Basketball England launch major project to improve quality of the professional game

Called the new “Talent System and Pathway” this is a fresh approach from Basketball England to boost the sport’s inclusivity and ensure its players, volunteers and professionals develop to fulfil the sport’s potential from 2018-2021.

Charlie Ford, Basketball England’s Programme & Pathway Integration Manager said: “We’ve strategically put talent at the very heart of this System and Pathway as it’s that exact attribute that should be the fundamental cornerstone of any sports development programme.”

“The player-led and professionalised Talent System and Pathway are clear and transparent in terms of what they set out to achieve, with the overarching objective undoubtedly being the development and production of male and female players that can consistently perform at the very highest level.”

With an athlete-focused culture and emphasis on efficiency, the body hopes to bolster the confidence of those within its pathways and steer the sport towards stronger team results on both national and international stages.

The GB men’s side are currently ranked 41st in the world and the women 21st.

The structure follows those already implemented in the US that funnel young talent through development programs alongside educational institutions. This move away from an academy-focused strategy is welcomed by professional GB basketball player and England captain, Mike Tuck.

In a recent interview Tuck told caytoo: “In the UK, because of football, it’s more academy based instead of going through school.

“Far too often I meet guys that got caught up in the football academy system when they were 15-16. From then on it was strictly football, they didn’t really focus on school at all. In contrast the guys that I played with at university had their degrees to fall back on, only two or three guys went on to play after college. ”

Those identified through the new National Scouting, Talent Identification and Tracking Process will be invited to regularly attend a regional talent hub at a nearby university, with Aspire programs and England Development Programmes for different ages.

The body hopes this collaboration will mean a new generation of talented players beginning their journey into professional basketball.

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