It's produced some of the brightest young basketball talent this country has seen, and in the process helped a few coaches' careers.

The Breakers Academy was the vision of then head coach Andre Lemanis in 2006. Lemanis aimed to develop the club's (and by default New Zealand's) own talent instead of having to recruit Australians. To build, in essence, a sustainable player pathway.

 Tai Wynyard gets his Tall Blacks singlet from Mika Vukona. Head coach Nenad Vucinic watches.

Importantly though, the club recognised the need to build relationships with the players and their families as they come through the system here in New Zealand. Flavell explains the basis of the Academy.

"It is based on ability more than age. When it first started we were targeting the best school leavers, around 17 to 19, which was based on the AIS model where there was a lot of confusion for school leavers about NCAA rulings in the States about what players could and couldn’t do in regards being professional basketballers. That led some young players to stay clear of the Bartercard NBL, so we got them in, and offered some structure to allow them to develop further as players and young men.

"Now that the NCAA rules are clear the landscape has changed. Now encourage them to be playing in senior competitions as much as they can, primarily in the Bartercard NBL. We then work a lot on their skills and development because playing in the men’s game they are practicing three times a week which is good quality competition but not focused on individual development."

The change has been drastic, now half the Breakers Academy intake is under the age of 16.

"We have found that giving a kid an opportunity at a younger age helps speed their progress and before you know it they are enjoying the benefits of playing in senior competitions but with the skills and development focus from the Breakers Academy."

Flavell says the junior basketball system in New Zealand is no different to most other sports, the focus on winning can be detrimental to an athlete’s development, something he and the Academy coaches work to counter.

"There are so many teams that these kids play for, which is great, they get games under their belts but they are not long-term focused. You might have a kid playing at forward because he is 6’3" but long term he may not be suited to that position so is missing out on skills development while he is playing and chasing short-term result orientated goals with their team.

"Some coaches buy into the long-term but they are rare. Understandably it is too tempting for coaches to focus on the short-term championship focus, to win things, that is what they are rewarded for in the junior grades. That is where we work with and help the athlete with a skills-focused programme, playing them in multiple positions, challenging their overall skill set and making them all decision makers."

Judd and Lawrence Levi Lianda Were have been with the Academy throughout its history, while other coaches are able to come into the system on a voluntary basis to work with the kids and, importantly, to improve themselves.

"Each year we have different coaches come and go, Lawrence and I have been together in this programme now for 8 years. The times we train might eliminate a lot of coaches as we work out early in the morning and for coaches wanting to come in they are not getting paid."

Flavell says their structure does however make it easy for coaches coming in to the programme.

"The further this Academy has gone the more we have stripped our focus right back to the basics. All coaches that come in know the fundamentals of basketball, being able to do things with either hand, be well balanced off either foot and from that base the players can go and workout in any team with a good understanding of their skills."

Flavell says at the moment in the game, there are not too many options for coaches looking to develop.

"The coaching pathway in basketball in New Zealand is underdeveloped at the moment. I know that BBNZ is trying to make improvements in that area but the resource is not there yet. That makes our Academy programme all the more appealing to associations in the area. Lawrence is working on a daily basis with the best young talent, not just those in the Academy but he is out there seeing the best young players. That makes him as a coach quite attractive when it comes to age group sides with the associations. He already has the scouting under his belt and knows where the talent is."

Flavell says values, character and the mental skills side is tough to teach.

"The first way to do this is by example, leading them with your own actions and making yourself accountable. We have a set of rules in place with a three-strike rule. Often these are small things like being on time, wearing the right clothing, treating others with respect. Players soon learn what is right and wrong in our environment, those that don’t aren’t part of the Academy long term."

Schools are the more recognized outlet in junior Basketball, much more so than clubs. Flavell says the Academy works closely with them to achieve best results for the players.

"This again is a balancing act, we structure our calendar year so when school is busy and there are high demands on the athletes, we will back off. Once school starts to wind down we will load up a little more. We are getting better and better in our networking with the schools and the coaches. We have established good relationships with them and they then reap the rewards as well with many of our players performing to a high level for their school teams in a complementary programme. The key is trust and good communication.

"We have produced many players that have gone on to play professional basketball or play for their country, some have done so while still in the Academy. That is the greatest thanks that a coach in our programme can receive, the knowledge that they have helped a player on their pathway in the game and delivered a player capable and ready to make the next step into or towards the professional and international game."

Breakers Academy recent alumni

• Tai Wynyard - current Academy, Tall Blacks
• Tohi Smith-Milner - Tall Blacks
• Jack Salt - Tall Blacks, University of Virginia
• Corey Webster - Tall Black and SKYCITY Breakers
• BJ Anthony - Tall Black and former SKYCITY Breaker
• Isaac Fotu - Tall Black and University of Hawaii
• Rob Loe - Tall Black and St Louis University (graduated)
• Tai Webster - Tall Black and University of Nebraska
• Jordan Ngatai - Tall Black, Brigham Young University, Hawaii
• Reuben Te Rangi - Tall Black, SKYCITY Breakers