Basketball Ireland U14/U15 Academy Programme 2026/27

Talent Identification Days (TIDs) – Details for Basketball Ireland U14 & U15 Programmes can be found below

Basketball Ireland is pleased to confirm the Talent Identification Days (TIDs) for the 2026/27 U14/U15 Academy Programme.

Clubs are asked to circulate this information to all eligible players and parents/guardians.

1. Dates

Exact times and venues for each region or province will be published on the Academy section of the Basketball Ireland website here.

Players are encouraged to attend both TID sessions where possible, as this gives coaches the best opportunity to assess their ability. Attending both sessions is highly recommended, but not mandatory.

2. Who Can Attend

**Full details on the selection policy can be found here.

3. Registration

TID fee: €25 per player, covering attendance at both sessions. There is no fee reduction if only one session is attended.

Players must register for the correct region or province before attending. 

REGISTER FOR U14 ACADEMY TALENT ID SESSIONS

REGISTER FOR U15 ACADEMY TALENT ID SESSIONS

4. Regions and Provinces

Players must register for the correct region or province for their age group. Players should attend the academy closest to where they live or where their club is based, whichever is most geographically convenient.

U14 Regional Academy – Regions (born 2013 or after):

East North  |  East South  |  Midlands  |  North  |  North-West  |  South  |  South-East  |  South-West  |  West

U15 Provincial Academy – Provinces (born 2012):

Connacht  |  Dublin  |  Leinster (outside of Dublin)  |  Munster  |  Ulster

A full breakdown of which counties fall into which regions can be found here.

5. What to Bring

• A basketball clearly marked with the player’s name
• Enough drinks and snacks for the full 3-hour session
• A reversible training vest, or separate light and dark tops, if possible
• A club vest, if available. This is not essential, but helps coaches identify players during the session

6. Costs

Academy costs do not include any residential camps or international tournaments that may take place.

A scholarship application is available for financially disadvantaged families. Information on the application process will be shared directly with selected players.

7. Pathway Overview

Following the TID sessions, selected players enter the Basketball Ireland Academy Pathway Programme, which provides structured coaching and development from October through to the middle of June. The full list of academy training dates is available on the Academy page of the Basketball Ireland website.

We encourage all players and parents/guardians to read the Academy Player Selection Policy for full details on selection criteria, year-young players and international pathways.

We look forward to welcoming the next generation of Irish basketball talent to the Talent Identification Days and starting their journey through the full Player Pathway.

REGISTER FOR U14 ACADEMY TALENT ID SESSIONS

REGISTER FOR U15 ACADEMY TALENT ID SESSIONS

The Basketball Ireland U16 and U18 national team undiscovered open talent identification sessions will take place on the following dates at the National Basketball Arena in Dublin. 

These sessions are open to anyone with an Irish passport that WAS NOT  part of the U14/U15/U17 Basketball Ireland Academy Programme or the U16/U18 national team programmes. Players who have previously been part of the Basketball Ireland Academy or National Team Programme should check XPS for details of their talent ID dates. 

Register for Undiscovered U16 & U18 Talent Identification Sessions

• TID1 U16 Women - Saturday, September 12th - 13:30 - 16:00 - REGISTER HERE
• TID1 U18 Women - Saturday, September 12th - 16:00 - 18:30 - REGISTER HERE
• TID1 U16 Men - Sunday, September 13th - 13:30 - 16:00 - REGISTER HERE
• TID1 U18 Men - Sunday, September 13th - 16:00 - 18:30  - REGISTER HERE

Should a player be successful in receiving a call back for the second talent identification session for any of the above programmes, they will take place in UL Arena in Limerick on the following dates:

• U16 Women - Saturday, September 26th - 14:00 - 17:30
• U18 Women - Sunday, September 27th - 14:00 - 17:30
• U16 Men - Saturday, September 26th - 10:00 - 13:30
• U18 Men - Sunday, September 27th - 10:00 - 13:30

We aim for there to be no changes some changes are outside of our control so please check the time, day and venue for your sessions in advance of traveling to it.

The open talent identification sessions for Basketball Ireland U17 Academy programme will take place on the following days:

U17 Women: Saturday, September 12th - National Basketball Arena

• Players from Ulster/Leinster: 09:30 - 13:00

U17 Women: Sunday, September 13th - National Basketball Arena

• Players from Connacht/Munster: 09:30 - 13:00

REGISTER FOR U17 WOMEN'S ACADEMY PROGRAMME

U17 Men: Sunday, September 13th - Gormanston

• Players from Connacht/Leinster: 10:00 - 13:30
• Players from Munster/Ulster: 14:00 -17:30

REGISTER FOR THE U17 MEN'S ACADEMY PROGRAMME

These are the only open talent identification sessions, so players wishing to be considered should make themselves available.

If you can not make this session you can complete the section on the registration form giving reasons but there is no guarantee that you will be afforded another opportunity.

The second U17 talent identification session is an invite only session for players who coaches which to invite for further evaluation after the first open talent Identification sessions.

U17 Women - Sunday, 27th of September - UL Arena, Limerick 

• All Regions: 10:00 -17:30

U17 Men -Saturday 26th of September - UL Arena, Limerick 

• All Regions: 10:00 -17:30

Basketball Ireland U14 Girls Regional Academy

Basketball Ireland U15 Girls Provincial Academy

Basketball Ireland U14 Boys Regional Academy

Basketball Ireland U15 Boys Regional Academy

Read the Basketball Ireland Selection Policy Documents

Basketball Ireland U14 Academy Selection Policy

Basketball Ireland U15 Academy Selection Policy

My child was not selected, What next?

The aim is not to miss players so whilst we do have limited places on the academy if players are performing to a very high level at club level it will get noticed by coaches and players can be invited by regional head coaches to a future session as a trial.

My child missed one of the talent ID sessions, does this make a difference when coaches make selections?

Please read the selection policy. The aim is not to miss players that show signs of being a future elite level basketball player. We have two talent ID sessions to allow for players that may not be able to make a session for one reason or another. Attending 2 sessions allows coaches to view players more and get a better understanding of their level but that works both ways. Players just attending one session are judged on that session but there is no penalty or negative judgment if a player only attends one talent ID session.

My child was not selected, does this rule them out of the under 16 national team?

No, there will be open trials again at the under 15 age group. Players at this age group are growing, maturing, and gaining new skills every day so the door is never closed for players that have improved at any point during the pathway program. Players that are not selected to the under 15 academy can still be invited next year to National team trials based on performance within Basketball Ireland competition throughout the year.

What is the pathway programme?

Basketball Irelands player pathway program can viewed via this link Player Pathway explained

Boys U14 Regional Academy

Coaches for the 2026/27 season will be confirmed shortly.

Boys U15 Provincial Academy 

TBC

GIRLS

BOYS

TBC