The legacy of Basketball Australia’s National Performance Camp
For more than 30 years, Basketball Australia’s National Performance Camp (NPC) has been a cornerstone of the national high-performance pathway. Each year, it brings together a nationally identified group of emerging athletes and coaches, providing early exposure to the standards, expectations, and environments that underpin international basketball.
The NPC sits at a critical point in athlete development. Participants attend after distinguishing themselves at the state and national level, but before international programs become the primary focus. The camp is not designed as a selection endpoint, but as a targeted developmental experience, one that accelerates learning and clarifies what progression within the pathway requires.
Establishing a national benchmark
Delivered within Basketball Australia’s high-performance system and closely aligned with the Centre of Excellence model, the NPC establishes a consistent national benchmark for emerging talent. Athletes are challenged under increased physical and decision-making demands, while being introduced to the daily habits and accountability expected within elite programs.
For Peter Lonergan, General Manager – CoE & Performance Pathways, the camp’s purpose is straightforward.
“The National Performance Camp is about exposing athletes to what the next level actually looks like,” Lonergan said.
“It’s not about where they are today, it’s about how they respond when the standards rise, and whether they’re prepared to do the work required to keep improving.”
That clarity has underpinned the NPC across decades of change. While pathways and professional standards have evolved, the camp’s role has remained consistent: bring the country’s best emerging athletes together early, align expectations, and provide a reference point for long-term development.
Continuity across generations
The NPC has become a shared experience across generations of Australian basketball. Many athletes who have progressed to represent the Opals and Boomers have passed through the camp, training at the AIS under national coaches and performance staff.
Selection into the NPC signals entry into a broader national process, rather than a destination. It reflects an approach focused on sustained improvement, adaptability, and long-term progression.
Modern editions of the NPC reflect a holistic view of performance. Defined age cohorts, balanced intakes of boys and girls, and structured off-court education now sit alongside technical and tactical work. Physical preparation, leadership, and learning are integrated throughout the camp, recognising the complexity of elite environments.
The broader camp ecosystem, including the National Indigenous Performance Camp, further reinforces Basketball Australia’s commitment to inclusive and connected pathways.
An enduring role
Australia’s geographic scale presents ongoing challenges for talent alignment. The National Performance Camp continues to address this by providing a consistent national reference point within the pathway.
View the athletes selected for this year’s National Performance Camp here.
