Introduction
The population of basketball players under 18 may fluctuate, and significant sports organizations may not regularly track this demographic. However, facts regarding the popularity of basketball in China and Spain may help determine the size of the prospective target audience. Basketball has recently become popular in China, which has already developed a significant basketball culture.
Development and Structure of Basketball in China
The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) is the official governing body for basketball in China, responsible for both the professional league and national team programs. Basketball’s rise to popularity in China is attributed to the sport’s continued development in the 20th century, but it gained its main popularity after the country opened up to the world (Little, 2018). Therefore, basketball development in China is currently in a stage of growth.
China’s population is currently the largest in the world, and the number of basketball fans and players occupies a significant proportion. The information provided by the NBA suggests that more than 300 million people in China play basketball, making it the nation’s most popular sport (Saiidi, 2018). However, while many countries employ the combined sports and education model, which prioritizes talent development in schools, the development of youth basketball in China is managed at the governmental level (Zhao & Tian, 2019).
In other words, the Chinese whole-nation system considers all children potential sports talents, and regional sports schools are responsible for developing these talents (Zhao & Tian, 2019). Therefore, the national approach enables China to develop numerous young talents in various sports and supports the country’s focus on achieving more Olympic victories.
Youth Basketball Talent Identification in the Chinese System
A significant difficulty in defining the statistics of the population of young basketball players in China is that talents are scouted very early, based on indicators of the children’s physical abilities, before children can form an understanding of the game and its rules. Furthermore, potential candidates then go through a rigorous selection process. In this case, the population of young basketball players can be significantly larger than in other countries. Still, the number of players in the football league can be smaller.
Twenty teams of professional players currently play in the CBA, and the league allows selection for players in the NBA (Farrugia, 2022). Each team in CBA has two to three junior squads of children ages 13 to 18, from which talents are selected into CBA teams. The Jr. NBA Championship in China includes 32 teams from 16 regions, with boys and girls ages 14 and under (Jr. NBA, 2018). Therefore, one can assume that through a strict selection system, from many young players, nearly a thousand are selected into junior squads of teams in the CBA league and Jr. NBA teams.
Organization of Youth and Professional Basketball in Spain
Basketball is a popular sport in Spain, with a long history of international success. The Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB) governs Spain’s professional league and national team programs (Rowbottom, 2021). According to the FEB, over 1.5 million basketball players are registered in Spain (Petway et al., 2019). According to a survey conducted in 2019, approximately 27% of the basketball players in Spain are professional players, and 73% are teenagers (Ministry of Culture, 2019). It is estimated that there are between 200,000 and 300,000 teams and between 3 million and 5 million players in the youth leagues of basketball in Spain (Ministry of Culture, 2019).
Therefore, the differences in young talent selection systems in the two countries reveal that the pool is more extensive in China at the initial selection stage. However, after a strict selection system, a much smaller number of players will be selected for further progress as professional players in China than in Spain.
Methods for Estimating Youth Basketball Participation Under Age 18
Several methods may be used to assess the population size of basketball players under 18 registered with the China Basketball Association and the Spanish Basketball Federation. These organizations may contain information regarding registered players’ numbers, ages, and genders. First, it is possible to estimate the number of basketball players under 18 in these nations by gathering information from sources such as coaches, trainers, or the players themselves. Next, the player’s date of birth can be checked to determine the age bracket of players under 18. Although this is the most straightforward technique, it may only sometimes be precise, as some players may need to remember or refuse to provide their exact date of birth.
Furthermore, checking the official documents of the players is possible as basketball associations require participants to submit proof of age, such as a birth certificate or passport, to verify their age. Consulting online databases can be helpful because several sporting organizations keep online databases of licensed players (Walker et al., 2022). Lastly, classification systems based on age to group players by age can also be considered a potential method (Annet et al., 2021). For instance, players may be split into groups such as U14, U16, and U18, referring to players under the ages of 14, 16, and 18.
Conclusion
In conclusion, to determine the precise population size of licensed basketball players under 18 in each nation, it is necessary to contact the respective Basketball Associations. Furthermore, obtaining information on player licensing requires consulting with publicly accessible data from national or regional sports organizations that may have information on the number of registered players in these nations. Otherwise, the essay stated that the population of registered basketball players under 18 includes nearly 100 teams in China and between 3 and 5 million players in Spain.
References
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