Basketball Ireland U14 Academy Selections 2026/27

The players who will take part in the 2026/27 Basketball Ireland U14 Academy have been selected and can be viewed at the bottom of this page. Basketball Ireland wishes to thank all players that attended the Talent Identification Sessions, especially for the effort made by each and every player in the sessions.

If your child has been selected and you wish to accept the place, please read the “What Next” information below.

Key dates at a glance

Academy place confirmation and registration

This year we will continue to use the system across the entire academy and international teams called XPS. This system can be downloaded to any mobile phone, tablet or computer. It will allow parents, players and coaches to communicate on a much quicker and safer platform — training plans, session information, session plans and video analysis are all shared through XPS, alongside a full library of basketball drills and strength and conditioning exercises. For new users to XPS it will take a little while to get used to all the functions it offers, but the basics of registering and using the calendar are very simple. Tutorial links are available on the home page of the app, or search XPS online for a full list of tutorials. Please turn on automatic updates and notifications for this app to ensure you receive information and notifications.

How to get XPS

By Thursday 24th September (6pm), all selected players will receive an email from Sideline Sports to the parent email address used to register for the talent ID session. This email may go to your junk folder, so please check all inboxes. If you already have an XPS account you will be added to the new group and will not receive an email — just log in to your account and the groups will be updated. If you have not received it by 6pm Thursday, please email Matt at mhall@ireland.basketball with the player's name, region and parent's email — we will prioritise these during this period, so please include the correct information.

Once you receive the email, download the app and log in with the details provided. You'll be taken to a registration page — please complete this carefully, as it will be used for your child's profile. If you start the form and leave the app, it won't disappear: you can always find it again on the calendar for the date it was sent, and the same applies to any future forms.

Deadline for accepting the academy place

We ask that all parents register their child no later than close of business on Thursday 1st October, via the information form on your XPS agenda (also on your calendar under Thursday 24th September). After this time, we will mark the player as not accepting a place on the academy. Once you have completed the information form, no further action is required and you will not receive a confirmation email. With 400 players at this age group across the country, we rely on this information being correct on the database.

First sessions — 3rd & 4th October

 U14 girls train on Saturday 3rd October from 10:00am to 1:45pm, and U14 boys train on Sunday 4th October from 10:00am to 1:45pm, both at the University of Limerick. This session introduces all players to their coaching staff, including Michael Bree, Head of Player Pathway Coaching and Content, who will run the session, alongside some basic baseline testing for every player.

Dates for future sessions will appear on the academy page of the website and on your XPS calendar. The majority of future sessions will be held within your region. We keep the website as up to date as we can, but the XPS calendar is always the confirmed source — coaches keep this updated themselves.

Not taking up the place?

If you do not wish to take up this place in the academy, please let us know by completing this quick form:

Confirm you will not be attending

Coaching staff & communications

Once again, we have an excellent group of coaches with a lot of experience, enthusiasm and knowledge to raise the standard of coaching and playing. We're also delighted to welcome our senior men's national team coach, Michael Bree, as he takes on the role of Head of Player Pathway Coaching and Content. Regional head coaches and their staff will coach from a syllabus designed to raise player standards and prepare them for elite-level basketball.

To cut down on email traffic, all information this season will be sent via XPS and published on the Basketball Ireland Academy page. Please bookmark and check it regularly:

Basketball Ireland Academy Page

Below you will see the confirmed players selected for each academy.

Cost of the Academy

The cost of the Academy is €275 for the year, up to the middle of June. This includes the player's academy vest, 8 academy sessions and the Inter-regional tournament at Christmas.

Payment details will be sent by message on XPS Network in the coming weeks, once registrations are completed.

Optional camp

As in previous years, we intend to hold an optional two-day, one-night camp at the University of Limerick, which carries an extra charge. The boys' camp takes place on the weekend of 29th/30th May, and the girls' camp on the weekend of 5th/6th June. A full list of academy weekend dates is on the Academy page of the Basketball Ireland website.

Scholarships

We are running our scholarship programme again this year for economically disadvantaged families, to make sure no player with the talent to be selected misses out for financial reasons. The number of scholarships is limited, and awards will be part-scholarships for this coming season. If you have any questions or concerns, please get in touch after selections are made and we'll do our best to help.

Scholarship Application Form

Communications

To make sure all questions are answered quickly, please check messages and calendars on XPS Network, and the Academy pages on the website, before sending emails.

• If the answer isn't there and it's about a training session, or confirming you can't make something, please contact the head coach of your regional academy via XPS Network.

You'll have a direct link to the academy head coach and administrative staff for each region via the XPS app.