london coaches program

London Coaches Program: Enhancing skills, employability and health through basketball 

The application period for the second cohort is now closed. The next application round will open in due course. 

The London Coaches Program is a new partnership funded by the Mayor of London and the National Basketball Association (NBA) and delivered by Basketball England.  

It will deliver a three-year program, between 2023 and 2025, to create a managed network of development, training and delivery opportunities for 500 new community coaches aged 16 to 30. 

The Program will be free for those selected to take part. 

Want to enrol in the Program?

The Program is FREE for residents of London aged 16-30.

Participants will receive a 12-month education and training program, covering all the elements needed to become a great coach both on and off the basketball court including:

  • Basketball England community coach education and qualification
  • First aid training
  • Safe guarding education
  • Mental health and welfare education
  • Online access to NBA and BE coach education resources
  • In-person clinics and education
  • Mentoring support
  • Basketball England coach license and insurance
  • DBS check
  • Basketballs and coaching uniform

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Want to be a coach mentor in the Program?

We're committed to mentoring grassroots coaches to start and continue coaching with confidence. The London Coaches Program mentor scheme will develop valuable coach-to-coach relationships.  

Mentors will support 20 coaches in a 12-month period and mentors will be recompensed for their time and contributions. Mentors will provide quarterly updates to the program manager.

The period for expressing interest in becoming a mentor for the second cohort is now closed. Please contact [email protected] for more information. 

Find out more about mentoring in the FAQs at the foot of this page.

Program objectives 

  • To create and manage a network of development, training and delivery opportunities for 500 new young coaches aged 16-30 
  • To help create the conditions for potential coach employment via a London-wide development and assignment program 
  • To provide a coaching network to develop young people (8-14 years) and signpost them to clubs 
  • To target ethnically diverse, deprived or underserved communities and locations in London 

How the Program will work

Coaches 

The enrolled coaches will receive education, development and mentoring both on and off the court. The Program will: 

  • Build confidence 
  • Improve life skills, coaching skills and employability 
  • Provide mentoring - coaches on the program will be allocated a mentor/coach developer to support them at adopted clubs and organisations 
  • Provide on-the-job training and work experience 
  • Potentially lead to new employment opportunities 

Community players 

Eight-14-year-olds in schools, clubs and communities in London will benefit from the new coaches enrolled on the Program. The Program will: 

  • Develop basketball skills and playing opportunities 
  • Deliver mentoring - coaches within the program will coach and support around 20,000 youngsters over the course of the program as part of Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s promise to give 100,000 people a mentor 

Clubs, organisations and communities  

Clubs, organisations and communities across London will receive a range of support and benefits. The Program will: 

  • Support young people from ethnically diverse, deprived or underserved communities  
  • Encourage Londoners to be more active 
  • Help clubs and organisations host community-based sessions 
  • Give clubs and organisations the opportunity to nominate members for the coaching program

The partners 

  • The Mayor of London will provide funding, support and oversight to improve the health, opportunities and employability for young people and communities
  • The NBA will provide funding and use the power and recognition of its brand, including Jr. NBA, to promote the Program. It will provide access to online coach resources and supply coaches with basketballs and co-branded coaching uniform and equipment 
  • Basketball England will operate the Program, in partnership with Mayor of London and NBA, employing two members of full-time staff based in London to oversee and manage the delivery and training/mentoring programs 

FAQs

Who can apply to join the London Coaches Program?   +

We welcome all applicants and are committed to recruiting candidates that are representative of the communities that we serve. We would especially welcome applications from underrepresented groups in coaching, such as women and girls, those from diverse ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, from diverse faith groups and members from the LGBTQIA+ community.  

Priority for places will be given to those in education, currently unemployed or in part-time work.  

Additionally:  

  • Applicants must live in one of the 32 London Boroughs 
  • And be aged 16-30 years-old (applicants under 18 will need parental/guardian permission). 

If you are interested in enrolling as a coach, complete the application form.

Basketball England is fully committed to equality in terms of opportunity and open access. This includes a commitment to protecting and tackling discrimination and ensuring that no employee, job applicant, volunteer or member receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of the protected characteristics of age, sex, race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins), disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity. 

I am disabled/have additional needs, what support is available to me?  +

Candidates can contact [email protected] to discuss specific needs and support.  

When will I know if I am on the Program?   +
The application period for the second cohort is now closed. The next application round will open in due course. 

Candidates will be selected in early November and informed subsequently. 

All candidates will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before the Program commences in December. 

I missed the application deadline, is it too late to get involved? Who can I contact to ask?  +
The application period for the second cohort is now closed. The next application round will open in due course. 

Please contact [email protected]  

When will the program start and finish?  +

The Program runs for 12 months and candidates are expected to commit to that period, as there will be regular coaching activity and education and training sessions. 

Candidates will be expected to attend the annual London coaches’ workshop in association with the NBA and Basketball England. 

The first cohort of coaches started in summer 2023 and further cohorts will be onboarded on a six-month basis until June 2025, ie if you are in the second cohort of coaches, you will start the Program in the winter of 2023/2024. 

How will the Program be delivered?   +

The Program will be delivered online and in-person.  

What education and training is included in the Program?  +

Candidates will receive the following education and training (non-exhaustive):  

  • Basketball England coaching qualifications: 
  • Introduction to Coaching Basketball 
  • Community Basketball Coach 
  • First aid 
  • Safeguarding and protecting children and young people 
  • Mental health and well-being  
  • Access to online resources, including OWQLO (used by the Jr. NBA) and HIVE apps 
  • Face-to-face workshops and coaching clinics 
  • Mentoring support 

In addition, candidates will receive Basketball England Membership, a coaching licence and insurance, a DBS check, basketball equipment and a coach’s uniform.  

The total program value is approximately £1000 per coach. 

How much will it cost me?   +

The Program is FREE.  

Who will I be coaching? How often will I be coaching? Where will the sessions be?  +

Time spent coaching will be dependent on each candidate’s commitments, but on average one-three sessions per-week.  

Candidates will be providing basketball coaching and playing opportunities for young people aged eight-14.  

The coaching will take place in a variety of environments, such as basketball clubs, schools, outdoor courts, sports halls etc.  

Do I need basketball experience to be involved?   +

An appreciation of basketball and sport is desirable, but not essential. Full training will be provided.  

We are asking that candidates have a passion and a desire to want to improve and drive their own learning journey and have a willingness to engage with others and promote the many benefits of sport and a healthy lifestyle. 

Candidates will need to have a positive mental attitude and eagerness to learn from experienced coaches and other professionals and must be willing to build a relationship with their mentor, be open and honest about their coaching experiences and be willing to receive feedback.  

Candidates will be expected to participate in, at minimum, one phone or video call per-month with their mentor, with other online communication. 

I’m already a qualified coach. How do I get involved?  +

We are looking for people without coaching qualifications. 

If you are qualified and meet the criteria, you could be a coach mentor.

Please contact [email protected]  

How can our club/organisation support or get involved in the Program?   +

If your club/organisation provide basketball sessions for eight-14-year-olds, there will be an opportunity for you to host a candidate. 

Please contact [email protected] to express your interest. 

What is involved in the mentor program?   +

We're committed to mentoring grassroots coaches to start and continue coaching with confidence. The London Coaches Program mentor scheme will develop valuable coach-to-coach relationships.  

Mentors will support 20 coaches in a 12-month period and mentors will be recompensed for their time and contributions.  

Mentors will provide quarterly updates to the London Coaches Program Manager.  

The scheme is designed to: 

  • Give coach candidates an opportunity to learn from experienced coaches 
  • Increase and retain the pool of active qualified coaches 
  • Support the development of coaches with bespoke one-to-one feedback 
  • Highlight role models in the game 
  • Develop and support more coaches across Basketball England’s club and mentor network 
  • Professionally and personally develop the mentor and the coach candidate on-and-off the court 
  • Foster relationships among coaches across different generations and demographics 
  • Develop the next generation of mentors  
  • And support the integrity of the coaching profession
I want to be a coach mentor. How do I become one?  +

To become a mentor, candidates must:  

  • Have a minimum Level 2 basketball coaching qualification  
  • Hold a valid Basketball England DBS 
  • Hold in-date safeguarding and first aid qualifications 
  • Have a passion for coaching and developing young people 
  • Be able to commit to the program for 12 months, with the expectation of working 20 hours per-month  
  • Contribute to feedback via focus groups or reviews 

Please contact [email protected]  

When will I know if I am a mentor?   +
The application period for mentors is now closed. The next round of applications will open in due course. 

Mentors will be selected in November and informed subsequently. The program will commence in December 2023.