Basketball scores with sportscotland funding

Monday 19 September 2005

With Scotland’s basketball training squad for the 2006 Commonwealth Games announced last week, sportscotland has backed this up with an award of £219,950 to basketballscotland.

The men’s team will head to Melbourne in just seven months time as the sport makes an appearance in the Games for the first time ever. A significant focus of the funding will be on training and competition programme that will best prepare the men’s team for Melbourne.

The award from sportscotland is a combination of £99,950 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund and £120,000 of sportscotland funding from the Scottish Executive.

46 players will benefit from Athlete Support funding include Keiron Achara. The 6 foot 10 inches power forward will be a key member in the Commonwealth Games team, to face teams including hosts Australia, and rivals England. The funding will provide players like Keiron with enhanced training, an extensive coaching programme and international competition opportunities.

A pathways manager will be supported by the sportscotland award to help prepare the men’s team to achieve their goal of qualifying through the preliminary stages at the Commonwealth Games. A key role of the pathways manager will also be to establish and implement Long Term Player Development (LTPD) initiatives. They will identify and nurture talent to feed the performance structure and also increase retention of players within the sport by ensuring they are training at a level to suit their needs and ability. £10,000 of sportscotland funding will support basketballscotland’s implementation of LTPD coaching, development and competition principals.

The backing will also support the development of Scotland’s youth squads in recognition of their importance to basketball’s performance pathway. Investment into basketball’s teams and individual players will contribute towards the long-term success of Scottish teams.

The announcement of today’s annual investment will also give basketballscotland the means to strengthen their structure and support clubs, whilst also encouraging participation for people of all ages and abilities.

The development of youth basketball is a key priority within the sport’s four-year business plan. The national youth development manager is responsible for driving forward basketballscotland’s national primary-age basketball strategy, working closely with the Active Schools network to introduce children to the enjoyment of the sport.

Kevin Pringle, who was recently appointed as the new Chief Executive of basketballscotland, said: “This announcement provides a significant and timely boost to basketball in Scotland. While there is a focus on the Commonwealth Games squad, and rightly so, it is essential for basketballscotland to ensure that we not only focus on the short term, but also develop our systems and pathways to ensure future success at this level. basketballscotland is delighted with sportscotland’s continued support towards these goals.”

Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair of sportscotland, said: “We are delighted to award over £219,950 to basketballscotland some of which will help the men’s basketball team prepare for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. With such an important year ahead for these players, I am sure the Athlete Support funding will make a significant contribution to enable them to undertake the best possible training and preparation programme ahead of Melbourne.

“The investment will not only nurture those who demonstrate the potential to compete and achieve on the international stage, but will also encourage more people across Scotland to become more active, more often.”

• A list of the athletes benefiting from Athlete Support is detailed below. Athlete Support is now largely administered through the governing body.
• Integrated investment aims to streamline sportscotland support by combining Lottery and Exchequer funding. This enables governing bodies of sport to submit one development or business plan to be considered across all three sportscotland visions (Achieving Excellence, Developing Potential and Widening Opportunities) at the same time.
• Athlete Support merges and replaces the former Junior Groups and Talented Athlete programmes and provides a seamless, integrated pathway for the development of emerging talent. It supports the training and preparation programmes for elite athletes who have demonstrated the potential to win medals or equivalent, in significant international competitions and events such as the Commonwealth Games.
• All athletes who receive Athlete Support will be supported by the sportscotland medical scheme.
• The XVIII Commonwealth Games will take place in Melbourne, Australia 15-26 March 2006 with the basketball competition taking place 16–21March.
• A training squad of 20 players has been announced for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The final team of 12 players and eight reserves will be named on 3 November 2005 as part of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland’s full team announcement

IDENTIFIED ATHLETES BY GOVERNING BODIES RECEIVING ATHLETE SUPPORT SEPTEMBER 2005

basketballscotland

Senior Men’s Commonwealth Games Squad
Names, Lives, Club
Kieron Achara, Stirling, Duquesne University, USA
Kevin Anderson, Edinburgh Kings
Robert Archibald, Dunfermline, DKV Joventut, Spain
Chris Brown, Canada, Unattached
Keith Bunyan, Falkirk, Clark Eriksson Fury
Ross Campbell, Troon Tornadoes
Laurie Costello, Edinburgh, Unattached
Jamie Davidson, England, Sheffield Arrows
Mark Duncan, Falkirk, Clark Eriksson Fury
Campbell Flockhart, Edinburgh, East Lothian Peregrines
Roni Gordon, West Linton, Buccaneers
Ben Lewis, Edinburgh, Unattached
Stuart MacKay, Edinburgh, East Lothian Peregrines
Gareth Murray, Arbroath, Dunfermline Reign
Tom Pearson, Troon Tornadoes
Scott Russell, Paisley, Clark Eriksson Fury
James Steel, Dunfermline Reign
Ross Szifris, Edinburgh, East Lothian Peregrines
Josh Tackie, Glasgow, Unattached
Dan Wardrope, Glasgow, Troon Tornadoes

Senior Women’s Squad
Name, Lives, Club
Rose Anderson, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Rachel Boyd, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Lindsay Campbell, Edinburgh, Polonia Phoenix
Shirley Campbell, Falkirk, Polonia Phoenix
Natalie Chaloner, Paisley, St Mirren
Kirsty Clark, Ipswich Bobcats
Rhona Corkindale, Paisley, St Mirren
Jenny Duff, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Emma Findlay, Edinburgh City of Edinburgh
Hazel Howson, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Amanda Johnstone, Edinburgh, Midlothian Saints
Elise Lovell, Edinburgh, Polonia Phoenix
Laura McIntyre, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh
Jenny McLaren, Falkirk, Clark Eriksson Fury
Heather McNeill, Edinburgh, Midlothian Saints
Alex Nelson, Edinburgh, Unattached
Siobhan Moore, Paisley, USA
Ali Paton, Edinburgh, Polonia Phoenix
Julie Ritchie, Edinburgh, Polonia Phoenix
Kirsty Semple, Paisley, RK Saints
Louise Steven, Paisley, St Mirren
Leanne Stupart, Edinburgh, Midlothian Saints
Joanna Sutherland, Edinburgh, Kickz Munich
Angela Taylor, Paisley, USA
Lauren Walker, Edinburgh, Belgium
Amy White, Edinburgh, Midlothian Saints