As the school year draws to a close, we take a moment to celebrate a snapshot of some of the recent incredible accomplishments within our Team for Life. Thanks to the support of our dedicated coaches and the determination of our young people, we’ve gained national recognition across various sports.
And although we’re proud to shout about the wins, we recognise that success comes in many forms. It’s not just about winning medals or trophies; it’s about showing up for practice, getting to school that day, staying attentive in class – and making personal progress. Every step forward, big or small, is success in our eyes.
“Success is not just by the session itself but by its ripple effects, like keeping a student engaged in class for the full 40 minutes afterward.”
Head Basketball Coach, Preddie
Table tennis top spots
Did you know table tennis was the first sport in our Greenhouse journey? Through our table tennis programmes, our young people and coaches have had an exceptional year.
At the Senior School International Table Tennis competition in the Isle of Man, our young people delivered stellar performances, competing against the best from across the UK:
- Luna (U16 girls) – Gold in Team, Silver in Individuals
- Jonabel (U16 girls) – Gold in Individual, Silver in Teams
- Angad (U14 boys) – Bronze in Individual
One of our young people, Zaid (pictured below) hit a significant milestone in April by representing England and clinching the top spot, coming in 1st at the Primary International Table Tennis tournament! Hats off to Zaid and a special shout-out to his Greenhouse Coach, Amila, for all his support.
Basketball rising stars
Basketball, our largest sport, boasts over 40 programmes! Through our Greenhouse Sports school programmes and the Greenhouse Sports Basketball Club (GSBC), we’re proud to be one of the leading youth basketball organisations in the country, especially in girls’ basketball.
Our players and coaches have made us proud with their top-tier performances. Several of our players and coaches were selected to represent the London Region at the Aspire All-Star National Basketball Tournament in Manchester:
Players:
- Skaila – GSBC
- Aisha – Lilian Baylis & GSBC
- Bisma – Brampton & GSBC
- Lilly – Norwood School
- Jamie – Norwood School
- Cecelia – Ark Globe
- Salma – Lilian Baylis & GSBC
Coaches:
- Coach Doreen – U13 Girls Head Coach (GSBC Female Community Coach)
- Coach Stephron – U13 Boys Head Coach (GS-Pimlico Academy Head Coach)
Junior NBA Finals
Five of our exceptional coaches led their teams to the Junior NBA finals, a journey that built resilience, teamwork, and confidence in our young people:
- Norwood Yr 8 girls – Coach Dwayne
- Pimlico Academy Yr 8 boys – Coach Stephron
- Harris City Yr 8 boys – Coach Ahmad
- Harris City Yr 7 girls – Coach Michael
- Gateway Academy Yr 7 girls – Coach Lee
Tennis for all
Tennis often seems out of reach for the communities we serve, but our coaches are changing that. With five programmes across south and east London, hundreds of young people now enjoy the joys of the game.
Some of the highlights in the tennis arena this year:
- Head Tennis Coach Tom led Sarah Bonnell School to win the titles of Essex County Winner and Regional Winner for the London and South East School of the Year Award. Additionally, Sarah Bonnell School secured a spot in the Top 3 national LTA School of the Year Award.
- Greenhouse Sports as an organisation won the titles of Essex County Winner and Regional Winner for the London and South East Tennis For All Award, recognising the fantastic work of all our coaches in schools.
- Head Tennis Coach Andy won the title of Essex County Winner for Development Coach of the Year.
On top of this brilliant recognition, the LTA Foundation also gave our young people the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of a coin toss! Three of our young people had the amazing chance to perform the coin toss for selected matches at Queens and Eastbourne.
To listen to the true impact our tennis programmes are making, Head Tennis Coach Tom and his student Manal share their inspiring journey on BBC Radio London. Listen to their story here.
Volleyball’s wider impact
We’re delighted to have grown our volleyball programmes by adding one more to the mix!
Our volleyball coaches are doing amazing things off the court, encouraging passion from students not just in the sport but beyond. The girls from Coach Lulama’s programme at Central Girls Foundation even created their own press team, producing a series of articles about their experiences during Volleyball England’s Grand Prix tournament, strongly encouraged by their proud coach.
Lulama’s girls also achieved 5th place at the London Youth Games. The squad’s diversity represents the power of sport in bringing young people together, with the youngest being a Year 8 student and the oldest in Year 13.
Primary coaches early intervention
Recently, our primary coaches have been smashing inclusive, memorable whole-school Sport day events, involving hundreds of kids.
Our coaches are embedded into their school’s – providing invaluable coaching and mentorship to students. They also get students active, creating a lifelong love for sport and play from a young age, with events like sports days!
These sports days are planned, organised, and run by our dedicated primary coaches. They were a huge success, filled with lots of sunshine and smiles.
We are so proud of all our coaches and young people for their hard work and dedication. Their achievements – big or small, on and off the court – are a testament to the power of sport and the impact of our coach-mentors in our young people’s corner, helping them to be the best they can be.