Branch embraced mentorship role at Canada Summer Games

By Lethbridge Herald on August 20, 2025.

photo by Leona Rockwood PhotographY Donna Branch played a mentorship role at the Canada Summer Games and watched as the Team Alberta women’s basketball won gold.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

It took 20 years, but local basketball coach Donna Branch experienced winning a medal again  at the Canada Summer Games as she was a part of the gold-medal winning Team Alberta women’s basketball team on Saturday in St. John’s.

Branch won silver 20 years ago before winning gold this time around when Alberta  beat Ontario 62-54 in the gold medal games  to close out the tournament with a 5-1 record.

“Sometimes I just  forget my accomplishments, so it’s another gold to add to my medals,” said Branch.

“We (coaches) don’t get a medal unfortunately but in my heart there’s  a medal there.”

Branch acted as mentor to the other young Alberta coaches over the course of the tournament.

“I was a mentor for the apprenticeship coach, which is something I said I would be interested in doing  ,” said the current University of Lethbridge women’s basketball assistant coach.

“That means they (coaches) just  get to pick my brain when they wish, and I get to ask questions when I felt  (it was) necessary.”

Branch sees at any level basketball that the assistant coaching roll is something you must get used to.

“You just have to learn how to share your information, but there (are) moments when I  turned into a  head coach, no doubt,” said Branch.

“It’s hard to sit on the bench and just  watch a game, but we as four ladies functioned so well. Yeah, we were great.”

Branch said that was the best part, when asked what it was like watching the girls grow.

“The process of watching these 12 girls bind together as friends and then bind together on the court, that was … the best part,” said Branch.

Branch, who originally is from Picture Butte, and Raymond player Pippa Gibb were the only two Lethbridge-area representatives on the team

“She handles the ball very well, she also sees the court very well, so that was a big difference in our transition,” said Branch

Branch has 40 years of coaching experience in basketball,  which  has included being a head coach at the U of L, coaching at Stirling High School and  being a member of Team Canada’s coaching staff.

The second week of competition at the CSG got underway this week and Lethbridge’s Janae Shomachuk won gold in women’s hammer on Tuesday.