Ormskirk St Helens Saints chairman Mike Lea says grassroots basketball in the Northwest continues to suffer from underfunding.

This is despite the British Basketball League obtaining private investment for the professional game.

Investment plans

In December the BBL announced that Miami based investment firm 777 Partners had invested £7 million into the league in exchange for a 45% stake.

The BBL claimed the benefits of the deal would “span the entirety of the sport – from community grassroots through to the elite game in the UK”.

But Mr Lea, a volunteer coach for ten years in Merseyside and West Lancashire, claims that:

“The impact of grassroots will be little to none in the short-term, and I would be surprised to see any sustained benefit.

“That’s not what the organisation’s reason for existing is, their reason for existing is to make money.

“In order for any progress to take place there needs to be public money spent on basketball because the profit opportunities for private investors are few and far between.”

Lack of previous funding

Basketball is the second most played team sport in the UK but will receive just £1,350,000 in funding from UK Sport between 2021 and 2025.

In the previous Olympic cycle the sport received just £33,500.

Mr Lea believes a lack of funding means that governing body Basketball England is “trying it’s best.

“The people involved are doing it for the right reasons, but there is just not enough support for grassroots clubs.

“It comes down to funding, where is the funding going to come from?

“The government seems to overlook basketball on their funding metrics time and time again”.

Volunteer help

The Saints are reliant on volunteers and Mr Lea said local clubs:

“Will do as much as they possibly can to facilitate the inclusion of kids who are newly interested in basketball as a result of BBL investment.

“But there comes a point where there is no extra time available on the court.

“There is not enough volunteers and no additional help from the local authorities”.

Many grassroots clubs also face high costs when trying to access facilities, and many are dependant on local schools.

The price of hiring basketball facilities in Liverpool is as high as £30 per hour on booking website SchoolHire.

Mr Lea claims the cost can be up to £40 at some schools.

Mr Lea added that “they’re extremely expensive to hire which is an immediate barrier to setting up a club.

“The cost and ability to book a quality facility is a huge impediment.”

He believes that there should be “more talking between the council or the local authority and the school network and community clubs”.

Going forwards Mr Lea has said.

“Investment into the sport I love takes place and makes it sustainable and makes it easier for the volunteers trying to deliver it”.

(Featured image adapted, credit to 2017 Canada Summer Games https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2017-07-29_Marcel-Druwe_Women%27s-Basketball-20_(36142413201).jpg)

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