Crusaders Basketball Academy

There are two Crusaders Basketball Academies based at The Canterbury High School.  They combine studies with daily elite level basketball.  The academy is coached by Jesse Sazant.

6th Form Basketball Academy

Typical Week
As a member of the academy you will have at least one training session each day, with up to 3 sessions some days. A typical week will include 5 academy training sessions, 4 club training sessions, 3 strength and conditioning sessions, an SAQ/footwork session, an additional skill session and 2-3 games for the academy and/or club. This adds up to 20-25 hours per week of training.

Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE)
The Canterbury High School is one of the providers for the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) for Basketball.  The AASE course is and NVQ and is aimed at athletes with a realistic potential of making a career out of sport.  The course combines basketball training with a recognised academic qualification and can only be taken through the approved institutions.

The Canterbury High School
The Canterbury High School has been judged as Outstanding by Ofsted.  In 2008 it had the 6^th highest value added of any school in the country (as well as having the highest value added of any Sports College in the country).  The school has outstanding sporting facilities and currently hosts five other elite academies: The Chelsea Football in the Community Elite Football Academy, The East Kent High Performance Centre for Rugby with Kent RFU, The Athletics Youth Academy with England Athletics and UK Athletics, The Appeti Tennis Academy and The Cascade Elite Dance Academy.

Academic Options
All Academy Athletes take the BTEC National Certificate in Sports Performance and Excellence (the equivalent of 2 A levels). This course is delivered jointly by the school and lecturers from Canterbury Christ Church University Sport Science Department.  During the course you will look at elements such as nutrition, psychology, motivation, physiology, physiotherapy and life style management. This link with Canterbury Christ Church also means that students who complete this qualification will be offered a place at the University to continue their university education and continue to train with the Academy. You can then choose 2 other courses of your choice. The Canterbury Partnership offers once of the widest range of A-levels and BTECs nationally. So regardless of what route you want to pursue there are courses on offer to support this.

Coaching and Philosophy
The academy’s head coach is Jesse Sazant. He has coached university basketball in Canada and been an assistant coach with the England under 16s. His main strength is player development and the academy is completely about developing each player to their potential. We put a heavy emphasis on skill development and teaching players how to read the game. Over your two years we aim to teach you how to play and understand a variety of systems that will allow you to succeed wherever you go after the academy – whether that is Europe, America or the UK. We have a maximum ratio of 7 players per coach so that every player gets lots of attention every day.

Medway Park Crusaders
Medway Park Crusaders, are a national league club based in the brand new £11 million Medway Park in Gillingham. We have a clear focus on developing young players. As a member of the academy you will be expected to play at the highest level you can. The club can offer an under 18 premier team as well as a EBL Division 1 men’s team. This year we had 7 academy players training with the men, including one who started for them. We look to fast track suitable players though to the men’s team as soon as possible.

Strength and Conditioning
The strength and conditioning programme is designed and overseen by our strength and conditioning coach Steve Green. Steve has worked at the highest levels of sport, including being Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski’s strength coach. The sessions take place in the large private gym and internationally graded athletics track which are both on site. There is also a physiotherapist and sports masseuse provided as part of the academy programme.

Residential Options

If you are from out of the area and are looking to move to Canterbury to be part of the academy, we have a number of potential hosts available. This can be discussed in more detail if this applies to you.

11-16 Basketball Academy

The 11-16 High Performance Academy runs on a similar model to the 6th form Academy.

The student athletes at receive 7-10 hours of coaching a week, including daily team sessions, skill workouts and footwork sessions moving into strength, conditioning and flexibility work with the specialist strength and conditioning coach (Steve Green) when they are ready for it.

Alongside this they continue to study a wide variety of courses with a specialist mentor working alongside them to ensure they stay on track.

The school competes in the England Basketball Schools competition as well as the Kent Cup.  Additionally, players are expected to play at the highest club level they can.

The Canterbury High School is nationally recognised as a leading practitioner for excellent practice.

Medway Park Crusaders

Under 18s

The Under 18s compete in the South Premier Division of the EBL national league.  The team is coached by Mark Hinton.  Most of the players also attend the Crusaders Basketball Academy at The Canterbury High School.

Under 16s

The Under 16s compete in the South Conference Division of the EBL national league.  The team is coached by Craig Nicol and Nick Lloyd. Most of the players also attend the Crusaders Basketball Academy at The Canterbury High School.

Under 14s

The Under 14s compete in the South Division of the EBL national league.  The team is coached by Matt Fenton.  Most of the players also attend the Crusaders Basketball Academy at The Canterbury High School.

England Basketball Fixtures and Results

All fixtures, results and standings for our U14, U16 and U18 teams can be viewed at England Basketball’s official website. Use the link below for quick access.

England Basketball Fixtures and Results