The women’s basketball scene is finally reaching it’s season of recognition but that doesnt mean that female basketball players have not been putting in their work for years. Lee Anna Osei is clear proof of that. As a former NCAA basketball player, an OUA all-start and current basketball coach, Lee Anna has made tremendous contributions to the Canadian basketball landscape through her playing and coaching style. Read about how Lee Anne is guiding Canada’s future ballers. 

A Little About Lee Anna and Canletes Basketball…

I founded Canletes Basketball in 2012 formally to aid in the promotion of Canadian prospective athletes, males and females, through community engagement, recruitment consulting, and skills and physical enhancement. Canletes has been a leader in the facilitation of women’s basketball specifically within and around the Greater Toronto Area, with a goal to equalize the playing field between men’s and women’s basketball. 

Informally I had been coaching and training in Ontario since 2006 and it was when I returned to Canada to complete my undergraduate degree that I decided to start Canletes.

Favourite Thing About Being a Millennial Entrepreneur…

I love working with other passionate individuals that want to aid in growing the game of basketbal. One of my favourite things to do is brainstorm different ways that we can continue to enhance the experiences we provide for prospective and collegiate student athletes.

Kareem Griffin, my former basketball coach whom I refer to as my brother is one of the people that I profoundly respect/largely credit in executing our vision. Since 2012, our team has gotten bigger and continues to expand with selfless individuals who play an integral role in our success. 

Challenges of Being a Millennial Entrepreneur…

One of the biggest challenges we encounter is financial difficulty pertaining to operational and marketing costs. Since a lot of what we do for teams and individuals is cost efficient it has been difficult to create and maintain a steady operational and marketing structure as we need to rely on volunteers who are not always available. 

Being a Millennial Boss and Working a Full-Time Job…

I would not be able to run Canletes were it not for the assistance of my business partner, Kareem Griffin and the many valued volunteers we hope to one day employ for our efforts in growth the game. Thankfully, I live a dream working as a basketball coach so my responsibilities to my full time occupation sometimes align with what we do for Canletes Basketball. 

Coach or Player That Has Influenced Your Style…

There are a myriad of coaches that I have known since I was a young child who have influenced and mentored me in ways unimaginable. One of the more influential individuals has been Coach Ro Russell, whom is my father figure, a God fearing individual and a family man. He was a standout player in Ontario when he was younger and competed in America against some elite level athletes. Being Canadian, he has and continues to take the best parts of international style basketball and American style basketball to aid prospective athletes, collegiate athletes and current Pros in dominating their level of play. He is a major reason why many of the current Canadian born NBA players were given the platform to succeed. His mentorship, knowledge, and innovation techniques are aspects of him I admire, but his adherence to his faith, profession and family is prioritized, and that is how I view myself as a young coach. 

Advice to Millennials Starting Businesses in Coaching/Training…

Study the history of what you are pursuing! Understand the historicism behind a concept, idea, or product to gain an edge on what you could provide or build upon. This could save you lots of time while helping you gain knowledge of the field you are entering.

Cool Events or Projects Coming Up for Lee Anna and Canletes Basketball…

I am excited to enter into my professional coaching career at the helm of the Women’s Basketball team at the prestigious St.Francis Xavier University (StFX). I believe in what we have established as an institution with maintaining a tradition of Xcellence through sport, academics and community engagement, and I look forward to representing the X tradition!

What is next for Canletes is finding ways to aid in the development of youth basketball in Nova Scotia, Canada! 

Find out more about Lee Anna and Canletes Basketball at http://canleteassist.pointstreaksites.com/view/canleteassist.