#5YearsIn
A Reflective Post by LDM Basketball Director Loran Lewis
I remember the moment the penny dropped that basketball would play a much more significant role in my life than I had originally planned. It was March 2018 and Norman Francis had asked me to come down to one of his Mandela Warriors Junior basketball sessions in Chapeltown - I had never attended a session, nor did I have very high expectations once I got there - a few kids taking half-court backwards shots and swinging on the low-hanging hoops was what I imagined would be waiting for me when I arrived. On entering, I was amazed to find a hall packed full of young people playing basketball; incredibly talented, passionate about the game, with a clear respect for the coach that was leading the session. I could not understand how more attention had not been given to the great work being done there, at the same time as having the greatest respect for the sacrifices being made by Coach Francis to keep this session going, with the limited resources he had available. I ended up volunteering with Norman for the rest of the year, eventually going on to start sessions in South of Leeds, ‘Beeston Ballers’. In June 2019, the two teams played a fixture against each other and Leeds LDM Basketball was born.
To say the last 5 years has been eventful would be an understatement! Our first season in basketball was cut short due to COVID-19 and was followed by 2 years of lockdowns, social distancing, and online basketball sessions; a difficult period for all basketball clubs and indoor sport as a whole. We then faced another 2 years of not being able to use our home court, due to its use as a test centre, with floor damage making it unplayable thereafter. The level of resilience shown by the team and young people during this time, especially at such an early stage of the organisation's existence, set a precedent for the numerous successes that would follow.
A Growing Community
There are countless things to be proud of over the last 5 years; our team's successes in national league competition, our flourishing academy partnership with Leeds City College, strong community, and school partnerships providing hundreds of young people a week with basketball sessions. However, I do not measure our success by the wins on the court, rather through what takes place once the hall doors are shut. The reason for LDM’s existence has always been to provide opportunities and break down barriers to success for all. For me, being able to give opportunities to deserving young people is one of the highlights of my job, whether it is giving current and former participants paid work or creating an environment that allows anxious young people to fall in love with the game. There is so much good that can be created through basketball and we have only just scratched the surface of what we are capable of achieving.
From those early days, our programme has expanded significantly. What started with a few young people has grown into a vibrant community with an average of around 500 participants each week across our academy, school, and community projects. This growth is a testament to the dedication of our coaches, volunteers, and the young athletes themselves. We strive to create a programme which can mix the inclusivity and welcoming atmosphere associated with a community club, with a challenging and development focused environment that will birth our high performance athletes of the future.
We look forward to growing capacity to ensure we can host several teams in each age group, whilst increasing opportunities for female players to play the game both recreationally and competitively. Our strong ties with local schools, supporting basketball into their curricula and after school programmes, has gone a long way towards this end, and strengthened our reach.
Our commitment to making basketball accessible to everyone has been evident in our community projects. Initiatives such as ‘LetsBall’, ‘Healthy Holidays’ and SheHoops’ were designed to provide opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to engage with the sport. There is still much to do to ensure that projects like this are not merely one-offs, rather they can be replicated and improved to reach as many participants as possible. We have had projects funded by Yorkshire Sport Foundation, National Lottery, Sport England, Leeds Community Foundation, Active Leeds, and StreetGames, among others, tackling critical issues such as antisocial behaviour, mental health and inactivity, making a significant difference in the lives of our participants. We look forward to further collaboration with these partners to support these key agendas in the future.
Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion
I am proud of Leeds LDM Basketball’s record of having one of the most diverse staff and volunteer workforces in the region. Our programme’s ability to attract and retain a team of talented individuals from all walks of life, vastly improves the services we are able to offer, exposing young people to different cultures and promoting not just tolerance, but appreciation for different viewpoints and ways of life. We have consistently celebrated key events in the equality and diversity calendar, such as Mental Health Awareness Week, Black History Month and International Women’s Day. These celebrations are integral to our mission, as they highlight important issues, foster a sense of community, and educate our young athletes about the value of diversity and inclusion. By incorporating these events into our programming, we ensure that our community is aware, engaged, and supportive of these crucial topics. Our challenge for the next 5 years will be to grow the number of female coaches we have at the organisation, to ensure that girls at the club continue to have strong role models and can aspire for great things in the sport with reduced barriers.
To Another 5 Years
As we look to the future, our goal is to continue to flourish and expand our reach. Our 5 year anniversary provides us with an opportunity to reflect on not just the successes, but on ways we can improve both on and off the court, ensuring we hold ourselves to the highest standards possible. To achieve this, our 5 key values as an organisation will be etched in stone and be used to steer us moving forward;
Respect - The promotion of mutual respect for all that we come across
Inclusivity - Ensuring regardless of background everybody feels welcome and included
Compassion: Demonstrating kindness, understanding, and empathy towards all members of the organisation , especially those facing challenges.
Empowerment - Supporting the growth of individuals beyond basketball, including academic and life skills
Discipline: Instilling a strong work ethic and dedication to practice and improvement
These values will govern all aspects of the organisation, from the way we play, the staff we recruit and the partnerships we make and provides us with a clear and unified vision that will drive our momentum in a positive direction. Through the summer months of 2024, there will be some exciting announcements that will shape us for our next chapter, including new partnerships and projects that will benefit staff, participants and our wider community alike.
I am also committed to ensuring existing partnerships can go from strength to strength. The LDM Basketball Academy at Leeds City College will be going into a 4th year of competition and continues to work as a fantastic opportunity for young people to train with and play against some of the most talented players in the region. The promise of international trips in 2024/25 act as an extra incentive for players to study and play hard in the pursuit of their goals. We will continue to enter junior teams into National League competition, ensuring they provide competitive outlets for the most talented individuals in our programme and look forward to expanding provision to ensure beginners and less experienced players can play competitively either through CVL or local league competition. I am very optimistic about the potential for our Men’s National League team over the next through years and will commit to supporting the growth of this side of the programme for the coming seasons. This alongside community and school basketball commitments, promises a lot of hard work to come!
For me, basketball and sport in general are one of the great levellers in our society. Without the talented and inspiring people I have met in sport over the years, I am sure I would be on a very different path than the one I am on now. It is for this reason I am dedicated to ensuring that Leeds LDM Basketball, as a club and organisation, is a success. There is greatness to be found in some of the most unexpected places, and by fostering talent and community spirit, we can unlock the potential within every individual. The journey so far has been incredible and I am are excited to see what the next chapter holds for us. Together, we will keep pushing the boundaries and continue making a positive impact through the game we love.
#5YearsIn
Video Credit: MoFlickedit - Be sure to Check him out on Instagram!