As the Cayman Islands Basketball Association gears up for a fresh season, president Collin Anglin is looking back at 2025 not just as a successful year, but as the spark that ignited a “snowball effect” for 2026 that has also led to a plan for a permanent facility.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, Anglin said that the association’s recent triumphs are the direct result of a four-year strategic plan involving deep self-analysis and goal setting.
For Anglin, the feedback from the public and the tangible results on the court have served as the ultimate validation that Cayman basketball is on the right track, moving from the planning phase into a period of visible, rapid growth.
A permanent home
Looking ahead, Anglin confirmed that the Cayman Islands government has “graciously provided the Cayman Islands Basketball Association with some land” last year which will assist them in establishing a permanent facility for the association.
“That’s one of the more exciting things for us that’s on our agenda,” he said. “It’s been from the very beginning [that] we knew that we needed our own home for basketball. The sport is continuing to grow tremendously, but of course, we’re limited in terms of how we can run and organise programmes.”
“So we are moving forward now in terms of getting it cleared, getting plans done, and then we’ll begin to work on fundraising to get that done,” he added.
While funding remains a necessary step on the path to completion, Anglin remains undeterred saying he doesn’t view it as a hurdle.
“It is an item on the pathway to getting it done, but I am very confident that we will be able to get the support that we need to actually build this,” he said. “I think people see what basketball is doing, the impact that we’re having on our youth, the opportunities that we’ve been giving to our athletes, administrators, coaches, officials and I think that our growth has really been tremendous.”
He referred to the “non-stop” continuous growth as seen this year through the primary school league reaching over 30 participating teams and the under-14 school league surpassing 20 teams.
“I certainly believe that there’s enough proof there for many people that love the game … our youth … [and] our community, that will come forward and support what we’re doing.”
Fan-centric and player initiatives
The association has its sights set on multiple fan-centric and player initiatives this year, including the return of the All-Star Night featuring dunk contests and three-point shootouts, alongside occasional throwback theme nights where fans will get the chance to “wear some throwback jerseys from their favourite teams.”
Additionally, the fans are being brought more into the action with prizes for the best fan-captured content.
“Being able to share the images or some of the highlights that you capture, that can actually win you an award – those are some of the things that we’re going to be looking at in terms of spicing up the men’s league even more,” Anglin explained.
For the athletes, Anglin said, “Last year, we actually started with our inaugural in-season tournament that was very well received by the fans and by the teams alike, so we’re continuing on that trend this year. Not only are we going to have our regular season, but within that, we’re going to have an in-season tournament.”
Furthermore, a player of the game award is normally given, however, Anglin said the aim is to motivate the players further with the addition of a player of the week award.
“So those players … can look forward to something special [like] a nice little goodie bag. It’s going to be an extra incentive for our players to just put everything out there and really give their best show no matter what,” Anglin said.
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