Regional Academy 2023/24 – Coach | Expressions of Interest

Coaches play a crucial role in the development of youth players, so basketballscotland is delighted to be incorporating coaches in the Regional Academy programmes. 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?

The Regional Academy is basketballscotland’s development programme for players in U14-U18 age groups and for coaches who are serious about improving.  They will develop key knowledge and skills that will help them progress within the game. Players will focus on physical, technical, tactical, psychological and social elements of the game, following a phased curriculum that has been designed to help maximise development opportunities.

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.

What is the commitment for coaches?

For coaches, you would be expected to make the effort to attend all of the Regional Academy sessions for the age group you are working with, as each day in the programme builds upon the previous one.

U16 & U18

All of the sessions for U16 & U18 will be held at the Regional Performance Centre in Dundee. Each coaches day – will run from 9:30-16:30.  Coaches will be asked to attend a briefing before the morning practise and again at the end of the day. Sessions for male players will usually be on a Saturday and for female players on a Sunday.  This is a change from previous years

U14

Coaches and Players will attend sessions either in the East (Dundee) or the West as well as some combined sessions being held at the Regional Performance centre in Dundee.

Sessions for female players will usually be held on a Saturday and for male players on a Sunday.

The dates for all Regional Academy sessions can be found in the images below: