Basketball Volunteer Academy: Team Behind the Team

Project Number: 101245326 – ERASMUS-SPORT-2025-SCP

2f6c6c47421b06f30ad4e9bf36315a20

The Basketball Volunteer Academy: Team Behind the Team (BVA) is a 36-month Erasmus+ Sport initiative designed to revolutionize how volunteering is organised, trained, and delivered within European basketball. The project aims to create a structured, inclusive, and sustainable volunteer system that supports basketball events across Europe while opening new opportunities for young people, women, and persons with disabilities to participate in sports volunteering.

BVA introduces a standardized volunteer framework, an innovative digital volunteer platform, and a transnational training programme, helping national federations recruit, train, and manage volunteers more effectively. The system will be tested and validated at three major international basketball events:

  • Youth EuroBasket U18 (2026, Romania)
  • EuroBasket Women (2027, Lithuania, Sweden & Belgium)
  • EuroBasket U20 (2028, Greece)

Through collaboration across multiple federations and expert organizations, BVA strengthens event operations, promotes accessibility and inclusion, and enhances the long-term sustainability of volunteering in European basketball.

Project Objectives

  • Establish the first-ever structured volunteering framework specifically designed for basketball.
  • Increase access and participation in basketball volunteering, especially for women, young people, and persons with disabilities.
  • Develop a digital platform for volunteer recruitment, training, and coordination.
  • Train national V-Teams of volunteers and volunteer leaders across partner federations.
  • Pilot the volunteer system at three major European tournaments, refining it for long-term adoption.
  • Promote inclusive practices, digital learning, and lifelong engagement in sport volunteering.

Through These Specific Objectives the Project Will:

  • Strengthen volunteer management and improve event quality in European basketball.
  • Increase diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunities within the sport sector.
  • Provide new skill-building and leadership pathways for volunteers.
  • Ensure the creation of a pan-European volunteer network ready to support future events.
  • Establish a long-lasting framework that federations can use beyond the project.

Results

Volunteering in Basketball Digital Platform
Coming Soon – Accessible to all federations and clubs.

Training & Capacity-Building Materials
To be published after testing phases.

Implementation & Validation Reports
Will be published after EuroBasket Women 2027 and EuroBasket U20 2028.

Project Deliverables

Volunteering Framework & Digital Platform

A Europe-wide standardised volunteering model, including role descriptions, training materials, inclusive practices, and a digital volunteer portal accessible to clubs, federations, and event organisers.

Capacity Building Programme

A complete training curriculum for volunteer leaders and national volunteer teams, combining online modules, international workshops, and hands-on event experience.

Testing & Validation

Pilot deployment of volunteers at Youth EuroBasket U18 (2026), EuroBasket Women (2027), and EuroBasket U20 (2028), followed by evaluation reports and improvement recommendations.

Impact, Sustainability & Dissemination Toolkit

Guides, videos, policy briefs, and promotional materials designed to support federations in adopting and sustaining the volunteer model.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for any use of the information contained herein.