Llanes is an assistant coach with the Women’s NextGen squad in Osaka
With the Paris Paralympics in her rear-view mirror, and as she begins training for the next quad, Tara Llanes is trying her hand at a new challenge: coaching.
Llanes, who helped the Senior Women’s National Team to a fourth-place finish in Paris, is part of the coaching staff with Canada’s NextGen Women’s Team at the Osaka Cup.
With two Paralympic Games under her belt, Llanes saw the need for new talent to progress to the Senior National Team level and wanted to be part of the solution.
“It felt like a natural progression for me, maybe in the year after Paris, and if I wasn’t playing as much, being able to be part of the coaching world,” Llanes said. “Having a great relationship with Marni Abbott at the BC Wheelchair Basketball Society, we started that conversation, and it just felt like a natural progression.”
Llanes, who suffered a back injury during a BMX competition in September 2007, turned to parasport and wheelchair tennis after relocating to Vancouver in 2014.
While playing wheelchair tennis, Llanes was introduced to wheelchair basketball – it was suggested she could improve her speed on the tennis court by playing basketball.
Llanes enlisted the help of wheelchair basketball coach Joe Higgins to crack the Senior Women’s National Team.
Seven years later, Llanes points to Higgins as one of her coaching mentors.
“I really liked Joe and his coaching style because he was hard on me, and I love that,” Llanes explained. “I want coaches that are hard on me because I want to be better. I don’t want you to beat around the bush and be too nice.
“I’m not saying you can’t be nice, but if I’m doing something wrong and I continue to do it, I need to know.”
Growing up in West Covina, Calif., stand-up basketball was one of Llanes’ go-to sports.
It was at Brea-Olinda High School, where she won a national championship in Grade 11, that she met coach Mark Trakh.
As she develops her coaching style, Llanes borrows from both Higgins and Trakh.
“There were many things that Mark taught me,” said Llanes. “I thought he was so mean when I was 15 years old. He’d be hard on me at practice, and then after practice, he’d come over and put his arm around me and just be like, ‘You did great today.’ I think that I’ve learned a lot of things from him.
“The way that I am as a person is how he was as a coach. He expected a lot from me, and so did Joe, and I will expect a lot from players that I coach, but I’m also going to give them everything I have.”
Canada will face Australia, Thailand, and Japan over three days of competition at the Osaka Cup.
Llanes, who most recently competed at the 2023 Osaka Cup, feels good about the group.
Seven athletes, which competed at the 2023 Women’s Under-25 World Championship, are in Osaka.
“We had two days of practice in Vancouver before leaving,” said Llanes. “They’ve played together at U25 Worlds, but it’s been a while.
“I think a lot of them have a lot of similar goals. I think they’re going to take it seriously, and hopefully, once they get on the court, we can get some of that chemistry going.”