Basketball Academy

The Inspiration Trust Basketball Academy, nicknamed the Astros, aims to provide a first-class basketball programme that runs alongside outstanding academic education to young adults aged 16 to 18, encouraging them to set their aspirations high and supporting them in reaching their goals. 

Established in 2023, the Inspiration Trust Basketball Academy is based in the ‘fine city’ of Norwich with a focus on academic and basketball excellence, providing access to modern sports facilities, a fitness suite, and team classroom.  

The Inspiration Trust is dedicated to developing the person as a whole, with the aim that the basketball academy can instil attitudes and values such as; respect, integrity, hard work, and perseverance – all attributes needed to be successful in any walk of life. 

Sporting Offer

• High-quality coaching supporting athletes with technical skills and tactical awareness 
• Two team training sessions per week 
• Currently competing in the College Basketball League – Tier 3 East
• Small group/1:1 skill development sessions
• Access to fitness suite 
• Strength and conditioning programme 
• VEO video analysis of games and training 
• Basketball England-approved court.  

Academic Offer

Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form and Jane Austen College Sixth Form have collaborated to offer student-athletes the opportunity to succeed on and off the basketball court.  

Jane Austen College Sixth Form has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted and is established as one of Norfolk’s top sixth forms, with students consistently achieving some of the county’s leading results. The sixth form specialises in the Arts, English and Humanities, and has a phenomenal teaching team who are true experts in their field and are ready to inspire you through your A-Level studies. Jane Austen College’s pastoral and Academic Mentoring Programme gives you the wider experiences you need to develop excellent employability skills and will prepare you for university and beyond. Jane Austen College Sixth Form is partnered with Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form, enabling students to study from a wider range of subjects.  

Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form is a specialist Maths and Science sixth form and is ranked as the 7th best sixth form nationally. The teachers are STEM experts and will inspire you throughout your A-Level studies. The results reflect their ambitious academic expectations, with over half of grades awarded at A or A*. This coupled with exceptional pastoral and careers support, as well as subject mentor seminars, ensure that students reach their full potential. 

The Trust also offers the opportunity to study a Cambridge Technical in Sport and Physical Activity, which is the equivalent of three A-Levels. If you have a love of sport and would potentially like a career in sport, then this is the course for you. The study programme covers multiple different units to develop theoretical and practical knowledge in addition to students gaining meaningful employer engagement within the sports sector.

Situated in the popular city of Norwich, providing a straightforward commute from across the county, both Jane Austen College Sixth Form and Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form offer access to modern facilities, dedicated sixth form spaces for quiet study time as well as socialising with peers. Both Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form and Jane Austen College Sixth Form are located in a historic city centre building that has been redeveloped specifically for teaching our subject specialisms. 

Benefits of Being Part of the Inspiration Trust

• Opportunity to deliver coaching sessions as part of extracurricular at Inspiration Trust schools 
• Support in the delivery of Trust-wide sporting events
• Referee at the annual Inspiration Trust 3X3 basketball tournament. 

Meet Our Team

Head Coach & Trust Sports Coordinator – Paul Wayman  

Paul has been involved in basketball as a player and a coach for over 2 and a half decades. From playing in school and local club leagues, to competing in the JNBL, representing Norfolk County and East region as a junior, Paul went on to play at the SNBL and represented his university, winning a national championship and competing in the European championships in 2004.  

Upon graduating from university with a degree in Sports Science and Coaching, Paul relocated to Mexico, where he played in senior basketball leagues and national tournaments. This is also where he developed his passion and expertise in coaching basketball, being mentored and learning from a variety of national team coaches throughout Latin America. Paul has worked at a variety of basketball coaching levels, most notably taking the Liceo Del Valle U16 school team to the national final and assisting in the off-season training of NCAA Division 1 College teams in Costa Rica.  

Returning to the UK in 2015, Paul trained to be a Physical Education teacher whilst continuing to coach basketball at club, county and regional levels, being awarded Basketball England’s Coach of the Year in 2017. Since the pandemic, Paul has been pivotal in bringing back the boy's national league basketball to Norwich. 

Assistant Sports Coordinator - Thomas Wilkinson 

Tom has been heavily involved in Norfolk basketball over the last decade, both as a player and coach at club, county, and regional levels. After a serious ankle injury, Tom achieved his level 2 coaching award at 16, and immediately found a passion for developing young players. This led to him taking on prominent coaching roles including local league, basketball camps, national league and Aspire. Tom is always looking for contemporary methods to promote and inform wider audiences regarding opportunities in basketball, which has led to him amassing a significant basketball following on Instagram. 

Tom’s passion for sport and player development took him to the University of Nottingham, where he graduated in 2024 with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science from one of the country’s top programmes. In his third year, Tom specialised in Biomechanical Analysis of Human Motion, and wrote his dissertation on ankle injuries in basketball, a callback to the injury that led to his coaching career, providing insight into the impact of landing mechanics on the increased rate of ankle injury in basketball. Tom also represented the University of Nottingham Men’s Basketball Team in BUCs competitions during his university tenure, returning to play in the Norfolk basketball league from the 2024/25 season. 

Tom applies his deep understanding of human motion, anatomy, and knowledge of data and statistical analysis on a daily basis in his role with the Basketball Academy, working closely with players to facilitate individual development alongside team training. He is constantly striving to develop his knowledge and coaching skills to inspire future generations of student athletes. 

Sports Coach – Eleanor Wilkinson

Eleanor started playing basketball when she was 6. She developed as a player by competing in local leagues against boys, then progressed into the national league circuit throughout all age groups, winning the conference national league at U16 and being awarded top scorer and MVP. In addition, she was selected for county teams at inter-county tournaments. From there, she was selected to be part of the East Region Player Pathway formally known as RPC and then Aspire. This included becoming a national champion at U11 in Sheffield and placing in other age groups in Manchester at the National Basketball Performance Centre. Currently, Eleanor plays in the WNBL for the University of East Anglia and the local Norfolk women’s league. 

Eleanor has been coaching throughout her basketball career and has taken on a variety of roles including coaching players from the age of 5-18. Developing her coaching to a higher level, she has been involved in assisting U16 boys national league team and is currently the Assistant Coach with a U18 boys national league team. As well as weekly community sessions and coaching national league teams, she has also coached at the county level. Taking teams to St Albans to compete in inter-county tournaments. 

This coaching has transferred vital skills to her current job with the Inspiration Trust where she goes into schools and delivers high-quality extra-curricular clubs. With her experience in East region basketball and netball she aims to develop elite-level sport in these areas. Eleanor also assists with the organisation and delivery of whole-Trust sporting events. 

Fixtures

Experience Required and Application Process

• Students must meet the academic entry requirements of the sixth forms. 
• We welcome applications from student-athletes who have a passion for playing basketball 
• Experience playing in a local league or Junior National Basketball League (JNBL) is desirable 
• Apply through Applicaa on the Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form / Jane Austen College Sixth Form websites.
• Please complete the expression of interest form.

Get in Touch

To discuss your options, please contact our Head Coach, Paul Wayman via sport@inspirationtrust.org.  

Our Open Day and tryout event will take place in January 2025.