About — More Than Basketball

About Coach Zoe Zwerling

Basketball was love at first encounter for me at age seven. Since then, I have played four years of varsity high school basketball, won championships (and lost). I’ve played all over the US (and in a few other countries), including four years of Division 1 basketball at Northeastern University, leaving with a degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Leadership with a concentration in Sport and Social Change. I am now in Melbourne, Victoria to play basketball professionally. I have been coaching young players for over ten years now and am creating this program to provide the best, and most impactful, basketball experience I possibly can.

Basketball has gifted me countless incredible opportunities: my college education, travel to different states and countries, life-long friendships, powerful lessons, and many unforgettable experiences. Knowing the impact this game can have, my goal is to pass this on to the upcoming generations. I believe young players need foundational teaching, development, confidence and mindset, positive role models, and support as they begin to navigate the world on and off the court. As you might have guessed (and as much as I LOVE the game), it is about more than basketball.

MTB core values

Mindset

Our minds drive everything we do. A strong mindset involves everything from work ethic, dealing with failure, the language we use, leadership, the list goes on. While this can be built on the court, our mindsets go beyond basketball and are extremely impactful in our everyday lives.

Integrity

Integrity is when our words and our actions are aligned. As much as we strive to develop basketball skills, we also work to develop strong character and values to live by.

Team

Basketball, like life, is a team sport. Nobody gets far alone. The ability to be a great teammate is an invaluable skill on and off the court.

courage

Courage can take many different forms: courage to be authentic, courage to work hard, courage to continue through failure and fear, and so on. Courage, like other valuable traits, is a muscle; It is strengthened through experience and reflection.

Love

At the end of the day, basketball is awesome. All of this work is a labor of love, and it is fun as hell! We don’t have to play, we GET to. In the hustle and competition, it can be easy to forget all that, but we love the game!

Coach Testimonials

“Coach Zoe is the entire package. She is highly skilled, experienced and passionate about the game. Most importantly, her approach is a holistic one. She cares about the individual’s development and their well-being. Prioritizing communication, her aim is to support and guide her players to reach their potential in basketball and in life. We are lucky to have found her”

Gen and Chris (parents)
“Our daughter’s confidence both on and off the court has exponentially improved since she started training with Zoe. Our daughter went from being a shy and anxious player to holding her head high with confidence. Through basketball training sessions, being a mentor and supporting our daughter in building her emotional intelligence, Zoe played an integral role in our daughter being offered a scholarship in the basketball program at Maribyrnong Sports Academy. Zoe is amazing, we love her and she is the very essence of More Than Basketball.”

Neil and Robyn (parents)
“Our daughter has been training with Zoe weekly for the past 6 months. Our daughter has thrived and really bonded with Zoe and formed an incredible coach/student bond. Zoe is an amazing coach with incredible knowledge and understanding of the game. We highly recommend Zoe as a basketball coach.”

Lisa (parent)
"We have had the pleasure of Zoe coaching our daughter for the past 6 months. During this time she has coached as a leader who inspires and influences through communication and action. She has worked hard to develop a wonderful rapport with our daughter who looks forward to her sessions each week where she is learning and growing as a player to reach her full potential."

(parent)
“My family has had the pleasure of knowing Coach Zoe since she was a junior in high school. My three daughters loved watching her play basketball. She gave positive thoughts and encouragement to my oldest daughter when she entered the high school team. Her real impact was the inspiration she gave to my two younger daughters to WANT to play basketball, to “be like Zoe”. They were only ages 5 and 8 at the time. I don’t think Zoe even realized the fire she lit in them. They were star struck when Zoe would come talk to them. They would always try and get her jersey #3 on their teams in honor of her. Fast forward eight years, it is my daughter who is now #3 on the varsity team at the same high school. My youngest is eighth grade now and also wears #3 for her team. She plans to take over #3 at the high school and wants to take back the CCS Championship title for Zoe. Coach Zoe is so missed here, but her presence remains in spirit, in texts, and over Zoom. She keeps pushing the girls here at home to keep working to get better and they do it to make her proud. People here in Palo Alto continue to follow Zoe’s basketball accomplishments even from the other side of the world. She is amazing both on and off the court.”

Kim (parent)
"We love Basketball Thursdays! It’s an absolute pleasure watching Zoe train basketball skills, terms and techniques with discipline, in a fun and enjoyable way for the kids. Zoe is an amazing coach and deserves a big round of applause for being consistent in her commitment towards making these girls confident team players, which can be seen through-out the whole session, every week. Thanks, Zoe!"

Raji (parent)
“I met Zoe in Boston when I was a freshman in high school. She generously took me under her wing: training with me, helping me navigate college recruiting, bringing me to her games, and was always being there to support me on and off the court. She has a great understanding of the game, and an even greater passion (or obsession) for it. Over the years Zoe has been a mentor and role model for me, and I consider her family.”

Gina (Oberlin College)
“I’ve seen improvements in my daughters’ basketball skills and attitude towards the game since they have been with Coach Zoe. Zoe is a great role model for them as she has a positive attitude and encourages them to do their best. They walk away from each session exhausted and motivated. Another bonus is that Zoe is an active professional basketball player. She is easy to communicate with and believes in being punctual”

Vela (parent)
As a coach she’s great to do work with. She understands the game, she understands what you want when you tell her what you want to improve. She’s also a great personality who you can have a laugh and a chat with. She is a pure hooper and coach.”

James (player)