Adam Bailey

Recruitment has begun for coaching and team management roles for September’s 2021 School Games National Finals with the vacancies for Coaches and Team Managers now open for applicants. 

Taking place in Loughborough from 2-5 September 2021, the School Games National Finals will be an exciting time for the sport; not only will it be the first major wheelchair basketball event hosted in the UK since before the start of the pandemic, but it will also be played in the new 3X3 format for the first time. 

The School Games Wheelchair Basketball competition will see young athletes from England North, England Central, England South, Scotland and Wales represent their geographical area in the multi-sport event, which will include separate girls’ and boys’ wheelchair basketball competitions for the first time. 

Vacancies are now live for the roles of Coach to lead and develop the implementation of 3X3 for each team and Team Managers, who will be responsible for two teams at the 2021 School Games and will be the key point of contact for athletes. 

The full roles descriptions, including roles and responsibilities, person specification and the application process, can be viewed via the links below: 

Coach 

Team Manager 

The deadlines for applications for all roles is 12noon on Friday 25 June 2021. 

Team training and selection dates will be issued once all team staff are in place and further details will be released for athletes in due course. The athlete selection policy for the 2021 School Games National Finals can be viewed here. 

*All of the above roles are voluntary in which travel expenses, plus accommodation and sustenance during the event will be provided. 

Great Britain’s Lee Manning finished the season top of the rebounds standings in División de Honor at the end of a league season where GB internationals have starred in Spain. 

It’s been a successful season for the 16 GB athletes playing for clubs in Spain’s top division, and, while no British player may have been part of the title winning side of Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, GB internationals have continued to impress with standout performances throughout the season. 

With all 22 league games now complete, Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh ended the 2020/21 season as the highest placed British players in the league table. All five athletes were influential in BSR Amiab Albacete’s second-placed finish, level on points with BSR ACE Gran Canaria and Mideba Extremadura. 

Albacete and Mideba met on the final day of the season and, despite George Bates scoring 23 points for Mideba, Albacete secured a 61:77 victory over their opponents to clinch second-spot. 

Albacete’s Lee Manning scored eight points against Mideba and collected a game-high 15 rebounds as he ended the season top of the league’s overall standings for total rebounds – 249 rebounds at an average of 12.5 per game. 

Gaz Choudhry recorded his 10^th double-double of the season, posting 17 points and a game-leading 10 assists for Albacete, ending the season in the league’s top-five for both points and assists. Kyle Marsh also scored 17 points in Badajoz, along with seven assists to place in this season’s top-10 for assists. 

Harry Brown and Ben Fox have also both been regulars in the Albacete team, playing key roles on court, with Fox’s two-point conversion rate the best in the league, closely followed by Manning. 

George Bates has been Mideba’s top points scorer and he ended the 2020/21 campaign with a team-high 23 points against Albacete, placing him in the league’s top-five for points scored this season. 

Phil Pratt finished the season with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, along with four assists taking his season assists tally to 186 (8.9 average), the third-highest in the league. 

Billy Bridge scored eight points versus Albacete to end his first season back in Spain by helping Mideba to a top-four finish. 

James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria separated Albacete and Mideba in the table in third. MacSorley has featured in every game for Gran Canaria this season, scoring six points in their final game win against Servigest Burgos, 67:80. 

Will Bonner and Lee Fryer scored six and 10 points, respectively, as their debut seasons in Spain came to an end for Burgos. 

The league season ended with a double header for Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton as CD Ilunion claimed two wins on the final weekend. Bywater scored 14 points and Warburton eight in Ilunion’s 49:69 win away at Fundacion FDI Las Rozas on Saturday. 

On Sunday, Bywater recorded 25 points, a game-high 11 assists and nine rebounds as Ilunion ended their league campaign with a 106:44 victory against Fundacion Vital Zuzenak. Warburton scored four points as Ilunion’s attentions now turn to winning a 11^th consecutive Copa del Rey title at the beginning of next month (5-6 June). 

Bywater’s total of 25 points on Sunday included five three-pointers taking his total of maximums scored this season to 30, a total scored with the second-best three-point conversion percentage in the league. 

It’s been a mixed season for Abdi Jama’s Amivel, who lost 74:80 in overtime to Iberconsa Amfiv in their final game. Jama has been virtually ever-present for Amivel this season, totalling over 740 minutes on court, scoring 239 points, including 12 against Amfiv on Saturday. 

Lewis Edwards is also a player that has been virtually ever-present, playing the full game for Amfiv in 16 of their league games this season, including during Saturday’s overtime win, a game Edwards scored 12 points in. 

Sam Mack has also featured in every game for Amfiv, scoring two points in their final game against Amivel. 

The season isn’t quite over yet for the athletes playing for Amivel, BSR ACE Gran Canaria, BSR Amiab Albacete, CD Ilunion, Mideba Extremadura and Iberconsa Amfiv with those clubs in action in the Copa del Rey during the weekend of 5-6 June. 

As the sport continues its return to play, British Wheelchair Basketball is delighted to share the plans for the 2021/22 season, including membership, team entry and the provisional timeline for BWB competitions returning.

As ever, please note that, should it be necessary, BWB may need to adapt/change the following plans based on Government Guidance in response to COVID-19.

2021/22 Team Registration Timeline

Ahead of the BWB 2021/22 Membership period opening next week (1 June), teams can now register for BWB National League, Women’s League and Junior League competitions for the 2021/22 season. 

The timeline has been devised to ensure there is as much flexibility as possible for clubs as they continue their return to activity and also begin planning for the 2021/22 season.

The hope is the 2021/22 BWB National League season will be able to start on 2 & 3 October 2021, with Junior League and BUCS competitions starting later that month followed by Round 1 of Women’s League in November 2021 (National/Local COVID-19 restrictions and Return to Play Guidance dependent).

Clubs are encouraged to speak to BWB about the situation at their club/venue. The key dates for the 2021/22 can be viewed on the Calendar page on the BWB website here, as well as a timeline with the key team entry and registration deadlines.

Any club wishing to enter teams in any BWB National competition will need to contact membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk to register so an administrator can be assigned to the team on the BWB Membership Portal. 

BWB Membership 

Individual BWB Membership will go live on Tuesday 1 June including BWB Pre-Season Adult and Junior Membership for individuals wanting to return to activity this summer who have not already purchased 2020/21 Membership. The Pre-Season Membership is £5 for Adults and £3 for Juniors and will cover individuals for the months of June, July and August 2021. 

Current 2020/21 BWB Individual Membership, including the 2020/21 full and 2021 pre-season membership, will expire on 31 August 2021 and BWB has today announced the Membership packages for the 2021/22 season, which will become active on 1 September 2021. 

Adult Membership (£30) and Junior Membership (£15) will include a variety of benefits and must be purchased if involved in National and Local Leagues and Competitions, as a player, coach, official, welfare officer, classifier, team staff or if you have a role at a club. 

More information on all of the BWB Memberships, including the membership benefits and how to purchase membership for the new season, will be published on 1 June, along with updated Membership Terms and Conditions.

The BWB Competition Regulations have also been reviewed and updated ahead of the 2021/22 season with new and updated regulations highlighted in yellow throughout the document which can be viewed here.

If you do have any questions or queries, our Membership Team are always happy to help and they can be contacted via membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk or 01509 279900.

It’s the final weekend of league games for the GB athletes playing in Spain’s División de Honor this season including a game featuring eight GB internationals and a double header for Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton.

Bidaideak Bilbao BSR have already been confirmed as league champions, and the final weekend will see second-placed Mideba Extremadura and third-placed BSR Amiab Albacete go head-to-head in a fixture which could see eight British players take to the court.

George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt could all feature for Mideba, while Harry Brown, Gaz Choudhry, Ben Fox, Lee Manning and Kyle Marsh have all been regulars for BSR Amiab Albacete throughout the season.

James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria are level on points with Albacete, and the current fourth-placed side travel to Servigest Burgos, who include Will Bonner and Lee Fryer.

It’s going to be a busy end to the league season for Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton as their CD Ilunion travel to Fundacion FDI Las Rozas on Saturday before a Sunday evening clash at home against Fundacion Vital Zuzenak.

Abdi Jama’s Amivel will end their 2020/21 campaign with a home game against Iberconsa Amfiv, with their roster including Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack.

Although this is the final weekend of Spain’s Division de Honor, many of the GB athletes will be back in action in a couple of weeks’ time in the Copa del Rey (5-6 June).

Here’s the games to look out for across this weekend featuring GB athletes (all listed as UK times):

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php

Mideba Extremadura v BSR Amiab Albacete (11:00 – Saturday 22 May)	George Bates (Mideba) Billy Bridge (Mideba) Phil Pratt (Mideba) Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete)
Fundacion FDI Las Rozasv CD Ilunion (15:00 – Saturday 22 May)	Terry Bywater Gregg Warburton
Amivel v Iberconsa Amfiv (17:00 – Saturday 22 May)	Abdi Jama (Amivel) Lewis Edwards (Amfiv) Sam Mack (Amfiv)
Servigest Burgos v BSR ACE Gran Canaria (18:00 – Saturday 22 May)	Will Bonner (Burgos) Lee Fryer (Burgos) James MacSorley (Gran Canaria)
CD Ilunion v Fundacion Vital Zuzenak (18:00 – Sunday 23 May)	Terry Bywater Gregg Warburton

This morning (Thursday 20 May), community participants hit Finsbury Park’s outdoor basketball courts to take part in British Wheelchair Basketball’s very first Inspire a Generation wheelchair basketball session.

Marking a hugely significant moment for the sport, the event, which was attended by HRH The Countess of Wessex, British Wheelchair Basketball’s Royal Patron, signalled the official rollout of the Inspire a Generation community led six-week wheelchair basketball courses. The sessions are now available for public sign-up via www.inspireageneration.com.

The new ground-breaking £1.525m programme (funded by National Lottery and Sport England), which was announced in January, aims to welcome new participants to the sport, through enabling community delivery of wheelchair basketball in fun and informal settings. 

The five-year programme recruited its first cohort of 48 Community Activators, across 17 different delivery partners in March 2021. These trained IAG Community Activators will deliver Inspire a Generation wheelchair basketball courses for communities within nine different regions across England.

The second round of Community Activator recruitment will open shortly, with new waves of community IAG courses available across England throughout the next five years.

As the sport continues its Return to Play roadmap for grassroots wheelchair basketball across England, the launch of the public recruitment campaign for the Inspire a Generation programme could not come at a more important time.

Through welcoming new players and workforce into the sport, the NGB hopes that a longer-term outcome of the programme will be to help transition a new generation of wheelchair basketball participants into its club network. These individuals will be central to helping support sustained active lifestyles, as well as supporting the clubs to return, rebuild and recover post COVID-19. 

Lisa Pearce, Chief Executive at British Wheelchair Basketball, said:

“Never has there been a more important time to provide new inclusive, fun and informal sporting opportunities for the public. Through the Inspire a Generation programme we hope to help build sustained positive physical activity habits for all of its participants.

“The Inspire a Generation taster sessions will be vital in helping support disabled participants find or return to physical activity, many of whom have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In Inspire a Generation, we’ve developed a brand new approach for the sport at community level and I cannot wait to see how the programme develops.”

Mike Diaper, Sport England’s Executive Director for Tackling Inactivity, said:

“The work of Inspire a Generation will be key in helping those who struggle to be active the most to access appropriate opportunities in their local community, and it is brilliant to see the programme come to life beginning with the very first session today.

“With thanks to the National Lottery for their support and funding, we look forward to working with British Wheelchair Basketball to help Inspire a Generation reach as many people as possible.”

Great Britain Women’s Wheelchair Basketball player, Joy Haizelden, said:

“Today is a hugely exciting moment for wheelchair basketball and a really positive move to get more people playing the game we all love. I don’t know where I’d be without wheelchair basketball and I hope that through the Inspire a Generation sessions, more people can try the sport and experience the happiness it has brought me.”

To find out where your nearest sessions are, or to become a Community Activator, visit www.inspireageneration.com.

Helen Freeman ended a busy season in Germany with victory as the three-time Paralympian helped RSB Thuringia Bulls claim the RBBL Championship title, beating RSV Lahn-Dill in the best-of-three play-off final. 

After a dramatic overtime victory in game one the previous weekend, Freeman and RSB Thuringia Bulls knew a win in the second game would secure the Championship title against Simon Brown’s and Ian Sagar’s RSV Lahn-Dill. 

With nothing to separate the two teams at the end of the first quarter, Freeman’s two points came at a crucial time in the game; with Freeman scoring the final points of the second quarter to give Thuringia Bulls a five-point lead at the half-way stage. 

Thuringia Bulls extended their lead to seven points in the final two quarters, securing a 45:52 victory and another league title for Freeman. 

It may not have been the conclusion Simon Brown and Ian Sagar would have hoped for but it’s a season that has included success for Brown and Sagar. They were both part of the RSV Lahn-Dill side that beat Thuringia Bulls in the final of the recent Champions Cup. 

Spain 

The season may be over in Germany but the GB athletes playing in Spain have got a few more weeks left of action with one more weekend of league fixtures before the Copa del Rey at the beginning of June.

Gaz Choudhry was the top-scoring British player during the penultimate weekend of fixtures, recording a game-high points total of 26 points in BSR Amiab Albacete’s 85:46 win over Abdi Jama’s Amivel. 

Lee Manning scored 18 points and topped the game’s standings for both assists (six) and rebounds (20) – his latest total rebound haul puts him top of the league’s overall standings for the 2020/21 season heading into the final weekend.

Ben Fox added 13 points and Kyle Marsh 12 with Harry Brown also in action as Albacete recorded their 16^th win of the season. Abdi Jama scored seven points for Amivel. 

George Bates, Billy Bridge and Phil Pratt helped Mideba Extremadura beat Fundacion Aliados 56:71 but their title hopes are, sadly, over after Bidaideak Bilbao BSR were confirmed as Division de Honor champions following their 79:82 victory over Terry Bywater’s and Gregg Warburton’s CD Ilunion. 

Bates scored 18 points for Mideba in their penultimate league game, while Pratt recorded eight points, six assists and five rebounds. Billy Bridge scored four points as Mideba head into the final weekend second in the table. 

CD Ilunion will have a final weekend double header having played a game less and Bywater and Warburton will be looking to end the season strongly after narrowly losing out to champions Bidaideak Bilbao BSR. 

Warburton’s nine points included a three-pointer which sparked a final minute fightback from Ilunion, but, despite the Madrid-based club closing the gap to three points, Bilbao held on to win 79:82. 

There was British interest on both sides of the court as Iberconsa Amfiv and Servigest Burgos went head-to-head. Lewis Edwards and Sam Mack were both part of the victorious Amfiv side, with Edwards scoring 14 points in Amfiv’s 65:47 win. 

Lee Fryer was Burgos’ highest-scoring player with 13 points with Fryer and Will Bonner both among Burgos’ starting-five. 

James MacSorley scored two points for BSR ACE Gran Canaria in their 89:8 victory against Getafe BSR.  

It’s the final showdown in Germany this weekend with Helen Freeman, Simon Brown and Ian Sagar all set to feature during the RBBL1 Championship deciding weekend in Germany.

The first game of the best-of-three play-off final took place last weekend and saw Helen Freeman score four points as the three-time Paralympian helped RSB Thuringia Bulls to a dramatic 79:85 overtime victory against RSV Lahn-Dill.

Simon Brown and Ian Sagar have both been regulars for Lahn-Dill throughout the 2020/21 campaign and they head into Saturday’s game at their home Rittal Arena Wetzlar knowing they need to win to set-up a deciding duel on Sunday.

There’s still two league games remaining for the GB athletes playing in Spain and British players could play a key role in the title race with no end of season play-offs in Division de Honor this season.

Phil Pratt top-scored with 24 points in Mideba Extremadura’s one-point victory against CD Ilunion last weekend to keep Mideba’s hopes of winning the league title alive.

Pratt, George Bates and Billy Bridge will need the help of GB teammates Terry Bywater and Gregg Warburton as their CD Ilunion take on league leaders Bidaideak Bilbao BSR, who could win the Division de Honor title with victory in Madrid on Saturday.

There will also be two head-to-head battles between GB athletes in Spain as Iberconsa Amfiv (Lewis Edwards/Sam Mack) host Servigest Burgos (Will Bonner/Lee Fryer), and BSR Amiab Albacete (Harry Brown/Gaz Choudhry/Ben Fox/Lee Manning/Kyle Marsh) host Amivel (Abdi Jama).

James MacSorley’s BSR ACE Gran Canaria are also in action; they play Getafe BSR on Saturday in their penultimate fixture.

Germany – https://www.rbbl.de/de/rbbl1/

RSV Lahn-Dill v RSB Thuringia Bulls (Play-Off Final) (Game 2 – 18:30 – Saturday 15 May; Game 3 [if RSV Lahn-Dill win Game 2] – 15:00 – Sunday 16 May)

Simon Brown (Lahn-Dill) Ian Sagar (Lahn-Dill)   Helen Freeman (Thuringia)

Spain – http://bsr.feddf.es/index.php

Iberconsa Amfiv v Servigest Burgos (17:00 – Saturday 15 May)	Lewis Edwards (Amfiv) Sam Mack (Amfiv) Will Bonner (Burgos) Lee Fryer (Burgos)
BSR ACE Gran Canaria v Getafe BSR (17:00 – Saturday 15 May)	James MacSorley
Fundacion Aliados v Mideba Extremadura (17:00 – Saturday 15 May)	George Bates Billy Bridge Phil Pratt
CD Ilunion v Bidaideak Bilbao BSR (17:30 – Saturday 15 May)	Terry Bywater Gregg Warburton
BSR Amiab Albacete v Amivel (18:00 – Saturday 15 May)	Harry Brown (Albacete) Gaz Choudhry (Albacete) Ben Fox (Albacete) Lee Manning (Albacete) Kyle Marsh (Albacete) Abdi Jama (Amivel)

British Wheelchair Basketball will move to Stage 2 of its Return to Play Guidance from 17 May as the sport continues its return to play in the UK. 

With further easing of restrictions next week in England and Scotland, all participants in England and most areas in Scotland will join Wales in being able to return to indoor activity, in line with BWB’s Stage 2 Guidance. 

Northern Ireland will remain in Stage 1, with further announcements expected later in May regarding indoor sport. 

The updated Return to Play Matrix and Stage 2 Guidance can be viewed on the following pages: Matrix / Stage 2 Guidance. 

There is still a maximum number of people allowed (full court=up to 12 people; half-court=up to 6 people) on court, no sharing of equipment and social distancing must be maintained at all times, but BWB’s guidance on wearing face masks for participants has been updated.

BWB recommends participants continue to wear face masks when participating indoors, but this is no longer mandatory. Face masks must still be worn by all support roles, such as coaches and volunteers, indoors.

Lateral Flow testing is also recommended before any sessions, or a minimum of two per week where multiple sessions are attended. Please refer to https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests for more information on obtaining tests in your area. 

BWB is able to support the sourcing of testing where this is not readily available from your Home Country Government.

If you have any questions or need any assistance please email our membership team on membership@britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk or call the office on 01509 279900.

More information can be found on the Return to Play section on the BWB website: https://britishwheelchairbasketball.co.uk/return-to-play/