FV Basketball EXCLUSIVE: Codie Hindle

If you've been to the Cheam Centre, if you go to G.W. Graham, or if you play basketball in Chilliwack, you've probably met him.  He is known for ridiculous half-court shots, athletic clothing, and the patriotic tattoo on his right calf.  He is Codie Hindle.

Codie Hindle played his high school basketball at what is now known as Northern Secondary School in Toronto (pictured below).  Under the influence of his high school coach, Codie became a deadly three-point shooter and earned himself a spot on the 2000-2001 edition of the Brock University Badgers.  After finishing his Bachelor of Sport Management degree, Hindle returned to Chilliwack and became heavily involved in youth sports. 

Hindle is currently the head coach of the grade eight boys team at G.W. Graham but his influence goes well beyond his team and has permeated all levels of basketball in Chilliwack.  Micah Cockrill of G.W. Graham's varsity team calls Codie a "fun and entertaining guy who is always in a gym somewhere having fun".  Cockrill and Hindle are currently involved in a heated one-on-one series with Hindle leading five games to one.

Codie's squad is known as the most fun-loving team in the Fraser Valley East league and they are reaping rewards while maintaining fun as their first goal.  One recent gag occurred when Kam Meldrum, a backup guard on the team, donned a Kobe Bryant jersey while preparing to sub into the game (pictured below).  After the game, Hindle shrugged off the joke's possible effect on his player management and noted that his team is "just a fun group of kids who just has a blast playing basketball".

This author recently had the opportunity to take in one of Codie's games against the Hope Mustangs.  Although Codie's timeout material is about as thin as Tyson Knight's hair, he commands respect and attention from his players as if he had been coaching for decades.  Hindle is one of the most well-known coaches in the local grade eight league and has great rapport with the referees (Codie often officiates games himself and understands the hazards of reffing middle school basketball). 

However, during one recent game against A.D. Rundle, Codie's commitment to high standards apparently slipped as he was hit with a technical foul and nearly ejected early in the first half.  Fraser Valley Basketball, through interviewing multiple eyewitnesses, discovered the words that Hindle uttered to the official but they are unrepeatable on this blog. To make amends for this slight embarrassment, Hindle went through conflict resolution and counselling sessions with the individual referee to remedy the situation.

The coaching future is bright for Hindle because he approaches coaching with an overwhelming commitment to the game and a focus on the player development.  Anybody watching a game where Codie is involved will see that he is passionate about basketball and that he has a lot of fun coaching (and occasionally playing) the game.