LOUGHBOROUGH BASKETBALL PROGRAMME
THIS IS WHAT WE DO
The programme offers young people from the UK and overseas the opportunity to receive a high-class education whilst also developing as a basketball athlete through an elite basketball programme. The closely formed partnership between the Leicester Riders Basketball Club, Loughborough University, Loughborough College and Charnwood College sparked the beginnings of an elite player development programme. Now two years on the Loughborough Basketball Programme continues to grow. Loughborough Basketball’s men’s and women’s elite squads engage in an intense training schedule. The workouts not only aim to develop position specific skills, but also target improving the player’s strength and conditioning. Additionally, our sports science and analysis team utilizes all of the University’s world-class sports facilities to help create a complete programme. Many of our current student athletes have had recent international appearances. Some include; -
Jamell Anderson Great Britain Senior Men Georgia Jones Great Britain Senior women Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby Great Britain Senior Women Maaja Bratka Estonia Senior Women Conner Washington Great Britain U20 John Stewart Great Britain U20 Jennie Rodgers Great Britain U20 Levi Noel Great Britain U20 Whitney Allen Great Britain U20
As well as providing an extensive support structure for its elite squad players, the programme caters for a wide range of abilities. The ever-expanding programme currently features seven men’s and four women’s teams as well as development squads for each. With a large, experienced coaching staff spanning all teams and great practice facilities, all teams play a busy season. The programme also provides coaching, volunteering and educational opportunities for students. Prospective Higher Education student-athletes will have the opportunity to study at either the University or the College, which will allow them to be eligible for the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competition. Alongside these fixtures, both men’s and women’s programmes will compete in EBL competition to create a longer and more challenging season.
BASKETBALL AT LOUGHBOROUGH
Sitting beneath the HE programme at Loughborough University and Loughborough is the development programme based at Charnwood College. The aim is to provide the necessary practice schedule and coaching to enable these players to develop their playing abilities with the opportunity to progress to an international standard. All players are welcome to join the Loughborough Basketball Programme and will receive excellent support for both playing and academic development no matter where they may sit within the programme.
Georgia Jones joined the Loughborough Basketball programme at the post-graduate entry point. The Great Britain point guard completed her undergraduate studies at Oral Roberts University before playing professionally in Romania for one season. She returned to the UK in pursuit of a developmental programme that suited her needs; the Loughborough Basketball Programme did exactly that. Georgia returned from a summer with Great Britain duties at EuroBasket to continue her education at Loughborough University’s School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. She competed for the Loughborough Riders in the WNBL, the highest level of Women’s basketball in the UK.
GEORGIA JONES CASE STUDY
“I am really enjoying my time at Loughborough. My classes are going well and all of the university staff and lecturers I have come into contact with have been really helpful. As far as basketball is concerned, the professionalism of the Loughborough Riders programme is evident and I have been able to focus on areas I need to develop for my future career. The coaching staff and facilities available are top class, and I am just grateful for the opportunity to use them every day.”
LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY Loughborough University boasts a prestigious reputation for sporting excellence as well as first class academic programmes spanning a broad spectrum of subjects. Loughborough Basketball combines excellence both in the classroom and on the court, all underpinned by personal development during student-athletes time in the programme.
The women’s programme at Loughborough continues to develop. A successful first season in EBL Division One has catalysed the Women’s programme to develop into a more comprehensive programme than ever before.
Facility access and high-level coaches ensure student-athletes have all the tools to develop to their maximum potential during their time at Loughborough. The elite men’s programme now competes in BUCS Premier against the best Universities in the UK. Additional to this at the weekends the players either compete in the Division Two National League or alternatively feed into the Riders BBL team.
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Loughborough University Basketball Programme offers: BUCS Premier North and EBL Competition Outlets Five competitive Men’s Teams Three competitive Women’s Team Intensive development lead schedule World class academics
LEICESTER RIDERS The Leicester Riders BBL Franchise is a crucial part to the Loughborough Basketball Programme. The expertise that has produced the longest running basketball club in the UK adds great benefit to the programme as well as the BBL men’s team allowing a professional outlet for players whilst still studying. Riders also continue to play a big role in the development of the Women’s team as they assist them in growing into a more professional team competing in the WNBL. -
BBL Cup Champions 2013/14 BBL League Champions 2013/14 BBL Playoff Champions 2013/14 Five Loughborough Students on the BBL roster - Advanced coaches and expert support staff The Leicester Riders is the oldest BBL basketball club in the UK. Formed in 1967 at Loughborough University, the Riders organisation has grown tremendously throughout its history with continued exciting developments including a new purpose build arena due for the near future. Alongside the high performance arm of the organisation, the Leicester Riders work to grow the game of basketball in the Leicestershire area continues to succeed through working in over 100 schools and reaching over 10,000 young people last season.
JAMELL ANDERSON CASE STUDY
Great Britain’s Jamell Anderson transferred to join the Loughborough Basketball Programme two seasons ago and is now in his final year of academic study. Jamell remains a key player within the Leicester Riders and Loughborough University teams. Evidently in his first two seasons Jamell has grown significantly as a player. Jamell progressed through to play on court representing Leicester Riders as part of the 2013 BBL Championship, as well as representing England in the World 3x3 Championships. In addition to this with the support of our coaches and staff Jamell was able to advance to the Great Britain Senior National team. “I chose Loughborough because of the facilities, immense support, great staff and their overall sporting legacy, which I hope to become a part of. Playing professionally, as well as studying at Loughborough, presents me with experience and priceless support that will only enhance my ability to be successful.”
LOUGHBOROUGH COLLEGE Loughborough College offers an alternative route into the Loughborough Basketball Programme. The college offers additional academic support alongside smaller class sizes to create an alternative style of University education better suited to some student-athletes. If you are applying for a course at Loughborough College please note there are currently four courses that allow you to compete in the British University and Colleges Sport league and fully engage with the Loughborough Basketball Programme. These are; • Foundation Degree in Sports Science • Foundation Degree in Sports Science with Sports Development & Management • Foundation Degree in Sports Coaching • BSc(Hons) in Applied Sports Science/Sports Science Management (Top-Up Degree)
16-19 Academy Loughborough College also offers an exciting young academy programme for 16-19 year olds looking to develop further in basketball. The academy, which is run in partnership with the Leicester Riders, offers students of the college the opportunity to play in a competitive structured programme in preparation for moving on to a University programme, either at Loughborough or in the UK.
Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby joined the Loughborough Basketball programme aged 16 looking to start the transition from a Junior National Team player to breaking into the Senior National Team with Great Britain. After two years of hard work Harriet was able to do exactly that as she made her first Senior Great Britain appearance in the summer of 2013 aged just 17.
At Charnwood College we deliver the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) programme. The initiative, endorsed by England Basketball, is only operated at selected institutions nationally, and is a combination of emphasis on both sporting excellence and academic achievement. What is Charnwood College AASE Programme? The AASE programme is designed to meet the needs of elite athletes aged 16-18 who wish to continue their sporting career and gain qualifications at the same time. The AASE is not a qualification for simply playing the game; it is notionally a two-year programme where apprentices receive additional support and guidance for their basketball development and education. AASE is aimed at athletes who have the realistic potential to achieve excellence in their sport and are seeking to perform at the highest level as a key career goal. Benefits of Charnwood College Charnwood’s AASE programme is very unique in the fact that it sits below a further player development pathway based at Loughborough University, Loughborough College and the Leicester Riders. Our link to the professional BBL team Leicester Riders is unique in comparison to the other AASE institutions. Furthermore we also have the Loughborough Basketball Programme which includes taking your talents onto that
“next level” to study in Higher Education where you can continue your growth as a basketball player whilst also gaining a high quality education. You would have an opportunity to gain a Bachelor of Science Degree from Loughborough University. Our facilities are top class, with access to six full sized basketball courts, a leading weights and fitness centre, swimming pools and athletics tracks; Loughborough is the perfect place to help develop your game and enhance your student-athlete experience. Exit routes from Charnwood College Importantly, AASE also provides an array of exit opportunities. It gives the selected players a chance to progress on to that “next level”. Some of our previous AASE graduates have scholarships to American Colleges, or have gone on to Loughborough College and Loughborough University to gain Bachelor of Science Degrees. And others have managed to exit into a capacity within the sport and recreation industry such as coaching, officiating, sports development, sports management, fitness instructor, and so on. We want to help provide you a career in basketball, but more importantly, a career after basketball, whenever that may be. The programme has been designed so that if an athlete falls short of their ultimate goal, they have the skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience to pursue a career in any field.
Harriet’s height and athleticism provided exciting potential, however it was her drive and willingness to learn that would help the most on her journey as a player. Whilst at Charnwood College Harriet benefited from the close partnership links with Loughborough University and Leicester Riders development programmes, allowing her to access a higher level of basketball and a more extensive player development system. Harriet, who has now taken up a full scholarship to Lafayette College, attributes her growth to great teammates and fantastic support from the Loughborough Basketball Programme and now is looking to continue the development she has pushed for. “I have greatly improved during my time at Loughborough and this can easily be seen in the statistics for my national team appearances, where I went from averaging 5 minutes a game in the 2011 U16 European Championships to 25 minutes in the 2013 U20 European Championships. The help I have had from my Coach and the Loughborough Basketball Programme has been phenomenal. Playing Division One year season has built confidence, and, of course, playing day-in day-out against teammates like Maaja Bratka, who is an Estonian International, has been a great learning experience. I just want to continue to learn.”
HARRIET OTTEWILL-SOULSBY
CASE STUDY
FIELD HOUSE
UNDERGRADUATE ACCOMMODATION
The Leicester Riders have recently taken over a 30-bed boarding house in the heart of Loughborough to open up the exciting option of residential stays for young academy students that do not live locally to Loughborough. All student-athletes that are residents of the house receive a nurturing environment that helps facilitate academic success development. - A supportive nurturing environment - Scheduled academic study to ensure students reach their potential - A designated study hall - Three meals per day - Social areas to use in downtime including a pool table, TV room and big screen games room - Supportive staff supervision throughout the day Students looking to stay at Field House can choose between two weekly stay plans of either five or seven days per week. This is to allow flexibility to suit the individual’s needs. The family feel to the house allows for new students to settle quickly into their new environment whilst the support from the staff and wardens provides assistance with any concerns. Please contact Phil Gleadell, Head of Boarding on phil@leicesterriders.co.uk for more information about the house and information on how to apply.
The Loughborough Basketball Programme and the Leicester Riders aim to provide their student athletes with high quality affordable accommodation in great locations in Loughborough. We are able to offer professional style apartments as an alternative to student halls. Our programme aims to provide an elite environment to maximise the student’s development on and off the court.
Leicester Riders Student-Athlete Accommodation Includes; - Modern, stylish en-suite room - Television with Freeview in all bedrooms - Modern designed kitchen with up to date appliances, breakfast bar and large television - Secure rooms with flat pass cards and individually lockable bedrooms - Free high-speed broadband in all rooms.
For more information on our undergraduate accommodation please contact joe@leicesterriders.co.uk
FACILITIES
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Loughborough Basketball values the addition of overseas students. The programme aims to offer overseas students aged 16+ the opportunity to progress in their basketball development whilst gaining an education, and experiencing life in the UK.
The Loughborough Basketball Programme utilises multiple sites for maximum development time for elite athletes. The combination of great academics with high-level coaching and elite facilities is something the Loughborough Basketball Programme prides itself on. – Nine Basketball Courts across three campuses. – The best Strength and Conditioning facilities in the UK at Loughborough University – Three smaller gyms ensuring all student-athletes have a place to engage their fitness needs – An Olympic sized pool alongside a smaller pool – High Performance Athletics Centre – Gatorade Sports Science Institute – Multiple seminar rooms for performance analysis and team meetings
The School of Business and Economics at Loughborough University have teamed up with the Leicester Riders and the Loughborough Basketball Programme to offer a postgraduate scholarship. The postgraduate scholarship allows student-athletes to combine the acquisition of a world-class business degree, with the opportunity to continue playing basketball at an elite level. In addition to the academic qualification, Loughborough Basketball and the Leicester Riders can offer incredible internship opportunities, which will increase any postgraduate student’s employability upon departure.
COACHING
VOLUNTEERING
Coaching unpins all that happens within the Loughborough Basketball Programme. A growing coaching staff within the programme allows young promising coaches an opportunity to develop and grow whilst involved. – Motivated mentors for young coaches – Dedicated professional development sessions for all coaches – Changing roles to offer better growth for coaches – Affiliation to Loughborough University’s Coaching Academy Programme Many development coaches within the programme have gone onto work within basketball whilst others have used the positive personal attributes coaching can provide to build success professional careers.
Loughborough Basketball has grown to be an extensive programme with many different groups of staff pulling together to achieve it’s common goal. The Loughborough Basketball programme requires all it’s studentathletes to commit to overall growth as a person including volunteer both within the programme and the local community. The programme also welcomes passionate people to join one of the many departments based between Loughborough and Leicester and develop their skills as the programme grows. – Officiating – Media – Operations – Marketing – Sponsorship
STAFF The Loughborough Basketball Programme recognises that the right coaches and staff are key to the success of any programme and are very happy to have a growing elite development staff. Russell Levenston Managing Director Rob Paternostro BBL Head Coach Sam Heathcote Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Michael Hanson-Morris Performance Analyst Sussi Maguire Women’s Programme Manager
ACCOMPLISHMENTS BBL Playoffs Champions 2013 BBL League Champions 2013 BBL Cup Champions 2013 BBL Coach of the Year 2013 Rob Paternostro BUCS Women’s Champions 2013
BUCS Premier North Champions 2013 Betty Codona Classic Runners Up 2014 England U18 Player of the Year 2013 Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby EBL Women’s Final Four 2013 BUCS Women’s Final 8s
BUCS Men’s Finals 8s BUCS Women’s 2A Champions 2013 BUCS Cup Champions 2013 Leicestershire U16 Champions Charnwood College Leicester Mercury Team of Year 2013
Joe Pinchin Operations Manager joe@leicesterriders.co.uk
Mark Jarram Head Coach of Men’s Elite Development mark@leicesterriders.co.uk
Matthew Harber Head Coach of Women’s Basketball matthew@leicesterriders.co.uk
Rear Cover – Same as the Elite Training Facilities – Four Partner logos
For further information, please contact: T: +44(0)116 255 8635 E: info@leicesterriders.co.uk
www.loughboroughsport.com www.leicesterriders.co.uk www.charnwoodcollege.org www.loucoll.ac.uk Follow us on social media t @lborobasketball v Loughborough Basketball ć lborobasketball t @ridersbball v Leicester Riders ć ridersbball
Photo Credits: Still Sport, Matt Withers, Paul Davis, Zak Pinchin, 5or6.co.uk, Loughborough Sport