Warwick Cann Resigns as BBF Spearhead Strategy Development

By Sam Neter on February 3, 2016

Great Britain National Teams Director Warwick Cann has resigned from his role, as the new British Basketball Federation (BBF) continues to spearhead a new strategy to develop basketball across the UK.

Following the BBF’s third Board meeting – the first since the appointment of new Independent Chairman, Nick Humby – Cann handed in his notice as he intends to return to his native Australia, leaving his role in the middle of March. It comes after increasing pressure following disappointing performances of national teams across every age group in recent years.

Ahead of the BBF taking up its FIBA membership from the Home Nation Associations in October 2016, the soon-to-be National Governing Body has started a consultation to create a single vision for the sport through to 2024/25 and identify the objectives and strategies that will underpin that.

In a statement released this morning, the BBF said:

The immediate challenge is to set out the vision and strategy for the sport in Britain to enable the BBF and the Home Nation Associations to deliver on their confederated approach. The process for setting out the vision and strategy will be based on a number of principles:

• The BBF should lead a new approach to the sport;
• The approach should be based on collaboration and an inclusive approach (which seeks to make sure that the total is greater than the sum of the parts);
• There should be clarity of roles and responsibilities for all major stakeholders;
• Delivery partners should share the vision for the sport and know how they contribute to the ‘big picture’ of basketball in Britain;
• The BBF shouldn’t seek to control or do everything itself; rather the vision should provide the framework to empower delivery by others within an aligned approach to the growth of the sport.

The Board, with Sport England’s backing, have commissioned Deloitte to facilitate consultation on the way forward. Their first step has been to draw together a consultation exercise, focusing on the future shape and direction, which will ultimately be considered and agreed by the BBF and the Home Nations. This strategy will include plans for the senior leagues in Britain, with arrangements for the 2016/17 season to be announced in the spring.

The BBF is currently in the process of ensuring anyone interested in contributing to the consultation process can do so, through a website, http://www.futureofbasketball.co.uk which is scheduled to go live in coming days.

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