The London School of Basketball have agreed terms with Capital City Academy to bring back high-flying, elite-level basketball back to the London Borough of Brent through the all-new Capital City Basketball Academy.

The new partnership provides enrolled Academy players with up to 15 hours per week of dedicated coaching, individual and team skills development, strength & conditioning alongside an intensely competitive international game schedule that increases players exposure and helps prepare for success at the next level.

Fekky Performs @ 'So Gassed' - Capital City Basketball Tournament

This ground-breaking opportunity follows on from the positive feedback generated from LSB's Nike 'So Gassed' Academy Invitational Basketball Tournament, staged successfully at Capital City Academy which showcased 4 teams from the LSB network, from Enfield, Haringey, Hackney and Croydon. The high-profile event featured basketball, music and fashion, in celebration of the talent being developed across the LSB academies programs. However, the event also highlighted the glaring absence of a local Brent representative in the competition which sparked discussions around launching an official LSB Academy at Capital City, to further build upon the strong history of successful community basketball development the LSB already has within the borough.

LSB have appointed Kieran Matthews, who has played a major role in bringing the whole project together, as the first coach at the academy.  Coach Kieran is currently on the Basketball England Level 3 pathway and is already working as a student support mentor at Capital City.  He has a growing reputation as an elite skills development coach amongst players across London and has successfully been running his Titans community basketball program, based at Capital City, who play in the LSB managed Community Basketball League.

Kieran Matthews (Photo Credit: London Elite)

"I've been working at Capital City Academy for a number of years now and also developing a strong community program for local kids, which is has been in need of a quality progression pathway for a long time. I also used to play at Capital when the profile of basketball across Brent and North-West London was at its peak and we had a team in the BBL, so  I know better than most, the huge potential here.  When the opportunity to bring in the LSB to Capital arose, I knew I had to make sure our sports team and senior faculty, who have always been so supportive of quality opportunities for our students, did whatever they had to do to make this happen. The So Gassed tournament brought the right type of attention to the school with Nike on board with the LSB, to allow us to ramp up the conversation of finally getting a full-scale academy in place here. It's going to be phenomenal not only for the Academy players, but the whole school, the sixth form and local community too" - Kieran Matthews

In addition to the exceptional basketball opportunities and facilities available for Capital City Basketball Academy players, Capital City Sixth Form will provide a high-quality academc program that offers a wide range of A-level subjects, vocational qualifications, level 2 & 3 qualifications while also providing GCSE re-sits for those who may require.

LSB's CEO and founder, Nhamo Shire, added: "This is another big step in the right direction for our game.  We've been looking for the right opportunity in Brent, for some time now, to provide local progression pathways through to the top levels for all of our community teams and programs.  We seeded grassroots basketball in Brent many years ago with the Brent Blazers and Brent Ballers, run  by two of the best basketball ambassadors and sporting hero's you could ever hope for in (former GB Internationals and BBL legends) Mike Martin (Blazers) and Julius Joseph (Ballers).  Both programs have gone from strength to strength and are responsible for developing such a strong identity for Brent over the years, at the grassroots level.  We now also have the Brent Panthers (boys) and Brent Amazons (girls) both thriving as emerging clubs, all within the borough.  The So Gassed tournament allowed us to bring the spotlight back onto Brent basketball, which highlighted what our academies are doing elsewhere. Having a beacon academy in Brent, as the ultimate player pathway for all of the community club activity currently happening was something we've actively been looking for, as we continue to support the development of players and coaches and their progression through the game so we're thrilled to be partnered in with such a strong team in bringing this to the forefront."

Places at the Academy are limited and selective, secured through trials held throughout the year.  To find out when the next trials are taking place and to secure your spot at an upcoming trial fill out the application form which can be found here: CAPITAL CITY PLAYER TRIAL APPLICATION

Capital City Academy (Photo Credit: Capital City)