Regional Academy 2023/24 – Players | Expressions of Interest
basketballscotland is delighted to announce further details on the Regional Academy programmes for youth basketball ahead of the 2023/24 season.
What is the Regional Academy?
The Regional Academy is basketballscotland’s long-term athlete development programme for U14-U18 age groups, focusing on physical, technical, tactical, psychological and social elements of the game. The Regional Academy is focused on helping players who are serious about improving to develop key knowledge and skills that will help them progress within the game.
How does the Regional Academy work?
U16 & U18
Rather than being based in the traditional regions, where the numbers of players may vary year to year, the Regional Academy will take the form of a series of central venue events, incorporating practise and games.
U14
This year we have made some changes to the U14 Regional Academy programme following feedback from coaches, clubs and parents. The purpose of these changes is to:
- Reduce numbers at sessions in order to improve player experience;
- Reduce travel time and costs for parents where possible;
- Reduce the duration of sessions to maintain intensity;
- Ensure alignment with the fixture calendar by slightly reducing the number of sessions each player attends.
With this in mind, we have developed a blended approach with centralised and regionalised sessions across two centres in the East (Dundee) & West. We have specified which clubs will be attending each of the centres. They will also attend some combined sessions, held at the Regional Performance centre in Dundee.
When does the Regional Academy take place?
On each regional academy weekend, please note that the following schedule will be in place:
- U14 GIRLS days: SATURDAYS
- U14 BOYS days: SUNDAYS
- U16 & U18 BOYS days: SATURDAYS
- U16 & U18 GIRLS days: SUNDAYS
The dates for the 23/24 season can be found in the images below:
What is the commitment for the Regional Academy?
If you sign up for the Regional Academy, the expectation is that you attend all of the dates as each session builds upon the previous one. This level of commitment aligns with the basketballscotland Regional Academy Talent Behaviours, which can be found in the video here
Do I have to be in the Regional Academy to be considered for the National Academy?
The Regional Academy will allow you to build towards playing for the National Academy by developing concepts that will be used by the National Academy teams. However, players who are participating in other performance environments will also be considered for National Academy teams if they are able to meet the commitments of the programme.
What will the Regional Academy programme cost?
The costs of the programme are dependent on the venues, so details of this will follow. However, all efforts will be made to make the Regional Academy programme affordable for all.
How do I sign up for the Regional Academy programme?
At this time, we are asking for expressions of interest in being part of the Regional Academy programme, which can be completed by clicking the appropriate link below. A formal application process may follow this and, where necessary, a selection process may be required and details of this would be provided. For U16 and U18 players, the National Depth Chart Camp will form the major part of this selection process.
All expressions of interest must be submitted by: Monday 31st July 2023
[We are no longer accepting Expression of Interest for the 2023/24 season]
U14 expression of interest (DoB 2010 or later)
U16 expression of interest (DoB 2008 & 2009)
U18 expression of interest (DoB 2006 & 2007)
If you have any questions about the information provided, please contact: competitions@basketball-scotland.com
