The aim of this study was to determine the guidelines and success factors of a sport club that contribute to the identification and development of female basketball athletes. The context investigated comprises a Brazilian club with strong tradition in the training of athletes and important sporting achievements in the sport. Data collection used interviews and documentary sources, which were analyzed using the technique of content analysis. The results showed the importance of administrative organization of sports institutions guided by solid training guidelines that support the club management actions and emphasize the importance of public-private partnerships to increase the federated sport, where sponsorship exchanges such as scholarships in private universities and government policies become crucial for maintaining athletes in adulthood. However, as municipal public institutions do not have as priority elite sport, the basketball club investigated has presented difficulties in keeping teams of higher and adult ages in the scenario to which they belong. In this sense, sports managers and coaches should establish clear guidelines for the strengthening of the organizational culture of the institution, since, with structural conditions and greater sense of belonging to the club, there are higher possibilities for maintenance of talents in the sports institution.