Basketball Ireland has announced a new partnership with Setanta 360 as part of the rollout of an Integrated Athletic Development Structure designed to strengthen performance pathways across its international programme.
The initiative forms part of the governing body’s Strategic Plan 2023–2027 and is intended to introduce a consistent, long-term approach to athletic preparation and player development across Irish basketball.
The structure will apply across both the men’s and women’s international programmes and will cover players progressing from academy level through underage squads to senior international teams. It will also support development within both the 5×5 and 3×3 formats of the game.
Setanta 360, the applied consultancy division of Setanta College, will work closely with Basketball Ireland to formalise athletic preparation standards and embed a clearly defined national framework for long-term athlete development.
The collaboration aims to ensure that players moving through the representative pathway benefit from a consistent approach to strength and conditioning, physical preparation and performance development.
Alongside the structural changes, Basketball Ireland will introduce an annual coach education fund to support ongoing professional development within the sport.
The fund will provide coaches working across the representative pathway with access to structured educational opportunities delivered through Setanta College, supporting the alignment of coaching practices and performance standards across the national programme.
“This partnership represents a major step in strengthening the foundations of athletic development across Irish basketball,” said John Feehan, CEO of Basketball Ireland.
“We are creating a clear and aligned framework that supports our players, from early representative stages right through to senior international level across both the men’s and women’s game, as we look to build on the positive momentum and results that we’ve had over the last number of years.”
“Just as importantly, we are investing in our coaches and development structures to build a sustainable system that will benefit the sport long-term.”
Rob Mulcahy, Head of Athletic Development at Setanta, said the partnership would focus on creating consistency and alignment throughout the player pathway.
“Our focus is to work closely with Basketball Ireland to embed a structured and progressive athletic development model across the pathway,” he said.
“Alignment and consistency are central to long-term athlete development. By supporting both players and coaches within a unified framework, this partnership strengthens the foundations that underpin progression at every representative level.”
Headquartered in Ireland, Setanta College provides higher education programmes in human performance, sports science and performance psychology, and has worked with organisations including World Rugby and the GAA on coach education and performance structures.
Through Setanta 360, the college works directly with sporting bodies to design and implement integrated athletic development systems across all levels of sport.
Image Credit: Basketball Ireland and Inpho.ie
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