In profile: Kelsey Griffin

Kelsey Griffin, Year 11 Biology teacher and Program Manager Basketball

What do you like best about your current role?

The best part of my roles, both in the classroom and in sport, is getting to empower students. It has amazed me, the cross over between coaching and teaching from a point of helping nurture skillsets that help students to cope with adversity and find confidence intrinsically.

Can you tell us about your role and current projects?

I am currently working alongside Rachael Weeks to develop the Human Biology program for next year, which I am very excited about. Rachael has been an immense help and mentor in teaching me how to make impactful planning resources that directly link to the curriculum and are engaging for students. As a first-year teacher, I have thoroughly enjoyed working alongside her and have already learnt so much.

In Radford Basketball I am currently looking at ways to elevate the sport of basketball for students who want to pursue basketball at a higher level, while still giving space for students who would like to socially play and stay physically active. I am building a basketball curriculum to bring consistency to expected skill development across divisions in age groups.

I am looking at ways with limited space to integrate strength and conditioning education to students participating in basketball. This will help to build more athletically robust students and give them the knowledge required to transfer these skills to the court. I am also working on building a basketball resources package that will be accessible through Teams, specific to each age group, that aligns with the curriculum and skillset expectation based on Basketball ACT's skills matrix.

This will allow students and coaches to have access to more resources and will hopefully achieve equity for students in their Radford Basketball experience. I am also exploring the best structure for Radford Basketball in its Winter and Summer seasons.

What did you do before joining the Radford community?

I graduated from the University of Nebraska with plans of continuing to study Medicine. However, post-graduate school was put on hold as I have been playing basketball professionally all over the world since 2010.

Throughout my professional career I worked closely with schools in different community service projects. In 2017, I decided to go back to school and do my Masters in Teaching (Secondary), while still playing professionally and representing Australia.

In 2018, I was able to compete in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and win a gold medal as well as win a WNBL Championship playing for the UC Canberra Capitals. I completed my degree in June of 2020 and in July was asked to teach at UC Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra.

What do you enjoy outside Radford?

I am an avid mountain biker and plan on racing Enduro after I retire from basketball.

How have you been managing lockdown?

Lockdown has given me time to reflect and re-prioritise what is important. I have appreciated the space it has given me to think about the demands of my careers and what I want to focus on in 2022.