Ben, 15, Participant

Ben was one of the first participants to take part in our basketball project. He has lived in the Chapeltown area his whole life and previously played football at the local football club CYDC. His passion has always been basketball, however there was minimum opportunities in the area for him to play, with only one team at the time, which was too far and too expensive for him to play. He has shown a massive improvement in his attitude from his first session to now and continues to develop his basketball and leadership skill by helping out with the younger age groups. Ben has been touted as a future captain of the National League team, which is a massive achievement for him.

What they say

“This time last year before I joined LDM, I didn’t have a team to play for and even though I have always been interested basketball, I didn’t have the full knowledge and understanding of the game. Instead I would just be shooting balls on my own with little guidance. However, a year later I am now a starter in the team and star in their recent documentary “Northern Ballers.” Joining LDM has helped me change who I am today as it has taken me down a different path which I am thankful for. I’m enjoying playing a sport that I love and being part of a competitive team who have goals instead of just messing around after school. On the court, I never stand still, and I am always moving around to try and get the ball which is one of my key strengths. However, I need to try and improve my layups to help my performance and goal stats. LDM has helped improve my attitude towards the game and other people on and off the court. In the future, I am looking forward to meet and play against new teams and travel around the country with my team.” – Ben

Update 2021 - Ben completed filming for the award winning documentary ‘Northern Ballers’ , due for release in summer 2021 and now sets his sights on completing his refereeing and coaching qualifications in order to support the LDM team and increase his own knowledge of the game.