London Thunder have a reputation for producing elite-level basketball players, but their community sessions, open to all young people in the culturally diverse borough of Lewisham, are the club’s beating heart. 

The club was set up by former GB captain Steve Bucknall (the first Englishman to play in the NBA with the LA Lakers) in 2008. Three children turned up to the very first session. Now there are over 250 playing in 11 different teams - eight national league junior teams (male, female and mixed), two senior national league teams (one male, one female) and a female local league side. 

Coach Dejan Paunovic came on board in 2009. Since then, 37 of the club’s players have gone on to compete at junior international level, with many playing in the American college system. However, it’s the service they provide to the children in the community he’s most proud of – and that support is set to be augmented by the club joining Levelling the Playing Field as a local delivery partner. 

“We provide a service for kids aged 12-18 to come in, have fun and play the game,” says Dejan. “They start in our Saturday community sessions and that is the strongest element of our club and our primary focus.” 

These sessions – attended by children from predominantly low-income families from Lewisham’s hugely diverse community – have been assigned to LtPF as they align with our common goals: 

• Increasing the number of ethnically diverse children taking part in physical activity 
• Preventing and diverting ethnically diverse children from becoming involved in the Criminal Justice System 

“Our community sessions are not just to take kids off the streets, but also to provide a safe environment for physical exercise and social interaction,” says Dejan. “We’re there to provide a service for boys and girls of all ages and ability. These sessions are totally inclusive. 

"For young players who wish to further develop their skills and experience in the game, we provide elite level training and competition. The club is fully committed to player development on and off the court, and we’re there to help  our members with any issues that they might have and share our experiences with them.” 

Thunder have relationships with several local schools. Their partner King Henry School Academy offers opportunities for 16-19-year-olds to study alongside pursuing elite-level basketball opportunities. 

“Obviously only a fraction will make it as professionals,” says Dejan. “The real win for us is to take a kid who isn’t really that interested in school and use the ‘carrot and stick’ approach with basketball. 

“Through mentoring, we try to encourage them to become a good student and do the things they’re supposed to do off the court. They’re more inclined to listen to us if they’re passionate about basketball. 

“We can say to them, ‘Unless you get yourself back on track with schoolwork you won’t be able to play.’ That’s a very effective way of getting them on board. They won’t all be straight A students but you try to push the ceiling for them.” 

Since the pandemic struck in March last year, provision has fluctuated as London has moved up and down the tiers, with sessions taking place in the gym and local parks as regulations allow. In full lockdown, participants have been engaged in twice-weekly Zoom welfare sessions, doing quizzes and fitness sessions. The club provided food vouchers for families who were struggling financially. 

Interestingly, Dejan has experienced increased direct engagement from one group of youngsters during Covid – which goes against anecdotal evidence from other LtPF delivery partners. 

“One group of about 25 are engaging with me and two other coaches directly a lot more than they did before,” he says. “Generally, my approach is not to contact kids directly, it’s through the parents or a WhatsApp group which has our welfare officer included so it’s transparent. 

“But through Covid, kids have contacted directly asking how they can keep fit or what exercises they can do at home. They really want guidance. That kind of engagement has increased noticeably.” 

It goes without saying that London Thunder’s staff and players cannot wait to get back to face-to-face coaching and matches, especially the weekend sessions that are so important to the community, and will soon be the source of participation data that will feed into LtPF’s evidence base. 

“This club is about serving the community. If we were set up just to produce NBA players we would fail miserably most years,” says Dejan. 

“Some kids drop in every few weeks, some we can’t get them out of the gym, others just come and watch. We have an open door. It’s a safe environment. They know us and we know them. It’s like their own private playground.” 

Follow London Thunder on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.