Apprenticeship Status for College Basketball Academy

The Sixth Form College Solihull Basketball Academy has become one of only eleven institutions nationwide to be granted Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) status by English basketball’s governing body, it was announced today.

 

With basketball being part of the Olympics Games in London 2012, the focus is on helping young British basketball talent to flourish and England Basketball have given the College this prestigious status as recognition of the Academy’s great development since it launched in 2007. Solihull is one of only two such centres in the West Midlands.

                                                                                               

Students undertaking this path will pursue their studies (be it A Levels or BTECs) alongside the qualification and a minimum of 16 hours per week of basketball, including individual work-outs, team practice, physiological sessions, nutrition sessions and video analysis.

 

The three parts to the programme are:

1) NVQ Level 3 Achieving Excellence in Sports Performance (Sports Specific)

2) Technical Certificate

3) Key Skills

 

The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) has been developed by SkillsActive in partnership with the Learning Skills Council, a number of governing bodies of sport, industry experts and other partnership organisations.

 

The AASE is designed to meet the needs of elite athletes aged 16-18, who wish to continue their sporting career and gain qualifications at the same time. The AASE is not a qualification for simply playing the game. It is notionally a two-year programme in which apprentices receive additional support and guidance for their basketball development and education. The AASE is aimed at athletes:

 

‘who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as their main career goal.’

 

AASE provides a multitude of exit opportunities for students. For example, even if a young person is successful in achieving a professional contract or a full-time occupation, their career as a performer often has a limited lifespan. Most professional athletes' careers are in decline by their early thirties and some are often forced out earlier due to injury, loss of form, or employer financial constraints. The programme has been designed so that if that is the case, or if an athlete falls short of their ultimate goal, they have the skills, knowledge and qualifications to pursue a secondary or supplementary career. Exit routes could include Higher Education, or working in the sport and recreation industry as a coach, sport development officer or fitness instructor.

 

Charlie Ford, AASE Project Manager for England Basketball, said: "This year marks the first year that basketball will be running the AASE programme. The AASE provides a unique opportunity to re-define the performance pathway for elite 16-19 year olds who have the realistic opportunity to play basketball at the highest level. The institutions we are working with have been carefully selected to ensure that players will benefit from a first class educational programme and a high quality basketball training environment. England Basketball are pleased to be working with The Sixth Form College, Solihull and are keen to work closely with the College to expand and develop the programme further.”

 

The College’s Basketball Academy has enjoyed great success in its first two years of existence. The first season finished with glory in the British College’s Elite Conference Final. Last year, they stepped up to England Basketball’s South West Premier League and finished the season joint top, then reached the Elite Eight stage of the Play-offs, as well as winning the West Midlands cup and getting to the Semi-finals of the National Cup. On top of that, all the players achieved their expected grades or above in their studies.

 

Academy Head Coach Richard Parker commented, “We are pleased that England Basketball has awarded us the programme. It shows that the College’s reputation for delivery of high quality academics alongside a high quality sporting programme has been recognised. We have four students who have been accepted onto the programme for this year and we will be looking to attract young basketball players in the future, who are striving to become future professional players.”

Those wanting more information about the Academy should contact Richard Parker at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .