It has been just over a month since we announced Irishman Alan Keane as the new Head Coach for Reading Rockets. Alan\u2019s role will see him lead the senior men\u2019s squad in the 2018\/19 NBL season but also support all facets of the Rockets junior programmes based at the John Madejski Academy.<\/p>\n
We thought the time was right to find out more about Head Coach Keane.<\/p>\n
Alan, you\u2019ve been on a very interesting coaching journey, what does this new role mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt simply means a step in the right direction for where I want to go with my coaching. I want to keep progressing and with that needs to come new challenges. Reading Rockets is a club that has allowed me the privilege to work as a full time basketball coach between the JMA Academy and the Rockets men’s team. I am thankful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n You have not Head Coached a senior men\u2019s team even though your experience is extensive, what do you see are the challenges ahead?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI see many challenges that excite me in every coaching job I have done. Many of those challenges cross over whether you are coaching U12, an U18 national team or U19 EABL. Having assisted with this team for the past two years we can be more demanding and have higher expectations from the players individually and collectively. Players fighting to meet those expectations and execute to a high standard each day excites me. The challenge that comes with that journey excites me too.\u201d<\/p>\n Your role as Head Coach at JMA in the EABL would suggest that you are wanting to create an environment for some of better young players to come and experience Division 1?<\/strong><\/p>\n The environment is everything. The right environment that constantly challenges and supports every player and coach will allow all of us to flourish. It is a critical goal of mine to integrate a number of JMA players into the senior team from day one of training camp. Why would you not do that? We have talented junior players who can contribute to any Division 1 men\u2019s team in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n You have been a part of the Rockets for a couple of years. What makes this so important to you at this stage of your career?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cHaving had two years assisting the Rockets men’s team, and returning from a unique experience as assistant coach with the England senior team at the Commonwealth Games, makes me eager to take the next step and head coach a senior programme. The Reading Rockets organisation takes a truly professional approach to how it runs the programme. Heading up the men’s team puts me in a position to take on roles and duties you just don’t get from being an assistant or a junior team head coach. All are challenges I eagerly await.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>You are a family man too. How will you get the balance right between your well-known pursuit of detail and having time at home?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI guess this is a challenge for many coaches as our jobs are not in line with typical working hours. When you have a family that supports what you do, admires what you do and knows what you do makes you happy, that helps somewhat towards getting the balance right. However, it is important to make time consciously for those around you. It can be so easy to be engrossed for hours on end with basketball. Involving my family in what I do such as coming to games etc. has helped a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It has been just over a month since we announced Irishman Alan Keane as the new Head Coach for Reading Rockets. Alan\u2019s role will see him lead the senior men\u2019s squad in the 2018\/19 NBL season but also support all facets of the Rockets junior programmes based at the John Madejski Academy. We thought the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2844,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":[],"_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"spay_email":""},"categories":[3,4,6],"tags":[144,217,142],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/image-result-for-alan-keane-england-coach-2.png?fit=670%2C350&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pdDaI5-L1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2827,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/reading-rockets-appoint-alan-keane-as-head-coach\/","url_meta":{"origin":2915,"position":0},"title":"Reading Rockets appoint Alan Keane as Head Coach","date":"14\/05\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"READING ROCKETS - Communications - New role will see the Irishman lead a new coaching team across the senior men and Rockets Academy Position aimed at bridging the gap between up-and-coming rising stars in the youth teams and the senior squad Keane most recently acted as Assistant Coach for England\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Alan-Keane.png?fit=670%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6059,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/club-statement-head-coach-alan-keane-departs\/","url_meta":{"origin":2915,"position":1},"title":"Club Statement: Head Coach Alan Keane departs","date":"07\/06\/2021","format":false,"excerpt":"It is with disappointment from both parties that Rockets\u2019 Chairman Gary Johnson announces that Head Coach and Academy Director Alan Keane is leaving the Club. Alan has been a great servant of Rockets for 3 years bringing his European experience to our academy and being instrumental in securing scholarships to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/DSC09597-X5.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1358,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-add-england-coach-alan-keane-to-coaching-staff\/","url_meta":{"origin":2915,"position":2},"title":"Rockets add England coach Alan Keane to coaching staff","date":"19\/08\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Reading Rockets have made current England Under 16 Boys head coach Alan Keane their new assistant coach for the Division One Men\u2019s team. Keane has been on the international scene for the past four years whilst heading up a basketball academy at Lampton School as a PE teacher for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Alan-Keane.png?fit=670%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2871,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/josh-thorne-strengthens-rockets-coaching-team\/","url_meta":{"origin":2915,"position":3},"title":"Josh Thorne Strengthens Rockets Coaching Team","date":"30\/05\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Experienced Rockets man Josh Thorne has been named Assistant Head Coach as part of new-look staffing line-up. Working together with recently appointed Head Coach Alan Keane, Thorne will support the Rockets growth strategy and BBL aspirations. Press Release 29 May 2018 Reading Rockets has today announced the appointment of Josh\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/Josh-Thorne_crop_700x298.jpg?fit=700%2C298&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2106,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/jma-rockets-academy-appoints-new-head-coach\/","url_meta":{"origin":2915,"position":4},"title":"JMA Rockets Academy appoints new Head Coach","date":"22\/06\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Alan Keane named as Head Coach of the Rockets Academy at JMA in Reading. After his initial year working with the club and Head Coach Manuel Pena Garces the time was right for Coach Keane to take over from Pedro Rosado at the Club\u2019s EABL Academy in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Alan-Keane-England-U16s.png?fit=612%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3074,"url":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/rockets-new-line-up-set-for-pre-season-clash-against-welsh-national-squad\/","url_meta":{"origin":2915,"position":5},"title":"Rockets new line-up set for pre-season clash against Welsh National Squad","date":"10\/09\/2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The Reading Rockets senior men\u2019s squad will play their first home game of the 2018\/19 campaign at the Rivermead Leisure Centre in Reading this Sunday with a pre-season friendly against the Welsh national team. Tipping at 5pm, the match will see a new-look Rockets men\u2019s team line up against the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Club Announcements"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/basketball-court.png?fit=705%2C267&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2915"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2918,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2915\/revisions\/2918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readingrockets.co.uk\/rr2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}