Youth Pathway is Court Vision’s ongoing series on how young players in Britain move from grassroots basketball to the professional game.
Through profiles, data analysis, research and reporting, it examines how the system fits together, how it is changing and what that means for the opportunities available to young players.
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The years after junior basketball are not self-sustaining. Without structure, they break down. Across Europe, leagues respond by building explicit mechanisms for this phase. The examples below show how different rules organise these years, rather than leaving them to chance. Make It Easy To Play Down a Level Lithuania addresses a familiar problem. A young…
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Leicester run one of the few pathways in the country that carries players from junior basketball all the way to the professional game. The structure is simple, with each stage feeding the next clearly. Pathway Stage Age Range Competitions Junior Academy 10 to 16 Junior NBL Charnwood College (Men) 16 to 18 EABL, NBL Division…
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Doors to the Vertu Motors Arena open at 8:30am. The night before, Cage Warriors filled the arena; a fighter’s mask is cleared as three courts are set up for basketball. Scoreboards flicker on. Tables are arranged for officials. Chairs are laid out for benches. As this happens, the foyer fills with boys, girls and parents…
