Bermuda's David Patrick is proving an inspiration for local athletes hoping to make a name for themselves in the international arena with the St. Mary's men's assistant basketball coach fulfilling many of his dreams both on and off the court.

Patrick, 34, helped guide the Gaels men's team to the 'Sweet 16' in this year's NCAA tournament before crashing out to Big 12 conference school Baylor University.

But despite that defeat, the third year coach of the West Coast Conference (WCC) champions enjoyed a month to remember with his side upsetting the sporting odds in both their conference and national tournaments.

Ranked number 10 in the South Region, the Gaels beat tenth seed Richmond 80-71 in the first round of the NCAA tournament before upsetting number two seeds Villanova 75-68 to get into the 'Sweet 16'.

The former Saltus Grammar School student's best piece of advice for any youngster looking to play or coach overseas is simple – never give up and make your goals as high as possible.

"I'm proud to be a Bermudian," said Patrick, who joined the coaching ranks in 2005 after playing four years of professional basketball overseas.

"My advice to young kids is never give up on a dream you may have.

"When I was at Saltus I used to watch Magic Johnson and Julius Erving play on Sunday afternoons. I said to my parents I wanted to play in the NBA and in university.

"I did not meet my NBA goal but I worked hard as a youth to be the best I could be and made people notice my game. I did manage to make a decent living from playing, but when those days were over I had to look elsewhere for work.

"Getting my degree through basketball enabled me to become a college coach. My parents from a young age pushed me to get a degree along with my basketball, so I had balance in life and it's definitely helped me and my coaching career."

Patrick attended Saltus until he was 10 when he moved to Australia.

Following his collegiate playing days at Syracuse University where he played in the NCAA Final Four Championships, Patrick went to play for Australian side Canberra Cannons of the National Basketball League from 1999-2001. He was named the NBL Rookie of the Year in 2000.

He then joined the Chester Jets of England's British Basketball League for the 2001-02 season, where he garnered second team all-league honours. His final professional season was spent in Spain where he was a member of Alcora team in the LEB1 league from 2002-03.

Patrick feels his pro experience has helped him to demand the trust of his players.

"I was blessed to play in the college national championships as a player, so I know the emotions and pressure these kids feel," he said.

"I think the fact that I played professionally lets them have belief in me when I tell them the importance of hard work."

Although basketball has been his passport to travel the world, Patrick is happy with his current position at a school that boasts the best record over the past three years on the West Coast.

"I began coaching after my playing in Europe and Australia ended in 2005 after knee injury," added Patrick. "I went to work for my high school coach at Nichols State University in Louisiana where I brought in five Australians in my first year and attracted some attention.

"From there I had got an offer from St Mary's and I jumped on it. In my first year I brought in Patrick Mills (now Portland Trailblazers) and the rest is history.

"We have the winningest programme in the west over the past three years, over the powerhouses like UCLA, Arizona, and the others."