SLAM! Dunk for basketball in Wolverhampton Your Spaces project

As part of the Black History Month’s ‘Honouring Our Communities’ theme, we shine a light on the amazing work of Team Wolverhampton SLAM! in the city’s thriving Your Spaces programme.

SLAM! founder Douaine Anderson says his club’s involvement in the Your Spaces project is inspiring youngsters, reducing anti-social behaviour – and providing valuable learning for other Black Country community groups.

More than 2,000 young people have already taken part in Your Spaces, a project delivered by Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation, in partnership with City of Wolverhampton Council, the Premier League Foundation, and local community groups to activate parks and open spaces with inclusive and free physical activities.

Since May, Douaine and SLAM! coaches have been leading twice-weekly basketball at Heath Town, supported by the Hope Community Project. Weekly Your Spaces sessions are also taking place at Peace Park in Whitmore Reans. SLAM! is keen to continue developing basketball provision in Whitmore Reans and Bilston, both important target areas where the club believes the sport can make a positive impact in local communities.

Douaine co-founded the club in 2008 with the goal of using basketball as a tool to educate and mentor young people to improve their opportunities in life. Aligned with the Your Spaces project, SLAM! has an inclusive and community-driven ethos. The club runs a flourishing basketball development programme, with teams participating in local, regional and national competitions, whilst offering a structured pathway from grassroots to elite level.

Engaging youngsters

Through the Your Spaces initiative, the club is attracting 20-30 children and young people to participate in each session.

“The programme has been massive for us. Basketball is inspirational, it’s an exciting sport. We have great engagement from the community and youngsters,” said Douaine, a former player for Birmingham Bullets and Worcester Wolves in the British Basketball League. “As the only junior basketball development club in this part of the Black Country, we are using this to our power to provide youngsters with opportunities.”

Among the benefits of the programme:

• Creating physical activity opportunities for young people on the Heath Town estate where there is little community access to sport.

• Increasing engagement with youngsters and building stronger, safer communities.

• Mentoring players and developing future coaches, officials and community leaders.

• Providing a pathway from community participation into the SLAM! development and performance programmes.

Learning from the SLAM! approach

Douaine said building trust with youngsters by starting the sessions off informally before moving into skills development “worked great” in engaging individuals who initially didn’t want to be coached.

“It’s about investment in our young people, not just providing an activity. We’re building relationships with individuals and take time to communicate with them and get their views and ideas of what they want. The relationship that our coaches have with the young people is crucial,” he said.

It’s been important to have two coaches at every session, which are tailored to meet youngsters’ needs. “We have to be flexible – some of them want to shoot, some of them want to play and some just want to chat,” he said.

SLAM!’s approach of delivering the sessions at the heart of the Heath Town estate on the Long Ley playground has been critical to its success. It’s led to consistently strong attendances of 11- 18-year-olds, who are split into younger and older groups.

“It feels like the more opportunities to engage with young people within their local spaces, the better it is going to be. It’s been phenomenal,” he said, noting the positive feedback from participants.

“We can’t just expect young people to find us. The way they have responded and appreciated us coming into their neighbourhood to promote quality basketball training and activities… it is the way forward.”

Douaine suggests this valuable insight can help other community groups across the Black Country who might be considering where to stage activities to generate the biggest impact.

Generating participant numbers for physical activities can also be a challenge for some community groups.

SLAM! benefits from a passionate ambassador for basketball. One of their volunteers, Denise Wilson, has gone out of her way to regularly engage with youngsters using Wolverhampton’s bus station, telling them about the basketball activities at the two venues and the club itself. “She has referred youngsters to us. It’s an amazing place to signpost people.”

And Douaine believes that the Your Spaces project has helped to reduce anti-social behaviour in Heath Town and the community around Peace Park – and improved perceptions of safety. “No doubt that by taking part in the sport and our activities, it gives young people less of an opportunity to be involved in those things,” he said.

Sustainable legacy

Through the Your Spaces initiative and the club’s development programme, Douaine and his coaches are also using basketball as a discipline and capacity-building tool, their motivation embodied in the club motto: “Following Thru, In All We Do!”

“We want to provide young people with opportunities later in life whether it’s mentoring others to improve their lives, or qualifications in coaching or refereeing, and I am not surprised that some have gone on to play at a higher level,” said Douaine, who has a firm focus on “finding individuals in the community and developing them”.

Three Heath Town teenagers have achieved their Level 1 basketball qualifications, whilst several others are taking Level 2 courses. And there are plenty more to come: “We plan to build on the upskilling of young players to help the club expand and continue the legacy.”

Douaine also highlights the need for improved year-round community sports provision in Heath Town, where community access to sporting facilities is already limited. The programme is likely to pause during December because of poor weather and darker evenings, disrupting continuity.

One idea SLAM! is keen to explore with partners such as Basketball England and City of Wolverhampton Council is a covered ‘sports barn’ over one of the multi-use games areas (MUGAs), providing shelter so basketball and wider physical activity can continue throughout the year.

Get involved

As SLAM! grows, it aims to create more opportunities for young people, including trips, wider development experiences and international opportunities. The club welcomes support from local businesses and community partners to help young people, particularly those from disadvantaged families or backgrounds, access these positive basketball development opportunities.

Young people, parents, families, community groups, local organisations and businesses who would like to get involved, support the work or find out more about basketball opportunities can contact Team Wolverhampton SLAM! using the details below.

Instagram: @teamwolverhamptonslam

Website: www.slambasketball.club

Email: contact@slambasketball.club

Telephone: 07794490007