The Boys Basketball BC Academy Program is comprised of the Boys Junior Academy Program (JRA) and Boys Senior Academy Program (SRA).  The Academy Programs are part of Canada Basketball's Targeted Athlete Strategy program (TAS). 

These weekends, while more intensive, will allow for better synergy with athletes participation in community training and competition, while also decreasing travel demands on players from outside the lower mainland.  The program will focus on high level skill and concept development while also introducing Canada Basketball's national team program concepts and style of play.  Additionally, players will be engaged in off court development through guest speakers/coaches and on-line team activities.

Athletes are required to try out for the Boys Academy Program, but some athletes may receive a direct invitation to the program based on prior identification or evaluation through provincial and national team participation.

BASKETBALL BC BOYS ACADEMY PROGRAMS TO EXPAND IN 2024/25

Basketball BC is excited to announce the plans to expand our Senior and Junior Academy programming in 2024/25. In previous years, the Senior Academy met over 4 weekend training sessions running from September through November. Beginning in September 2024, the Boy’s Senior Academies expand to offer high level training over the winter into March 2025. Additional opportunities for competition are also being developed and will be offered to Academy athletes in the fall.

The expansion of the Senior Academy program will allow for continuous training and development opportunities that are currently unavailable to many of our province’s high level players during the winter months. In addition to creating stronger linkage between our High Performance development programming and Team BC programs, this change will also allow for better alignment with Canada Basketball’s Long Term Athlete Development model (LTAD).

As noted by Boys High Performance Manager Matt McKay, “An increasing number of our top players in the province struggle to get high level coaching and competition through the winter months. These changes to our Senior Academy model will provide opportunities for those athletes to better maintain their level of performance from the fall and prepare them for high level competition in the spring and summer.” 

Changes are also coming this fall to the Junior Academy program. Junior Academy, a Basketball Canada program run in conjunction with Basketball BC, serves as the entry point into Canada Basketball's High Performance Athlete Development Pathway. Through excellent coaching and programming, Junior Academy strives to provide grade 7 and 8 students with an opportunity to train and develop in a high-performance environment. The current Boy’s Junior Academy model currently runs September through March. Beginning in September 2024, Junior Academy will continue to run over the same time, however, sessions will be increased to run twice a month as opposed to the current one weekend per month offering.

Academy Curriculum

The Boys Academy programming focuses on developing: Skilled, Focused, Strong, Dynamic, Decisive, Prepared and Competitive Athletes.

These are the attributes that define an elite basketball athlete.

Program Pillars are dedicated to improving athlete knowledge and performance in the following areas:

Basketball Skills – Emphasizing:
Global Basketball Skills                      Decision Making                     Dynamic Play

Physical Development – Focusing On:
Strength                     Agility             Quickness                   Nutrition

Mental/Social/ Emotional Skills – Stressing:
Mental Skills               Preparedness             Teamwork         Leadership        Life skills

Individual Athlete training is based on both a program Yearly Training Plan (YTP) and an Individual Performance Plan (IPP). Athletes have an assigned Academy coach that monitors and assesses the athlete’s development through these plans.

Integrated Support Team (IST) is an integral part of the overall Academy programs providing athlete support and key knowledge with regards to off court training.

Our IST consists of:
Program Trainer     Program Analyst     Nutritionist     Mental Trainer     Physiotherapist     Chiropractor

These areas have been highlighted by Basketball Canada as essential in the overall development of the athlete. All Athletes receive a training program that will be helpful in targeting those areas.

Junior Academy (JRA)

The Junior Academy Program (JRA) is a part of Canada Basketball’s Targeted Athlete Strategy (TAS). One of the primary objectives of the TAS program is to guide the development of athletes in the youth age group category.

The JRA program, when combined with Basketball BC 2025 spring/summer zone and Team BC programs, provides a comprehensive yearly training and competition schedule for player development. JRA athletes are able to showcase their skills and abilities at both provincial and national championships through participating in zone teams at the U13 and U14 level for BC Summer Games and by selection to U15 Team BC.

The JRA program serves as the entry point into Basketball BC’s and Canada Basketball's High Performance Athlete Development Pathway. Through high-performance coaching and programming, our goal is to provide athletes born in 2011 and 2012 (for fall 2024) with an opportunity to train and develop in a high-performance environment.

Over the course of six weekend training sessions, athletes will be centralized in a competitive training environment where they can best develop their on-court skills. The program is designed to help develop the foundation skills needed for provincial and national team programs along with future post-secondary play. Athletes will also be introduced to our off-court sessions which focus on physical training and social/emotional/mental development.

Athletes will work with targeted National Coach Certification Program (NCCP) trained and certified coaches that are fluent with teaching International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Canada Basketball concepts and style of play.

The JRA program is meant to continue to fill gaps in the athlete’s developmental pathway between the Learn-to-Train and Train-to-Train stages of the Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model in order to guide players towards becoming “Global Players.” This process stresses the importance of athletes training to be successful on-the-court in addition to gaining the knowledge base necessary to develop in the 4 pillars of play: Skills, Physical, Mental and Socio-Emotional

The goal of the Basketball BC JRA is for athletes to not only comprehend and apply valuable skills, but also to synthesize these techniques and evaluate how the lessons-learned fit into authentic game-like situations.

JRA Schedule - UPDATED January 23, 2025

2024 JRA Program Head Coach

Graham Bonar

 

Senior Academy (SRA)

The Senior Academy Program (SRA) builds on concepts and style of play first introduced in the Junior Academy Program, with an emphasis on developing athletes to play both post-secondary and within our provincial and national team programs. Through specialized high-performance coaching and programming, our goal is to provide athletes born 2007 - 2010 (for fall 2024) with support and development within a designed pathway to best enable them to reach their goals and full potential.

The SRA program, when combined with Basketball BC spring/summer Team BC program, provides a comprehensive yearly training and competition schedule for player development. SRA athletes are able to showcase their skills and abilities at national championships and international competition through participating on U15 or U17 Team BC. 

The SRA program coaching and training staff consists of NCCP trained and certified coaches, certified athletic trainers, and Canada Basketball trained analysts.  SRA coaches work with each athlete to establish a personal training plan that focuses on tactics and skill training.

Support staff includes sport psychologists, who provide mental training techniques to athletes and support physiotherapists, who provide functional movement screening.

Over the course of four weekend training sessions, athletes will be centralized in a competitive training environment where they can develop their on-court skills. They will also experience high level competition versus local colleges and other groups. Athletes will also experience a series of off-court sessions which focus on physical training and social/emotional/mental development. SRA coaches also work with each athlete to establish a personal training plan that focuses on tactics and skill training.

The SRA program also provides support services in the areas of nutrition, speed & agility, strength training, mental training, movement & functional movement assessment, and injury treatment & prevention for specifically designed for high performance athletes.

Players within this program are recognized by viaSport as a Provincial designated High-Performance Athlete and receive carding and benefits from CSI-Pacific to further support their training and development.

The Boys Senior Academy program will be divided into two groups reflecting the differing stages of the Canada Long Term Athlete Development program into which they fall.  Athletes will be grouped in the following cohorts for fall 2024:

SRA U18: 2007 - 2008 Birth Year
SRA U16: 2009 - 2010 Birth Year

Some 2009 born athletes may be selected to train with the 2007 - 2008 group if deemed appropriate for both their short and long term development.

SRA U18 and U16 Schedules - UPDATED January 23, 2025

2024 SRA program coaches

SRA U18: Kyle Julius
SRA U16: Graham Bonar

2024 Academy

Tryout Schedules

PROGRAM DATE TIME LOCATION
SRA U18: 2007-2008 Birth Year Saturday, September 7, 2024 10am - noon Douglas College - New West
SRA U16 #1: 2009-2010 Birth Year
REGISTRATION IS FULL		 Saturday, September 7, 2024 noon - 2pm Douglas College - New West
SRA U16 #2: 2009-2010 Birth Year  Saturday, September 7. 2024 2:30pm - 2:30pm Douglas College  - New West
JRA: 2011-2012 Birth Year  Saturday, September 21, 2024 **UPDATE**
2:30pm - 4:30pm & 5pm - 7pm
(Players to attend both session)		 **UPDATE** 
Tamanawis Secondary
Maximum number per tryout = 60

athlete selection email notification

Athletes selected to the SRA and JRA programs will be notified by via email by Monday after the tryout weekend.  We will not be sending an email to the athletes who were not selected.   

The selection notification email will be sent through the Basketball BC registration system using email addresses of athletes and their parents/guardians provided for the Tryout registration.  Basketball BC is not responsible for any contact information errors made during registration. 

Depending on your email filter, the notification email may go to a “junk” folder - make sure your junk folder is not set to auto-delete.  The athlete and parent/guardian are responsible for checking for the email notification.

2024 Program

Fees

TRYOUTS

SENIOR ACADEMY: $25 + GST
JUNIOR ACADEMY: $25 (GST exempt)

PROGRAMS

SENIOR ACADEMY U18: $1075 + GST
SENIOR ACADEMY U16: $1075 + GST
JUNIOR ACADEMY: $1125 (GST exempt)

Fees will not be adjusted for partial participation                    

A 2024-25 Basketball BC Athlete Membership is required for participation in a Basketball BC program or event.  A membership fee of $25 + GST will be added to the registration if required.

Questions?

Manager, Boys High Performance - Matt McKay

Registration Information

SENIOR ACADEMY TRYOUT REGISTRATION: TBA for 2025
SENIOR ACADEMY TRYOUT REGISTRATION DEADLINE: TBA

JUNIOR ACADEMY TRYOUT REGISTRATION: TBA for 2025
JUNIOR ACADEMY TRYOUT REGISTRATION DEADLINE: TBA 

PROGRAM REGISTRATIONS: ONLINE ONLY BY INVITATION (registration/payment information will be emailed to the selected athletes and their parents)
PROGRAM REGISTRATION DEADLINES: See invitation email

PLEASE REGISTER BEFORE THE DEADLINE AS REGISTRATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT THE DOOR
In accordance with Basketball BC policy, all participants must be preregistered (for the correct tryout/clinic/program) to attend each specific Basketball BC tryout/clinic/program.  

PLEASE SELECT THE CORRECT REGISTRATION
A registration list for each specific tryout/clinic/program will be used to confirm the participants.  Only those individuals on each specific registration list will be allowed to participate.  Basketball BC is not responsible for any user errors which may result in an individual being excluded from participating in the tryout/clinic/program if the individual is not on the registration list.

REGISTRATIONS ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE
If the individual is registered for the wrong tryout/clinic/program, the individual will need to be registered for the correct tryout/clinic/program before the stated registration deadline.  Please send a refund request for the original registration to Basketball BC.  An administration fee will be charged in accordance with our Refund Policy.

EMAIL CONFIRMATION
Upon successful completion of the registration (and payment), an email confirmation will be sent to the Account Holder (Parent if account is for a child).  The email may be sent to a "junk" folder depending on the email filter - please check that the junk folder is not set to "auto delete".  If you do not receive or cannot find the email in the junk folder, contact Basketball BC to confirm that the individual is registered for the tryout/clinic/program.

Registration FAQs

Refund policy

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