to be announced, but Canada Basketball will be entering the Championship as the fourth ranked program overall in the FIBA men’s age-group rankings and second in the Americas behind the USA.
