Athletes from the UK’s top basketball team the London Lions zoom into classrooms nationwide to help kids get back into school.
35% of UK youth feel displaced and anxious around their March 8th return.
Vince Macaulay, Head Coach of the London Lions discusses the impact the pandemic has had on our youth and how the Lions aim to help their return to school.
In a first of its kind initiative, the London Lions of the British Basketball League have launched their nationwide Hooping Back to SchoolProgramme to help reintroduce kids back into school on March 8th.
Tipping off in line with a critical week of UK children heading back toschools, the initiative aims to help young people find their feet at schoolfollowing a year that has seen the most academic and social disruption witnessed in their lifetime.
The month-long programme will be rolled out across schools nationwide, with a number of schools already signed up for a series of mentoring and guidance sessions. The initiative is open to all educational facilities that want to integrate athlete championed mentoring sessions into their support programme, at no cost to the school or facility. For all enquiries relating to the programme please email Jason Henley, Head of Foundation, at: jhenley@thelondonlions.com.
The Zoom Room Mentoring sessions
In a series of both live and pre-recorded Zoom mentoring sessions, the team’s star athletes and coaching staff will focus on the topics of health, fitness and nutrition, mental health, integrating back into peer interaction and reengaging with sport both in a curricular and extra-curricular context.
Getting Back to Your Team
This session is inspired by research commissioned during the pandemic by the Lions which found that 35% of young Brits currently feel displaced and outside of the norm, with these figures increasing to 38% in the BAME community and spiking for younger generations. In light of the challenges around integrating back into peer and friendship groups, the Lions are set to offer advice and guidance on the best methods to feel part of a social group again. With tips from elite-level sport on integrating back into a social dynamic, the players will draw from first-hand insights and experiences from their careers.
Tips to Ease the Anxiety
In the last year, 42% of parents in the UK feel that their children have experienced high levels of anxiety through lockdown due to reduced class time and the inability to socialise. This has resulted in the news of a return to school being met with a mixture of delight and despair by students after being removed from their place of education for so long. Playing their part in addressing this issue, the team will be sharing their expert advice on the importance of sport and how they have used it as mental health aid throughout their lives.
Enjoying PE again
Throughout the year, Britain’s youth has suffered from an excess of free time under nationwide restrictions, leading to them being cooped up indoors, unable to socialise. Among 18-24 year olds, it has been found that 36% believe that the ability to play and watch sport has aided their mental health more than anything else. Sport plays a huge role in the lives of many, so getting back into it is of particular importance. This will be the key pillar of the Lion’s Return to School Programme, that aims toencourage kids to get back into the activities they love.
Being your healthiest at school
The final theme for the Lions’ outreach programme focuses on health, fitness and nutrition, which for much of the UK’s youth is something that has fallen by the wayside. Studies have shown that one in three children have rarely left the house during lockdown, resulting in many becoming more inactive than ever. Using their expertise, the team will be giving their top tips on diet, exercise and physical activities in a range of sessions designed to help kids get back to being active once again.
Driving the outreach programme are some of UK basketball’s biggest names including the team’s Head Coach, Vince Macaulay and star players Joe Ikhinmwin, Andre Lockhart and Justin Robinson. Together, they have been involved with various long-term community outreach initiatives that aim to connect with and engage youth in the area.
Once restrictions have eased, the Lions plan to make personal appearances in schools around the community and are encouraging any schools who would like to be involved to get in touch via the contact details below.
Jason Henley, Head of Foundation – jhenley@thelondonlions.com.
Vince Macaulay, Head Coach of the London Lions:“Community outreach is something that we at the London Lions have been doing for a long time and it has helped us connect with youth in the area. Throughout the pandemic, kids have felt the impacts of lockdown restrictions first-hand and this has had a real effect on their everyday lives.
“Unfortunately for many, the return back to school and normal life is a daunting experience and this is something we are aiming to help with. We are extremely proud to introduce this new initiative as I feel it is hugely important to help get kids back into their normal routine, with a focus on sport as a both a physical and mental health aid.”
Vince Macaulay, Head Coach of the London Lions is keen to discuss:
· The London Lions’ nationwide schools outreach programme
· How they plan to aid this transition back to school
· The impact the pandemic has had on the nation’s youth
· The important role sport plays in our lives
