"Basketball for all is our moto and Portsmouth delivered that in spades" - Basketball England award Portsmouth Force community club of the year
A Portsmouth basketball club have received national recognition for their efforts in helping over 400 children across the city have access to the sport.
Portsmouth Force have beaten over 700 clubs to be awarded Community Club of the Year by Basketball England. The club has been named as the southern region community club of the year for two years in a row but the national award comes after it has continued to ingratiate itself in the community, including running sessions for SEN children.
Force run numerous sessions and teams for all ages and abilities, culminating in their senior men's team which compete in the National Basketball League. It doesn't just stop there though, they have partnered with City of Portsmouth College to create an Elite Basketball course and are trying to reach as many kids as possible in the city by partnering with schools to run sessions.
It was this multi-faceted approach which saw them win the award. Nick Holloway of Basketball England said: “We have over 700 clubs so it is quite a big pool in which Portsmouth have been selected out of. What stood out for Portsmouth is that they literally do it all.
“Their SEN program which they run on a Friday for kids with special needs, that is national leading in the curriculum that their coaches have developed. They also have over 100 kids aged between seven and 11 playing basketball, and are giving over 400 kids a chance to play basketball weekly. The sheer amount of community basketball that happens under that roof made them the standout of all our 700 clubs.”
“No matter what your age, income, or gender is, Portsmouth has a basketball programme for you. Basketball for all is our moto and Portsmouth delivered that in spades.”
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The award is a source of pride for the club and recognition of the hard work and passion shown by everyone involved.
Chris West, community engagement director at Portsmouth Force, said: “What is brilliant is that the award is something for everyone. Rather than it just being an individual award, it is for everyone involved with the club, whether it’s parents, kids, coaches, players, managers, officials, they have all played their part in it.”
One of those people is Laura Nightingale who is a parent to two players in the youth teams. Having spent a lot of time watching training sessions and attending the men’s games, she saw a way that the game could help children with special educational needs.
Laura had been an occupational therapist in the NHS for 20 years, before recently starting her own practice, The Southsea OT.
She said: “I absolutely loved watching so many kids getting so much out of basketball, developing their skills, getting great exercise but also the social aspects as well. I constantly meet children who find it really difficult to access community sport due to physical disabilities, mental health conditions, or neurodevelopmental differences like autism or ADHD.
“Some of these kids can’t even enter a sports hall because of the noise and bright lights, it can be completely overwhelming for them.”
Laura suggested the idea of running SEN sessions to the club and worked with Chris to build a coaching programme that would be beneficial for them. The sessions are tailored to the individual to ensure that get the most out of it. There are still spaces available but the sessions are kept purposefully small to ensure it is not too crowded and overwhelming.
With the SEN sessions being highlighted as a big factor in the club winning the award, Laura is proud of the recognition, but even more so on the difference they have made in some of the children’s lives.
She said: “It's absolutely amazing and it is lovely to have that recognition. Chris and I regularly reflect on the progress of some of these individuals.
“Some of them even now come to the men's games where previously they wouldn't have dreamed of setting foot in that environment. They've just built up this relationship with us and this love of basketball, and they've found a strategy that's enabled them to now come and have a family night out at this highly stimulating experience every Saturday night.
“Each of the kids goals is is different and we just see them progressing in so many different ways.”
The community aspect of the club has also become a focal point for some of the men’s team. The new head coach, Craig Hughes, has been involved at all levels over the years and team captain, Ollie Burke, helps coach some of the youth teams.
Ollie said: “It means a lot to me to be involved in the community side of the club. I enjoy playing for the men’s team but I now get just as much enjoyment from being involved in the coaching side of it.
“We are very fortunate with the support we get at our games so I think it is important to show that support back and help the kids.”
Portsmouth Force are not resting on their laurels, they want to continue reaching out and getting more kids involved in basketball. They want to introduce their Force in the Community programme to more primary schools in the area.
Chris said: “Basketball is the second most played team sport in the country and we want to do our bit and raise that profile within Portsmouth. We've got ambitions to keep pushing on and to make Portsmouth Force a real focal point for sport in the city.”