Basketball Ireland is pleased to announce Trinity College Dublin and Limerick Institute of Technology as the latest Basketball Ireland Centres of Excellence, taking the number to six nationwide, with further still to be announced later this summer.
Michelle Tanner, Head of Sport and Recreation at Trinity College Dublin, said: “We are delighted to be announced as a Basketball Ireland ‘Centre of Excellence’ and support the growth and development of the sport at Trinity College Dublin and the wider community. This new partnership will be hugely beneficial to the development of talented student athletes, as it will provide a clear pathway for them to fulfil their sporting potential. We are excited that this partnership undoubtedly aligns with the recently launched Trinity College strategy ‘Towards 2025: Community and Connection’ and will enable us to attract students and the local community alike to our wonderful campus to attend international and national basketball fixtures.”
Jimmy Browne, LIT Vice President Corporate Services and Capital Development, said: “LIT is delighted to announce this important further development of our relationship with Basketball Ireland. LIT and Basketball Ireland have an ongoing relationship which culminated with the appointment of basketball development officer Niall Berry in 2020. The inclusive nature of basketball as a sport is perfectly aligned with LIT’s ethos, community reach and sporting philosophy. Today’s announcement will provide a platform to further enhance this ethos and the growth of basketball in the Mid-West region.”
Basketball Ireland CEO, Bernard O’Byrne, added: “This is another significant announcement to have renowned institutions like Trinity College Dublin and LIT as Basketball Ireland Centres of Excellence. They both have a strong track record in basketball and this commitment further reinforces it. With Ulster University, NUI Galway, Waterford IT and Letterkenny IT already announced, it illustrates our commitment to have a geographical spread of these facilities across the country, to reach all corners and provide top notch facilities for our basketball community, continuing to provide platforms for the growth of our sport.”
Each Centre of Excellence will provide access to expertise, such as strength and conditioning, sports medicine, sports psychology, diet and nutrition, sports management and administration, coach development and training. They will also have media and meeting facilities.
The Centres of Excellence will be used for national training camps for international sides, along with Basketball Ireland academies. There will also be the ability to host international fixtures, national senior competitions, intervarsity competitions, as well as local schools cups and blitzes.