Boys U14 Regional Academy coaches

Boys U15 Provincial Academy coaches

Girls U14 Regional Academy head coaches

Girls U15 Provincial Academy head coaches

Girls U14 Regional Academy

Boys U14 Regional Academy

Girls U15 Provincial Academy

Boys U15 Provincial Academy

Players should attend both talent ID sessions for their province, where possible, to give coaches the best chance to access them.  Players should bring a ball and water to their session.

Thank you to all players who attended the under 14 academy talent Identification sessions. As you can imagine with over 900 players trying out across the country in the 8 regions it will take a little time to gather all the information from coaches to announce selections. We are well under way with this process so I can confirm that announcements of all players that have been selected to the academy in each region will appear on the Basketball Ireland website next Wednesday 12^th of October at 6pm. It will also appear on social media and on the academy page of the website. Selected numbers different from region to region based on the overall standard of players in that region.

It is important that you become familiar with the Academy page of the Basketball Ireland website as this is where all information will be put during the year for session times and venues as well as any information for parents. Please check on this page for information and answers before emailing as it helps keep email traffic to issues not covered only and allows us to answer queries quicker. You can currently find details of coaching staff and the years calendar for training weekends. The 3 hour sessions will be updated as venues and times are confirmed.

Once the list of selected players for each region is released there will also be details of what to do next if selected in order to take up the place in the academy. Please follow the instructions as soon as possible so we can confirm places and release any places that players do not want to take up.

Unfortunately we do need to charge in order to run the academy program but we try and keep this to an absolute minimum. The cost of the under 14 academy will remain at the same level as last year costing €220 for the 30 hours of sessions which can be paid in two instalments during November and February. As per the last number of years we do still hope to run a 1 night 2 day residential camp but as Gormanston Park is currently hosting Ukrainian refuges we are looking for another suitable venue. The camp will be an extra cost but will be limited to the cost of accommodation and food to be confirmed once we have a venue. The camp is optional for every member of the academy.

This year for the first time we will be able to offer 26 Elite scholarships and 36 Scholarships for players from families that are economically disadvantaged across the under 14 and under 15 age groups.

• The Elite scholarships will be awarded towards the end of the programme and will be awarded based on coaches feedback. Players that are awarded these scholarships will receive the full cost of the academy fee refunded to them.
• For the 36 scholarships for economically disadvantage families details of the application process will appear on the academy page of the website once the selected players lists have been released. These scholarships will be confirmed ahead of the start of the academy sessions in November so no payment is required for anyone that has applied for one of these scholarships until they are informed if they are successful or not. This is the first year we are able to offer such scholarships and we are limited to awarding 36 for this year, we hope to be able to increase this for future years.

Best of luck with selections and please remind all your children that players improve and mature at different levels. The senior international team is full of players that didn’t make underage teams and hard work will always pay off.

Players should attend both talent ID sessions for their province, where possible, to give coaches the best chance to access them.  Players should bring a ball and water to their session.

The U15 Provincial Academies will operate from October to May for the initial phase for selected players. During this time, selected players will participate in provincial sessions for 30+ hours, attend inter-provincial day camps, and attend a camp at Easter.

The Under 15 Academies are aimed at boys and girls of the qualifying age throughout the island of Ireland. The provincial squads will be selected following open talent identification sessions and will be published on the Basketball Ireland website.

Link to register is available here.

FAQ'S

All Academy sessions are scheduled to take place on the dates ring-fenced for national team and academy training on the Master Basketball Ireland calendar.

As a result of arrangements agreed at an executive committee level, these dates have been left free of local league fixtures to accommodate players who wish to attend academy sessions or play for the national team. This cooperation is an essential aspect of the partnership needed for success. It is a key example of how the basketball community has collaborated, to place the best interests of the player at the forefront of our decision making.

It is important that if your child is selected to the academy that you inform your club coach, so they can check the Basketball Ireland calendar available on the website and avoid any clashes.

Yes, each Academy will have the same schedule as laid out on the Master Basketball Ireland Calendar. Every Academy will deliver the same number of hours. That schedule will be provided by the Head Coach of the Region / Province. Each Academy has an individual email address where the Head Coach can be reached. Those details can be found on the Basketball Ireland website.

Yes, coaching staff have been actively recruiting coaching staff over the summer by the two Academy Head Coaches. To date, nearly all positions have been filled and the quality and experience of the coaches appointed is very high.

An equally important function of the Academy model is to prepare prospective international coaches for future programmes. The opportunity to work alongside highly skilled and knowledgeable Academy Head Coaches is an opportunity available to all that are open to advancement through the coaching ranks. For the 2022/23 season, each Academy will have a Head Coach and at least one assistant. There will also be some volunteer coaching positions for coaches who may not be able to commit for the full programme.

Academy sessions are open to coaches who wish to observe the sessions, but this must be agreed in advance through the Head Coaches. Only Basketball Ireland licenced coaches will be admitted to the sessions. If you are interested in getting involved as a coach, email Academy lead coach, Martin McGettrick at martinmcgettrick@live.ie to discuss.