Developing talent in an inclusive and progressive way to fulfil potential
The Talent Pathway contains tiers of progression which showcase the various stages of development for basketball players from the age of 11 through to senior Great Britain representation.
The Aspire Programme sits at the base of the model and is for 11-15-year-old basketball players selected from a pool of around 20,000 boys and girls in clubs and schools nationwide.
The next rung on the ladder is the England Talent Programme (ETP), designed to provide players and coaches with opportunities to come together, train and compete against other nations with the aim of exposing English talent to as many different playing styles and conditions as possible prior to potential Great Britain selection.
Taking the learnings from a number of European countries, the focus is on the U14 and U15 age-groups as a priority.
Following on from the England Talent Programme comes the England Development Programme (EDP), which is based within educational institutions and caters for 16 to 19-year-old players.
The pinnacle is, naturally, selection for Great Britain at U16, U18, U20 and senior levels and that recognition will of course come as a consequence of players progressing successfully up through the Pathway.
Beyond that, GB Maxibasketball runs national teams programme for male and female players aged 35+ to 60+ years of age as the final step on Pathway.
Every four years, there is also the opportunity for senior players to represent England at the Commonwealth Games.
Aspire
The objective of the Aspire Programme is to provide quality coaching to age-appropriate players, reinforcing Basketball England’s Player Development Framework and the Aspire curriculum.
The Aspire Programme for talented 11-15-year-olds underwent a reset following the COVID-19 pandemic. The new model utilises the new super-region model and is delivered primarily through camp-based activity throughout the year:
- Stage 1: Aspire Skills Camp - All Aspire participants will be involved in camp activity within each of the 10 BE regions
- Stage 2: Aspire Super-Region Camps - Selected players from the Aspire Skills Camps will move on to one of four Super-Region Camps - North, South, Central and London
- Stage 3: Aspire All-Star National Tournament - The Aspire All-Star National Tournament will take place each summer with selected boys and girls U13 and U15 teams representing each Super Region as the culmination of the programme
England Talent Programme (ETP)
The England Talent Programme (ETP) is designed to provide players and coaches with opportunities to come together, train and compete against other nations with the aim of exposing English talent to as many different playing styles and conditions as possible prior to potential Great Britain selection.
Taking the learnings from a number of European countries, the Talent team will focus on the U14 and U15 age categories as a priority. This doesn’t mean that we are dismissing other age groups.
However, as considerable funds and support are already offered through the England Development Programme (EDP), we have the opportunity to focus on formative experiences, which have proven to be a key part of other countries’ success in recent years and prepare young players for the opportunity of playing for Great Britain at U16 level.
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England Development Programme (EDP)
The England Development Programme (EDP) sits within Basketball England's Talent Pathway and is our branding for the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE).
The programme enables 16-19-year-olds to play basketball within an elite environment in the Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL) and Women's Elite Academy Basketball League (WEABL) whilst studying in a further education or sixth-form setting.
Diploma in Sporting Excellence
DiSE is a two-year, Department for Education (DfE) funded programme. It is a unique sporting qualification designed to meet the needs of student athletes who exhibit the potential to achieve excellence in basketball.
The main focus is to deliver a complementary performance development programme, allowing students to combine basketball and education, so that they have the skills, knowledge, and qualifications to pursue a dual career in high level sport alongside separate paid employment in the future. Furthermore, it delivers a recognised programme of education, regulated by Ofqual, and seeks to enable athletes to acquire the skills and knowledge to gain an additional qualification in sporting excellence.
Elite Academy Basketball Leagues (EABL and WEABL)
The EABL and WEABL is the competition outlet for the DiSE programme and is considered the premier competition for talented 16-19-year-old boys and girls.
The EABL and WEABL was launched in 2012 in partnership with the AoC. The purpose of the two leagues is to provide the highest level of school/college competition in the country. The competition is divided into a North and South pool, teams compete every Wednesday afternoon in a bid to secure league, cup, and play-off success. This weekly competition supports the needs of potential elite athletes by giving them the opportunity to test their skills during the academic calendar.
Great Britain
The British Basketball Federation (BBF) is the National Governing Body (NGB) responsible for basketball in Britain since 2016.
The goal of the BBF is to create a world-class elite basketball programme in Great Britain and to lead the overarching strategy for the growth of basketball in England, Scotland and Wales, working in close collaboration with the HCAs.
The BBF oversees male and female GB national teams at senior level as well as U16, U18 and U20.
GB Maxibasketball
GB Maxibasketball is the national teams programme for male and female players aged 35+ to 60+ years of age and the final stage of the Basketball England Talent Pathway.
The programme was established towards the end of the 2017/18 season to encourage former high-level players back into basketball.
GB 'Maxis' delivered the inaugural and successful Tri-Nations 35+ event in 2024 and, as BE-affiliated organisation, offers players aged 35+ the chance to represent Great Britain at European and World Maxibasketball Championship events.