After a successful 2016/17 season that saw the COHENEL Warriors win the AoC division in emphatic style with a win on the road against Peterborough Academy, Bask...
COHENEL WARRIORS CROWNED CBL U18 CHAMPIONS
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WARRIORS WIN PROMOTION TO ABL
COHENEL PLACE 3RD IN EUROCUP IN BARCELONA
The Warriors flew out to sunny Barcelona to challenge a range of international teams at the prestigious Euro Basketball Cup over a long weekend of high-end comp...
COHENEL HEAD TO BARCELONA FOR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Fresh off of a successful AoC division winning season, LSB’s CONEL Basketball Academy are flying over to Sunny Spain to compete in the Euro Basketball Cup...
THABISO KHOZA WINS SEASON MVP
Senior small forward, Thabiso Khoza, was named the 2016/17 COHENEL Warriors Most Valuable Player at the end of year Basketball Academy Awards ceremony, which to...
WARRIORS WIN AoC EAST REGION CHAMPIONSHIP
CoHNEL Crowned AoC East Region Champions with a comeback win on the road CoHENEL 59-55 Peterborough Academy The first meeting between the two teams in November ...
COHENEL BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP
£2,500 OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR 16-18 YEAR OLD PLAYERS
COHENEL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN A WINNING TEAM & INVEST IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
COHENEL BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP
£2,500 OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR 16-18 YEAR OLD PLAYERS
COHENEL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN A WINNING TEAM & INVEST IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
COHENEL BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP
£2,500 OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR 16-18 YEAR OLD PLAYERS
COHENEL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN A WINNING TEAM & INVEST IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
Head Coach: AJ Roberts
AJ Roberts joined COHENEL Basketball Academy in 2017 with a reputation as a highly-skilled offensive and defensive coach with a decorated playing career that spans across US high school, college and professionally in both America and Europe.
AJ was born in Fresno, California but played his college basketball at Union University (NCAA), where he averaged 14ppg and earned 'All-Region' honours as one of the best players across his division. Roberts transferred to Union from Niagra County (N.Y.) Community College where he played two seasons of standout basketball. He was named third team all-region as a freshman and first team all-region as a sophomore in JUCO. Roberts earned the Team MVP award both seasons. In junior college, he averaged 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks per game.
Prior to college, Roberts played at Niagara Catholic (N.Y.) High School where he played basketball and football. He led his basketball team to the 2005 and 2007 MMCC Title, along with a Catholic State runner-up in 2007. In high school basketball, Roberts earned first team all-Catholic, defensive MVP, team MVP twice, and team captain three times. His football honors included first team all-Catholic, team MVP, captain and first team all-state.
Professionally, Roberts is currently a member of the London City Royals first team who play in British basketball’s premier league (BBL).
After serving as an assistant to former COHENEL head coach Jay Williams, Roberts feels well- positioned to take the Academy forward and is eager to share his vast playing experiences and technical ‘know-how’ in helping COHENEL Academy players reach the next level.
“I welcome all players to the academy who are interested in becoming the best student-athletes they can be and I’m looking forward to working with each and every player who makes it to our program, in bringing out the best of their potential both on and off the court. I’ve played at JUCO and college in the states, so for players looking for that option or to progress their careers here in the UK or in Europe, I have a unique insight into what it takes and helping develop the skills to make those goals a reality”.
COHENEL BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP
£2,500 OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR 16-18 YEAR OLD PLAYERS
COHENEL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN A WINNING TEAM & INVEST IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
Apply For Courses @ COHENEL
The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London is one of London's top further education colleges for success rates and student course satisfaction. We are proud to offer a welcoming, friendly and lively environment for our students.
With two London bases in Enfield and Tottenham, we offer over 300 vocational courses across a wide range of subjects.
We also offer university access, higher education and postgraduate courses, Key Stage 4 courses and apprenticeships.
To learn more about the wide array of courses availalbe to you at COHENEL please visit the offical college website:
https://www.conel.ac.uk/courses.html
APPLY FOR COURSES @ COHENEL
The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London is one of London's top further education colleges for success rates and student course satisfaction. We are proud to offer a welcoming, friendly and lively environment for our students.
With two London bases in Enfield and Tottenham, we offer over 300 vocational courses across a wide range of subjects.
We also offer university access, higher education and postgraduate courses, Key Stage 4 courses and apprenticeships.
To learn more about the wide array of courses availalbe to you at COHENEL please visit the offical college website:
https://www.conel.ac.uk/courses.html
COHENEL BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP
£2,500 OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT AVAILABLE FOR 16-18 YEAR OLD PLAYERS
COHENEL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
JOIN A WINNING TEAM & INVEST IN YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY
COLLEGE OF HARINGEY, ENFIELD & NORTH EAST LONDON
The COHENEL Basketball Academy is based at the Enfield campus of the college which is located at:
College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London
73 Hertford Road
Enfield
Middlesex
EN3 5HA
(Sat-Nav EN3 5AL)
Click on any of the questions below:
LSB Academies are free of charge for 16-18 year olds who eligible for college in England.
You are not restricted from applying to a LSB academy if you are 19, however in some instances you may be restricted in your choice of study. We recommend you apply for your chosen academy and our administrators will confirm what is or isn't available to you once you apply.
Academy teams typically compete in a number of leagues in order to provide our players with as much game playing opportunities as possible. A LSB Academy typically schedules between 30-45 games per season.
Courses of study vary from college to college, but typically include A-Levels and BTECS across a wide range of subjects and also GCSE re-takes for those who require.
LSB Academies are also introducing SAT preparation classes for players who aspire to play in America to best prepare for the Scholastic Aptititude Test exam, which is a pre-requisite for all players intent on playing college basketball in the US.
Varsity players at our academies receive 10 hours per week team practise, in addition to individual and team S&C and individual skills development sessions. In total, this can aggregate to 15 hours of basketball related coaching per week.
No. All student-athletes attending a LSB Academy are required to enrol on a course of academic study at the partnered college. Basketball and education go hand in hand at all of our academies.
First step is to till out an prospective player enquiry form, found to the right on this page. Alternatively you can apply for a trial directly with one of the academies found here: LSB ACADEMY LISTINGS
Once your information has been received, a member of our team will get back to you and invite you to a trial date at one of the Academies. After your trial, if successful and you are academically eligible, you will be invited to enrol at the Academy.
LSB Academies academies are currently available in North and West London, with East and South London centres opening up in 2020. You can find all available academies here: LSB ACADEMY LISTINGS
No. All student-athletes attending a LSB Academy are required to enrol on a course of academic study at the partnered college. Basketball and education go hand in hand at all of our academies.
LSB Academies feature fully-qualified coaches with vast experience at all levels of the game. Many of our coaches are former professional and international level players who are now re-investing their expertise and know-how into the next generation. To find out which coaches are in place at the academy you are interested in, visit the LSB Academies Listings page and click on the specific academy for more information.
Yes. All LSB Academies have qualified S&C coaches who work with all players on individual training programs to improve strength, stability, agility and overall athleticism.
All ABL and a majority of CBL games are recorded in full and made availalbe to all players for the purpose of performance analysis. These games are then used as a tool to market players to coaches who may be interested in you, at the next level. For the standout players at our academies, we will also help in the production of player mixtapes and have skilled editors in place to manage production.
We work with each player on helping identify and match the right level he/she should focus in on post-academy and then put a player development plan in place that gives each player the best possible chance of securing a place on the right team after you graduate from the academy.
Our coaches and staff have extensive links with coaches across the US, UK and Europe to help place players at the level your ability allows.
We care about your development. Not just on the court, but also in the classroom and with the choices you make around your future. Our goal is to help support our student-athletes towards being the best you can be.
LSB Academies represent a door to potentially life-changing opportunity - we want to work with driven student-athletes in preparing you to walk through that door and succeed when you get to the other side, wherever that may be.
You are responsibile for your attitude and effort, in all you do, however if you are prepared to do the work and are ready to commit to continuous improvement, we will do everything we can to help you reach your goals.
The LSB is well-positioned to utilise a strong global network that has been developed over many years, in helping place qualified players in the situation that best fits your abilities, both athletically, academically and socially.
In addition, our Academies are not just about the 'elite'. We are deeply committed to developing a stronger and better skilled basketball workforce to help in the ongoing growth and development of our game. In line with this commitment, we welcome young people who are passionate about the game and perhaps want to channel that passion into careers within basketball that go beyond just playing. We help develop coaches, officials, physio's, media professionals, administrators, marketeers, business and event managers all with a view to staying within the sport as you develop your career opportunities.
Most LSB Academies are flexibile with student-athlete acess to the courts to shoot/practise during non-scheduled practise times. Our coaches want you in the gym as much as possible, when not studying and so will always work with our facility partners in trying to accommodate all dedicated players who want to get extra practise in.
Most LSB Academies are flexibile with student-athlete acess to the courts to shoot/practise during non-scheduled practise times. Our coaches want you in the gym as much as possible, when not studying and so will always work with our facility partners in trying to accommodate all dedicated players who want to get extra practise in.
Yes, all LSB Academies have access to strength & conditioning facilities.
Help, yes. Guarantee, no. No coach or academy should ever 'promise' any player a guaranteed scholarship to America in return for attending their school or playing on their team. Ultimately, scholarships are granted to student-athletes who best fit the criteria a US college coach is looking for. This is never just one talent, but invariably a mix/balance of suitable skills and characteristics that fit the need.
Many players think that scholarships are won on just basketball talent alone, but this is never the case. All players who aspire to play in the US college system must be academically eligible for the level they are applying to, so committing to your studies is a 'must' if you want to pursue a US College Scholarship - even if the actual scholarship is an athletic grant. Before coaches really get to assess your basketball talent, they will first ask and do their homework on your character. Coaches want players who add value to their team, high character players who can be relied upon to be where they are supposed to be, when they are supposed to be there and ultimately being 'coachable' (that means, being able to follow instructions with a positive attitude and excellent effort).
Ultimately coaches are professionals who are in position to help you continue to develop and be the best you can be, however in order for them to be able to do that (which ultimately will benefit their team) you have to be someone who is ready, willing and able to work hard, follow instructions and be a positive person both on and off the court. With so many thousands of players worldwide, now in pursuit of college scholarships, coaches do not have to accept players who do not fit their criteria, as there will always be others who do. Your job is to make sure you put as much work into the development of your character, focused work ethic and positive personality as you do your basketball skills and academics, to put yourself in the best position for our coaches to help you reach your goals of a US Scholarship.
For those who understand the requirements and are able to meet the criteria, we are able to profile you and introduce you to coaches who can help facilitate scholarships to US colleges.
Yes. Interested girls should also apply as our academies are open to both males and females and provide the same support for both.
Many players dream of one day playing professional basketball in the NBA or WNBA but very, very few will ever realise that dream. It's not impossible, as a small handful of British players have proven in the modern era (Luol Deng, Joel Freeland, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Temi Fagbenle). However, statistics show that the chance of a player from the UK making it all the way through to the NBA or WNBA are very slim.
However, professional basketball does not begin and end in just the NBA/WNBA. There are many hundreds of professional teams worldwide who offer qualified players professional playing contracts. While the salaries are not as high as the NBA (side note: WNBA do not pay the highest womens salaries), leagues such as the Euroleague, Liga ACB (Spain), CBA (China), Turkish Premier League, HEBA A1 (Greece), Israeli Super League (and others) all offer lucrative contracts for qualified players.
There are also a wide number of leagues across Europe and South America, outside of the aforementioned leagues, where professional players can earn signficantly more than the UK 'average' salary.
That being said, the competition for jobs, at every level, is very competitive. So, just like any competitive industry, your chances of going pro will be directly related to your qualification and ability to positively impact the organisation you are trying to get into. You will need to be amongst the best as a player and have proven that, or be able to prove that, to your prospective employer. Proving you are amongst the best is achieved by developing your 'body of work', your basketball CV. Where have you played? What did you achieve? What are you capable of doing? Have you proven it already? If so, where? Do you have references? Do you have quality game footage (evidence)? What level have you been successful at so far? All of these questions, and more, will be asked of you by your prospective employer (pro team).
In order to best prepare yourself for the intense scrutiny, your goal should be to learn, develop, refine and sharpen all of your basketball skills, physical and mental abilities towards being the very best version of yourself you can be. Then you must play (and prove) yourself as you progress up through the 'ladder'. For a British player, there isn't just one route to the pro's anymore however the traditional ladder looks something like:
(1) Make you local team and establish yourself as a dominant player
(2) Make your national team and establish yourself as a dominant player
(3) Earn a scholarship to a US college/university and establish yourself as a dominant player
(4) Earn your first professional contract and establish yourself as a dominant player
(5) Move up the professional ranks in line with your ability and evidence of being a dominant player
These steps are not set in stone, but give you a general idea of the trajectory you need to follow in order to achieve a high-level professional contract.
The common theme throughout the steps is establishing yourself as a dominant player. In order to do that, you need the right information, coaching, access to facilities to practise as much as you'll need to in developing dominant skills and of course, competition. LSB Academies can help develop your skills and also put you into competitions and situations that enable your game to be assessed by coaches at 'the next level', once you are ready. There should never be any promise of 'professional basketball contracts' from any coach, as ultimately that will come down to your work ethic, attitude, talent and ability - however, the choices you make around surrounding yourself in the right environment can dramatically help (or hinder) your chances of one day fulfilling your goals.
LSB Academies currently compete domestically in the ABL, AoC, CBL leagues. However our teams also compete in European competitions and some will also travel to America to compete against other prep schools and AAU competition, to give players first-hand experience of the level of competition in both America and mainland Europe.
LSB ACADEMY PROGRESSION PATHWAYS
Our coaches and staff have extensive links with a network of coaches and teams across the globe and actively work with our elite level players in helping find the right level for their next step after graduation. Our network includes coaches and staff from the following organisations:
