The McDonald’s Nottingham Hoods are proud to announce a partnership with Nottingham Trent University, with the objective of delivering a basketball programme of excellence within Nottinghamshire.
The partnership will form an integral part of the Hoods Performance Pathway from mini to senior level and fills the missing link in athlete development. With the recent Schools Coaching Programme, which sees the Hoods coaching staff assisting development with 5 schools around Nottingham, and the ongoing partnership with Nottinghamshire Nova at junior national league level, the Hoods now have a full compliment covering all age groups.
The aims of the partnership are to develop athletes, both affiliated to Nottingham Trent University and from the local community, capable of leading teams to national success in the Basketball England league structure and the British Universities (BUCS) competitions by utilizing elite facilities, coaching staff and support networks, whilst allowing athletes to continue in further education.
As a result of the partnership, the university basketball programme will be handled exclusively by the Hoods elite coaching staff, ensuring training techniques and styles are common throughout the entire organisation. This not only covers the university’s BUCS team, but also their local league and recreational teams, without forgetting the annual varsity event, held at the Nottingham Ice Arena.
BUCS athletes will be integrated into the Hoods II, division 4 National League Team, whilst elite BUCS athletes will be invited to join the successful Hoods 1st team.
The Nottingham Trent University logo will form part of the Nottingham Hoods logo on all kits and marketing activities as it is fully integrated into the brand image at all levels.
Hoods General Manager, Lee English, had this to say, “We are delighted to finally be able to announce this partnership. It is something that we have been working towards since our inception in 2009 to ensure we have a structure to cover all abilities, at all age group levels. Nottingham has a very strong history at junior level on a national basis but when the players’ leave school, basketball is typically the first sacrifice. This partnership will give local talent a real opportunity to not only continue the development of their game within the city, but more importantly the opportunity to continue their studies and set the foundations for a more successful career.”
Alessandro Barcherini, Competitive Sport Development Officer at Nottingham Trent University added, “Teaming up with the Hoods adds to our already strong partnerships with a number of other external performance clubs across the different sports we compete in. It allows our basketball club members the opportunity to access national league basketball, as well as competing for the University and gaining their degree. This is a real boost for us and the basketball programme, as it enhances the student experience and will hopefully inspire the potential of our student athletes that opt for basketball at NTU.”
