Hickford overcomes odds
Coaching is in his blood
You can take the man away from coaching, but you can’t take the coach out of the man. Ex-Taranaki basketballer Craig Hickford is proof of that.
Christchurch-based Hickford, who suffered a traumatic brain Injury (TBI) when he was knocked off his bicycle by a ute in Dunedin in February last year, was back home in New Plymouth this week for the New Zealand Breakers’ match.
Hickford coached a number of high level teams, including the Christchurch men’s and women’s national league teams,
However coaching went on the back-burner after the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake, and he and wife Stacey moved to Central Otago where he focused on his teaching career.
But give him the chance and that coaching side comes out. Hickford took in the Breakers’ training before Tuesday’s match, but also said he interacted with Taranaki Mountain Airs big man Thane O’Leary.
‘‘Thane’s a very good player, and I just gave him a few tips on little things to help with his game - I’ve still got that coaching side to me.’’
After his accident, there was thought that he might not survive, let alone recover. However he continues to exceed expectations in that department.
He gives Stacey and their children, Grace (9) and Toby (6), a lot of credit for helping him go from not being able to do anything by himself to being able to walk and talk freely less than two years after his TBI.
‘‘We’ve been doing a lot of family stuff together, like working on a vegetable patch in our garden, and it’s helping me to develop.
‘‘I’m developing into someone who likes to do the small things, which is odd because I’ve always been a big picture kind of person.’’
An avid basketball fan, Hickford was thrilled to have the Breakers in his home region and be there to see it.
‘‘I was sitting between coach (Steve McKean) and (Breakers general manager) Dillon Boucher so it was like, who do I talk to? But coach becomes a fan when he’s watching, whereas Dillon analyses everything, it’s amazing.’’
‘‘At the game, so many people came over to wish me well and I was able to put some names to faces from my past.
‘‘I think it’s quite courageous for people to come and say hi when they don’t necessarily know what’s wrong.’’
With his love of the game still booming, Hickford has recently started to help coach the top girls’ team at Cashmere High School, which is allowing him to not only get a taste of the coaching game again, but improve his communication.
‘‘It’s all about learning and reteaching myself.
‘‘It’s showing me that I’ve still got it.’’