Oaklands Wolves add EuroLeague Alumni to coaching team

The Oaklands Wolves Basketball Academy are pleased to announce their third coaching appointment ahead of the new season, securing the services of Hungarian coach Gyöngyi Zsolnay for the 2016/17 academic year. 

Coach Zsolnay arrives in the UK after spending the last season as the Head Coach of the David Kornel Girls Basketball Academy in Székesfehérvár, Hungary. The former Hungarian national player had a glittering playing career prior to coaching, her most successful stint with team PVSK from 1994-1998, which included multiple national titles and a EuroLeague 3rd place finish. 

A graduate of Pécs University with a degree in Physical Education and Coaching; Coach Zsolnay has been amassing an impressive resume since retiring that includes academic publications in youth basketball and a Dedicated Coaching qualification from Testnevelési Egyetem (Sports University), Budapest in 2012.

Head of Performance Lee Ryan said:  “To add a coach with the qualities and experience that Gyöngyi has in the game is fantastic for our program. Following the appointments of Coach Liburd and Coach Vicente Belena we have now have a wide range of coaches who are all ready to deliver at the highest level to our athletes. These coaches are special people with open minds and a true love for coaching performance athletes, they are sure to deliver excellence!”

With a string of successful junior club and academy appointments in Hungary, Coach Zsolnay takes her first full time appointment abroad as she looks to expand her coaching experiences and her English language skills. 

Academy Director Michael Ball added: “Every single player associated with Oaklands Basketball will benefit from having Gyöngyi around the program. Her experience as a player, her extensive work in youth coaching and her passion for women’s basketball emanates as soon as she walks in the gym. She has a great reputation in the game having coached internationally on a number of high profile camps, we are lucky to have her!”

Coach Zsolnay will head up the WEABL women’s team working closely with the WBBL program and the rest of the performance players at Oaklands. The Wolves Basketball Club will also benefit from Coach Zsolnay’s coaching as she takes on the Head Coach role of the u18 women in the National League and heads our growing u10s participation program. 

Coach Zsolnay commented, “I am very excited to be here in England to work at Oaklands Basketball Academy. This is a performance program which cares about the individual player first; something I am passionate about in my coaching. It will be great to work with the beginners in u10, to put a smile on their face with their first impression of basketball. I look forward to working with the top level players also, sharing my knowledge where I can and learning English from them at the same time.”