basketballscotland’s Youth Player Pathway
U14s – Player
Regional Academy
basketballscotland is delighted to announce further details of the Regional Academy programme for youth basketball ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Our Regional Academy is a platform for both players and coaches to develop their fundamental skillset and increase their tactical knowledge of basketball concepts. This inclusive programme has a broad base, enabling many participants from across the nation to engage in this opportunity. This is separate from our National Teams programme where FIBA, (the world governing body for basketball) set the regulations and eligibility criteria for competitions.
U14 Regional Academy
This year, following feedback from players, coaches and clubs, we have made changes to the Regional Academy programme. The Regional Academy is basketballscotland’s long-term athlete development programme, now for U14 players only. We will be adapting the approach from last year and will hold the sessions across 2 centres (Dundee and Glasgow).
All players selected for the programme will attend both the Dundee and Glasgow sessions. Players will attend a 3-hour session on Saturday and another 3-hour session on the Sunday. These sessions will take place on the first weekend of every month.
| Month | Dates | Venue | Times |
| August | 17th & 18th | RPC – Dundee | TBC |
| August/September | 31st & 1st | Easterhouse – Glasgow | TBC |
| September | 7th & 8th | RPC – Dundee | TBC |
| October | 5th & 6th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| November | 2nd & 3rd | Easterhouse – Glasgow | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| December | 7th & 8th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| January | 11th & 12th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| February | 1st & 2nd | Easterhouse – Glasgow | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| March | 1st & 2nd | Easterhouse – Glasgow | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| April | 5th & 6th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
At this time, we are asking for expressions of interest in being part of the Regional Academy programme, along with a coach endorsement. This can be submitted here
All expressions of interest must be submitted by: Monday 29th July 2024
We will then select players to come to trial before entering the programme. There will be spaces available in the programme for 50 boys and 50 girls. For those who are selected the cost of the programme will be £250. Scholarships will be available. After the trial, any coach who wishes to recommend players for Regional Academy, throughout the season, should send an email recommending the reasons why, along with video evidence to competitions@basketball.scot
U14s – Coach
Coaches play a crucial role in the development of youth players, so basketballscotland is delighted to be incorporating an opportunity for coaches to learn into the Regional Academy programme. The programme will see players and coaches develop and improve together as we aim to continue the growth of the game in Scotland.
What is the Regional Academy Programme?
The Regional Academy is basketballscotland’s development programme for players in U14 age group and for coaches who are serious about improving.
basketballscotland will provide bespoke – support to each person. Our Player Development Coach, Kerri Kuzbyt, will lead the programme and will be supported by a number of Head Coaches who have been selected by basketballscotland. These coaches will support with your Technical and Tactical development. A coach developer will also be present, observing and generating some feedback from the live environment. We will also have a topic in place on the day, which will allow for some discussion and reflection. The coaches within the programme can also work towards a relevant qualification with an SQA award.
Coaches who attend will be expected to invest in their development, learning from other coaches, participating in discussions, trying new things and accepting challenge.
How does the Regional Academy work?
We will be adapting the approach from last year and all players and coaches selected for the programme will attend both the Dundee and Glasgow sessions. There will be a 3 hour session on Saturday and another 3 hour session on the Sunday. These sessions will take place on the first weekend of every month.
| Month | Dates | Venue | Times |
| August | 17th & 18th | RPC – Dundee | TBC |
| August/September | 31st & 1st | Easterhouse – Glasgow | TBC |
| September | 7th & 8th | RPC – Dundee | TBC |
| October | 5th & 6th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| November | 2nd & 3rd | Easterhouse – Glasgow | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| December | 7th & 8th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| January | 11th & 12th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| February | 1st & 2nd | Easterhouse – Glasgow | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| March | 1st & 2nd | Easterhouse – Glasgow | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
| April | 5th & 6th | RPC – Dundee | 10am – 1pm Girls 2pm- 5pm Boys |
What is the commitment for coaches?
Coaches would be expected to make the effort to attend all of the Regional Academy sessions, as each day in the programme builds upon the previous one. Anyone looking for an assistant role, would be expected to commit to the position and consistently attend each session.
However, the sessions have an open door policy so any coach can attend any session for their own development.
If I am interested in being involved, what should I do?
At this time, we are asking for expressions of interest in being part of the Regional Academy programme in the assistant and development roles, which can be completed using the links below.
A formal application process may follow this and, where necessary, a selection process may be required.
Assistant Coach roles will be filled first with others being offered the opportunity to attend for their future development.
All expressions of interest must be submitted by: Monday 29th July 2024
Apply here
If you have any questions about the information provided, please contact: Emma.Edwards@basketball.scot
U15/U17
basketballscotland is delighted to announce some exciting improvements to our National Teams for youth basketball ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Aligned to the Great Britain performance pathway and following feedback from players, coaches, and clubs, we have made changes to the Regional & National Academy programme. These changes are:
- Age groups being offered – We are now offering a programme for U15 and U17 players in line with the GB tournaments. We believe this will best prepare our top young players for FIBA competition.
- Offering a National Team programme instead of a Regional Academy at these age groups – This will give the players the opportunity to train as a team and adopt a style of play with their National Team coaches before tournament.
- Reduced numbers at sessions to improve player experience – We are looking to accept 20 girls and 20 boys in each age group.
- Camp style sessions, running over 3 days within school holiday periods – These will be noticeably more intense than club training with a focus on skill development and knowledge of tactical concepts. In addition, this approach allows more flexibility for players to play within their clubs at the weekend.
National Teams Programme
The National Team programme will be led by Donnie MacDonald, with Bart Sengers as Head Coach on the girls side and Darryl Wood as Head Coach on the boys. The camps will be offered to players who have potential to play for Scotland at Youth level and, in the future, GB Youth or Senior level. Our SCO National Teams provide a platform for our most talented players to train and compete for Scotland. Furthermore, our SCO National Teams are part of the GB Basketball Pathway. FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, set the regulations for international competitions. As such, we comply with their regulations about player eligibility and participation in competitions. All countries, and all sports, have similar regulations about international competition to promote and protect the game and opportunities for domestic, native players. In basketball, the rules are as follows:
- Players must be born in SCO, or
- Players’ parents/grandparents must be born in SCO.
- In addition, selected players must have a valid British passport.
Where a player has a passport prior to their 16th Birthday and has been resident in the country for at least 4 years, but doesn’t meet the “heritage” criteria above, then the National Federation is allowed to select ONE “naturalised” player in their squad of 12 players. We also acknowledge and accept that we have eligible players across the globe. For SCO National Teams, we will include all eligible players, regardless of their domestic base – if you are of the acceptable standard and are eligible, we will welcome your application to be involved in our programme.
Our SCO and GBR Youth Teams are governed by these regulations, and we will only be including players who meet the international criteria stipulated by FIBA.
Dates of the Programme
Evaluation sessions will be held in PlaySport, Stewarfield Way, East Kilbride on the following weekends:
- 3rd & 4th August 2024 – U15 & U17 Boys
- 10th & 11th August 2024 – U15 & U17 Girls
On the back of these weekends, players will be invited to attend the first camp in October. There will be subsequent invites to following camps based on the players performance throughout the season. Any coach who wishes to recommend players for future camps, should send an email recommending the reasons why, along with video evidence. This should be sent, at least one month prior to the camp, to competitions@basketball.scot
All sessions will be open to coaches who want to come along and learn.
The National Academy Programme will be delivered in partnership with Caledonia Gladiators and will take place in PlaySport, Stewartfield Way, East Kilbride on the following dates:
- 14th – 16th October 2024 – U15 & U17 Girls
- 17th – 19th October 2024 – U15 & U17 Boys
- 27th – 29th December 2024 – U15 & U17 Girls
- 2nd – 4th January 2025 – U15 & U17 Boys
- 7th – 9th April 2025 – U15 & U17 Girls
- 10th – 12th April 2025 – U15 & U17 Boys
Expressions of interest
Playing for Scotland is an incredible honour. One that requires commitment, hard work and desire. At this time, we are asking for expressions of interest from those born from 2008 – 2010 who believe they have the ability and appetite to improve, a strong team ethos and an insatiable desire to play for Scotland. We want your coach to believe in you too. (exceptional younger talent may be considered).
At least one coach from the Club is expected to attend these sessions with their player(s) to help maximise the player’s chance of success through the learning they can take back to their club. It will also prove valuable for learning and development for the coach.
All expressions of interest must be submitted here by: Monday 15th July 2024
The costs of the programme are still to be confirmed, so details of this will follow. All efforts will be made to make the National Team programme affordable for all and scholarships will be available.
