Regional Institute of Basketball
The Regional Institute of Basketball is a key element in the T16 Strategy for establishing a world class development program.
British Basketball in pertnership with England Basketball and Barking Abbey School have now established the UK's first Regional Institute of Basketball with a deal secured until 2015.
The Regional Institute is the point where the top home nation players have the opportunity to be part of the lower reaches of the GB performance beam through working to a national curriculum designed to develop international senior players. The Regional Institute supports players and coaches in areas that are important for their development to international standard.
Vision
The vision for the Regional Institutes of Basketball is to be the premier player and coach organisation for British players on home soil that is equal to, or better than, any equivalent of the best national federation programs in the world for 16 to 19 year-olds. It is expected that there will be four RIBs in operation by 2015.
The aim is to establish a professional, well managed performance unit developing national players in a competitive training environment and to support the student players and coaches with key performance support services to increase international competitiveness at European and ultimately Olympic levels.
The objective of the Regional Institutes is to be pioneering educational and elite youth basketball learning centres in the UK. As a leading youth basketball performance development centre, the Regional Institutes will offer a viable alternative to US high school and European Academies. This will enable British players to develop their basketball to an elite level while completing their British schooling and living closer to family.
Barking Abbey School
The Regional Institute of Basketball located at
Barking Abbey School has been operating under a Memorandum of Understanding since July 2009, following a period of program development by the school. The pilot period was established to help review the existing program as well as plan for a further roll-out of the Regional Institute model to other regions in the home countries.