Introducing Attack Basketball Academy

 

We are excited and proud to present to you our new club: Attack Basketball Academy.  Built on the most successful sporting philosophies, we are now in a position to take north-east basketball in an exciting new direction as the sport continues to grow.

Our Partners: committed to sharing

We have affiliated to a leading American club in Dallas, Texas, lead by former professional player, Charlie Miller.  Coach Charlie has visited Scotland to lead Breakthrough Basketball Camps in 2017 and 2018, and is planning to return in 2020.  His relentlessly positive approach to coaching, the high accountability to which he held players and coaches both on and off the court, his meticulous attention to helping individuals achieve their best and the life lessons that he helps his players learn using basketball as a medium, were inspirational.  Not surprising from someone whose personal motto is: 'Do everything with integrity and it will take you further than you could imagine'.  We enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to affiliate to Coach Charlie's club as we would be able to provide opportunities that other Scottish clubs could not.

Our affiliation with our partner club in Dallas will bring our players 'Virtual Training' with Coach Charlie and, for girls, Coach Sheba Butler as well (a former professional female player).  There will be online development and resources for both players and coaches developed by Coach Charlie and his American coaching team.  Coach Charlie is excited about returning to Scotland to lead training camps for our players and his camps in the USA are open to all Scottish Attack players.  We will also be working on a player exchange programme.  This is a very exciting prospect!  Our players as a group, or individually, can go to Dallas, hosted by players families and, likewise, American players will be hosted by our families here in Scotland.  No other Scottish club is able to offer such an amazing opportunity!

Attack Basketball Academy will provide the most positive atmosphere and the most structured basketball programme in the region.  Our developmental plans for the club include, over time, activities for players from pre-school to senior level.  Within that framework, as we grow, we hope to provide opportunities to play at whatever the level of interest, from the purely recreational to those who aspire to play at the highest level.  We will provide wider opportunities to play in different forums, from the various leagues offered by Basketball Scotland and Grampian Basketball, to our internal and invitational 3v3s Tournaments.  Plus, we will provide opportunities for children who play through our school based programmes.  As we continue to grow, so will the opportunities that we can provide.

Our Team: committed to excellence

Underpinning all of this will be an appropriately structured coaching programme which will be adhered to wherever Attack trains, whether it be in Fraserburgh, Ellon, Peterhead, Turriff or Alford.

The Director of Coaching is Ruth Grant, UKCC Level 2 qualified, who turned to the sidelines after a severe injury brought her high level playing career to an abrupt end.  She worked as an athletic trainer for her university women's basketball team, whilst earning her own degree.  After a hiatus to earn her doctorate and lecture at university, she returned to coaching both basketball and gymnastics.  Mentored by American Charlie Miller and Australian Trevor McLean, she is passionate about creating the right pathways for players and coach development.

Caelan Booth will continue to be a vital part of the coaching team, with primary responsibility for U10s, U12s and development in Peterhead.  Caelan has played basketball as part of the Scotland team since he was in the U12s.  We are lucky to have a young coach who was such a high calibre player.  He is a positive role model for our younger players, who figuratively - as well as literally - look up to him!  Caelan, a table official as well as qualified referee, is also an excellent example to our older players of different pathways that basketball can provide.

Our Club Administrator is Moray Grant an experienced and still practicing UKCC Level 2 gymnastics coach and judge.  He has a keen eye for detail, which is precisely what we require for a club of our size offering training at a number of different venues across a large geographic area!  He assists with coaching at our Turriff Active Schools satellite, and has also stepped in periodically to assist with our younger players, enthusing them - as only a gymnastics coach can - about conditioning!

We will also be liaising with professional sports physiotherapists, a highly qualified and experienced nutritionist and the former fitness instructor for the professional Spanish women's basketball team, Uni Girona.  We seek to build on these links as the club continues to grow.

In order to further our vision and realise our aspirations, Attack Basketball Academy is currently applying to become a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation).  This is an extremely important part of our development plan.  Being a registered charity will provide multiple benefits, including access to a wider array of funding and other financial advantages.  Further, the club will be able to be an employer, with the same legal protections as a limited liability company.

All of our coaches will be required to be UKCC certified, undertake safeguarding courses every three years, be First Aid trained and of course have a PVG.  All volunteers who interact with the children will also have a PVG.  We have a commitment to continued professional development, and will also promote coach development through both internal and external training programmes.

We will also encourage our maturing players to undergo internal assistant coach training, UKCC training, and referee and table official training, as they reach the appropriate ages.  We want basketball to continue to provide healthy opportunities for players, even when they decide to no longer play themselves or if they need paid work to help support themselves.

Our ambition is to be able to offer paid employment to all UKCC level 1 and above qualified coaches.  We also aspire to subsidise these courses for our coaches, referees and table officials.  The opportunity to assist our lead coaches and undertake UKCC training (which provides further education credits), as well as to referee and be table officials will be exemplary on their Curriculum Vitae.

Our Programme: committed to growth

Our programme has been developed so that no coach will walk into a training session unprepared, which unfortunately happens in too many clubs.  Our coaches want to see children succeed in their endeavors and enjoy the learning process.  The key to achieving that is a programme built on structured progression, with players not only being given permission - but actively encouraged - to make mistakes.  This is where the real learning and growth occurs.  We also stress creativity: basketball is not a game played by rote.  It is a dynamic, quick moving game, requiring individuals to think and react quickly to constantly changing and new situations.

We have invested a lot of time in creating a programme that will develop our players on many different levels.  To ensure attainment, we will be systematically tracking individual and team progress.  Although children do not develop linearly, by conducting routine assessments we will be able to objectively assess development across the entire club.  With fun driving the process, we hope that players will find value in honing their skills and learning how to apply them in different aspects of the game.

In addition to training, we provide opportunities to play competitively as part of a team.  Being part of a basketball team will give them real life experiences about how the game is played, as well as give them an outlet to apply the concepts they learn in practice.  Our mission is to do more than just get children onto the court to play – we want to motivate them and to help them learn the importance of warming up, practice, running drills and the often neglected mental aspect of the sport.  With one to one player management a fundamental part of our team coaching, we want our players to learn how to handle pressure and to understand that playing on a team requires commitment, effort, teamwork and focus.

The success of our teams, however, will never be measured by our win/loss record.  Although we are proud of our achievements, players will be constantly informed that winning does not drive our club, and we will never sacrifice the individual player to achieve the win.  Our success will be measured by individual and team progression and attainments.

Not only do we want to teach players fundamental basketball skills, we also want to provide them with skills which will stand them in equally good stead off the court.  Academics will always come first.  We will always coach in a positive framework, but, within that, hold players accountable to themselves and to their teammates.  Our goal is to help players become the best version of themselves that they can be.  Respect, responsibility, attitude, a strong work ethic, commitment, a willingness to take risks and make mistakes in a safe environment: in short, healthy minds and healthy bodies. These are all attributes that drive our programme.

Our Communication: committed to involve

We have put in place a sophisticated central management system using ManageMyClub to better communicate with players and their families.  Players returning for the new season will be required to re-register with Attack Basketball Academy, so we have up to date information for every player, including email address and emergency contact details.

There will be one unified WhatsApp group, a new Facebook page and the new website, which will provide additional resources for players as well as information, club and team news, photos, training and game videos.  Our main means of communication, however, will be through email from Attack Basketball Academy.  Please ensure that our email address is added to your contact list, so our communications are recognised as legitimate emails.

We are Attack Basketball Academy whose strengths are built on the combined efforts of all the players, coaches, volunteers and families that support us across the different communities in which we train.

To aid us in this transition, we will be distributing a club handbook which will explain our philosophy of play and training, outline club policies, delineate team information and other documentation, such as Codes of Conduct for players, coaches, volunteers and parents and expand upon information within this email.

Our Brand: committed to distinction

We are very excited to be introducing new Attack Basketball Academy uniforms for all players and our highly motivated coaches.  The uniforms will be distinctive, making our players proud to be identified as Attack Basketball Academy and all it embodies.  Purchase will be required for all age groups, as the reversible jersey will be necessary for training, 3v3s, RDLs, NDLs and other competitions.

Our Fees: committed to inclusion

Attack Basketball Academy will be introducing a new fee structure.  We are very pleased to be able to offer a unique opportunity to Attack players.  Instead of paying per hour, or per number of sessions a player attends per week, there will now be a flat fee per month.  For this flat fee, players can attend as many training sessions as they like wherever Attack trains.  We are also increasing the range of 3v3s competition, both internal and including other clubs, at no extra cost.  In addition to this, we will be introducing a new outreach programme in a number of primary schools.  Any of our players attending those schools will be most welcome to train with them as well at no extra cost.  No other Scottish club offers such will unparalleled training opportunities at such a low monthly fee.  Please note that we have opened a new bank account, and that you will need to change account details for payments.  Details will be communicated shortly.

Our Venture: committed to involvement

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and patience during this period of transition.  There are bound to be teething problems in any new venture such as this!  We will be grateful for any feedback that will help us improve or let us know that we are getting it right.  You are also bound to have queries or require clarification.  We hope that the handbook will go a long way in providing guidance but, if at any point you have a question, please contact us.  We also encourage anyone to come forward if you would like to offer us your help and personal expertise.  Your support will be a vital part of the success of Attack Basketball Academy.

Thank you once again. We look forward to an exciting year ahead with our players and their families!