THE UNIVERSITY of east London has been nominated as a talent hub leading the rising stars of London Basketball.

The nomination was welcomed by Matt Tansley, Director of Sport at The University of East London, who said he was delighted with the news and noted that this was a “really big boost for us and makes us one of only 10 talent hubs in the whole country.”

“British basketball will be using our facilities and we have been recognised by Basketball England as having some of the best facilities in the country,” said Tansley. “This also means that talented basketball players across London will have access to our facilities here in east London and see first-hand the opportunities we offer to elite athletes.

“As Basketball England’s hub partners, we will provide valuable resources to the sport and help to integrate and enhance the player pathway. In addition, the students within each Hub team will get the opportunity and benefit from work experiences that will increase their employability on graduation.

Tansley added that the Hubs will not only provide support for talent, but will also host development sessions and participation events, whilst also linking with leagues and clubs to boost the local infrastructure of the sport.

The University of East London is partnered with professional basketball team London Lions, which trains at the University.

Basketball England’s game-changing network of Regional Talent Hubs across the country will place a host university partner at the centre of each region, a move which will benefit clubs, players, coaches, officials, volunteers and partners and help them get the most from basketball.

Basketball England has said that, after a period of research and development, it had identified a number of major reforms to the sport’s Talent Pathway so it is more inclusive and player-led and supported by more partners with a stake in the game.

The Hubs will also enable Basketball England to reinvest funds generated into its Talent system.

Stewart Kellett, CEO at Basketball England, said, “This is a top priority in our strategic plan, ‘Growing Basketball Together’. Today we’re taking a giant step forward, linking grassroots basketball to world-class regional environments to nurture talent and become more competitive in international competition over time.

“This is a fundamental building block for our Talent system to support young people as well as clubs and coaches to achieve their dreams through basketball with the creation of Regional Talent Hubs.

“Basketball relies so much on our voluntary clubs and the education sector and this announcement is an opportunity for all involved in the game. Attracting support, expertise and resources from our university network and clubs which can nurture talent locally and regionally is something to celebrate.”

How the Talent Hubs will work

The Hubs will benefit young players within the Talent system as well as clubs, coaches, volunteers and other support staff in each region.

They will be supported by a team of students, with Basketball England’s Regional Talent Managers providing leadership and additional support to ensure that key performance indicators are achieved.

The Hubs will play host to Basketball England’s Aspire Programme sessions and provide support to clubs and local league providers, as well as hosting workshops on coaching, officiating and sports science.

Basketball England have formed partnerships with seven universities and one club in eight regions. They are:

· London – University of East London

· North East – Newcastle Eagles

· North West – Manchester Metropolitan University

· East Midlands – Loughborough University

· West Midlands – Birmingham City University

· East – University of Essex

· South West – Plymouth Marjon University

· South – Solent University

A further two regional talent Hubs remain under discussion and will be announced once agreements have been reached.