Two years ago Talata had twenty players and one team. On Monday 10 August we opened season three with 82 players, teams from U9 all the way through to Men, and a girls-only programme that didn't exist last spring.
That isn't a slow build. That's four times bigger in twenty-four months, in a city that already has plenty of basketball clubs. Here's what is actually different this year.
We are in the European Youth Basketball League
Talata plays EYBL this season. International games against European academy programmes, not only the Danish league.
We're deliberately not putting dates, host cities or costs in this post, because they aren't confirmed yet and we'd rather say nothing than say something a parent has to un-plan around. When it is locked, families hear it from us first, in writing, with the numbers.
A girls programme that runs every week
Talata Sparks is girls-only, ages 5 to 11, Mondays 15:00 to 16:00 at Strandvejsskolen. Fun first, fundamentals underneath, and a room where nobody is the only girl on the court.
We're being honest about the gap above it. Our older girls currently play through our partnership with Stevnsgade, and we don't yet have our own programme for girls aged 12 to 14. That's the single biggest hole in the club and we know it. Building down from Sparks is this season’s job.
More teams, more real games
We have entered more teams into the Danish league this season than in either of our first two years, across every age band from the youngest up to the Men’s side, which plays 3. Division Herrer Øst.
The reason is simple: training isn't the same as competing. A player who trains three times a week and never plays a real fixture doesn't find out what they're. More entries means more of our players get real minutes in real games.
The coaching staff grew up
Every age group now has a named head coach rather than whoever was free. Our assistants float across all teams on purpose, so a U13 player is coached by the same people who coach the Men’s side, and the standard doesn't drop when you walk from one court to the other.
What we are actually betting on
One thing hasn't changed since our first season, and this year we're being blunt about it: defence and rebounding. Not a system, not a set play. Two habits, trained every session, at every age.
We wrote the whole philosophy down and gave it to our coaches and players. You can read why in the next post.
Come and look
The first session is always free, at every age, all season. Not a trial week, not a sign-up-first offer. Turn up, train, decide afterwards.
Try a session, free
First session is free at every age group, all season. Tell us your child’s age and we will tell you exactly where and when to show up.
Book a free session