New role for Donnie MacDonald
Donnie MacDonald has been appointed as Head Coach of the Scottish Women’s 3x3 Basketball team ahead of the Commonwealth Games qualifiers.
Donnie – who joined Edinburgh Napier in 2018 to establish the discipline of Physiotherapy within the School of Health and Social Care – becomes the only person in Scottish Basketball to have fulfilled all four roles of Assistant Coach, Head Coach, Team Manager, and Physiotherapist in international tournaments.
Donnie has a long history in Scottish Basketball with an impressive record. His successes include taking the Youth Team to five European Championships and coaching Caledonia Pride – the only professional women’s team in Scotland, who play in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL). Donnie was also an Assistant Coach in 2017, when Scotland tried to qualify for the last Commonwealth Games, only losing out by a whisker against Malaysia.
Donnie was appointed as Head Coach of the team precisely because of his experience and familiarity with the players. He has previously coached some of them and played against others. His knowledge is invaluable because the team doesn’t have much time to practise together, given that everyone is playing professionally at different locations in the UK and Europe.
The qualifying tournament – which was originally scheduled for December 2021 but postponed because of the Omicron variant – will take place this spring. The team will play 3x3 basketball; a shorter and sharper version of the game involving only three players from each team at a time. This will be the first time this type of basketball is played at the Commonwealth Games, and Scotland will face Wales and Northern Ireland for a spot at the main event.
The pressure is high, but the Edinburgh Napier Associate Professor is very confident in his team. Donnie is proud to be coaching such great quality sportspeople and grateful that working in the School of Health and Social Care allows him to pursue his other passion outside of Physiotherapy.
Edinburgh Napier's MSc Physiotherapy course is designed for graduates who wish to qualify as a Physiotherapist through an accelerated two-year route. It develops students’ theoretical understanding, critical thinking, and application of knowledge and skills to physiotherapy practice, enabling graduates to enter the workplace as confident, proficient, and autonomous practitioners. The course is validated by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.