Aspire Programme

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 will be delivered primarily through camp-based activity throughout the year:

STAGE 1 - ASPIRE SKILLS CAMPS - All Aspire participants will be involved in camp activity within their region.

STAGE 2 - ASPIRE SUPER REGION CAMPS - Selected players from the Aspire Skills Camps will move on to one of four super region camps.

STAGE 3 – ASPIRE ALL-STAR NATIONAL TOURNAMENT - An Aspire All-Star National Tournament will then take place in Summer as the final stage of the programme.

The calendar of activity for 2024/25 has been provisionally confirmed for: 

  • Aspire, the nationwide programme for talented 11-15-year-olds 
  • Inter Regional Tournaments
  • Super-Region Camps
  • Aspire All-Star Tournament
  • England U14 and U15 national teams (England Talent Programme)

The nomination process for clubs to highlight age-appropriate players for the Aspire programme can be found below.

Provisional Talent calendar 

Aspire nominations
  • Thu 15 Aug 2024 - Thu 12 Sep 2024
5 week window for trials
  • Sun 15 Sep 2024 - Sun 20 Oct 2024
Aspire Skills Camps*
  • Sun 27 Oct 2024
  • Mon 28 Oct 2024 - Sun 3 Nov 2024
  • Sun 8 Dec 2024
  • Sun 12 Jan 2025
  • Sun 16 Feb 2025 - Fri 21 Feb 2025
Inter Regional Tournaments + Selection/Transfer (to 3x3 pathway/Super-Regions)
  • Fri 21 Feb 2025 - Sun 23 Feb 2025
Super-Region Camps + Medical & PErformance Screening*
  • Mon 7 Apr 2025 - Mon 21 Apr 2025
  • Sat 24 May 2025
England U14 and U15 national teams (England Talent Programme)
  • Selection Camp: Mon 26 May 2025 - Wed 28 May 2025
  • U15 Home Nations Tournament: Fri 30 May 2025 - Sun 1 Jun 2025
Aspire All-Star Tournament
  • Fri 25 Jul 2025 - Sun 27 Jul 2025

*11 contact days of Skills Camps and six contact days of Super Region Camps to be delivered. The windows are offered as a means of providing flexibility to the programme and final dates will be confirmed in the coming months. 

Player nominations for 2024/25

Player eligibility for 2024/25 is for players born between 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2013:

  • 2010 = U15
  • 2011 = U15
  • 2012 = U13
  • 2013 = U13

The nomination window has now closed. A further nomination window will come in December 2024, where coaches can nominate additional talented players. In order to do this, each coach will have to discuss these nominations with their RTM prior to making the nomination formally.

This auxiliary window will open for four weeks, commencing 2 December 2024, and more information will be released on this window nearer the time.