Basketball coach credited with transforming pupil's life

A coach-mentor from Greenhouse Sports has been credited with transforming the life of a teenager in Newham, East London, by improving her school engagement and academic performance through basketball. Maryam, 18, who was struggling to keep up with her studies in secondary school and began skipping lessons, found a new sense of purpose and discipline thanks to the support of Jago Streete Campbell, a 30-year-old coach-mentor employed by the charity.

Overcoming academic challenges

Maryam began secondary school with enthusiasm, but the academic demands soon overwhelmed her, leading to truancy and declining grades. She described feeling unable to communicate her feelings, resorting to one-word answers or emotional outbursts. Her school in Newham expressed concern, but Maryam remained disengaged. Greenhouse Sports, which places coach-mentors in nearly 60 schools across deprived areas of London, identified Jago Streete Campbell as a key figure who had built a rapport with Maryam through the school's basketball programme. She had continued playing the sport alone when her peers stopped, prompting Jago to reach out.

Within months, Maryam's teachers noticed a significant change, observing her increased classroom participation and engagement. Jago Streete Campbell explained that he worked extensively with young teenage girls who might feel excluded, and in Maryam's case, her continued dedication to basketball provided an avenue for connection. He recalled that while training, they began discussing her life challenges, helping her to manage her emotions and express herself more effectively. Maryam acknowledged that she had an 'attitude problem' but that the commitment to improving her basketball skills, which included training multiple times a week, made her reluctant to miss school.

The Sporting Chance campaign

The Evening Standard Dispossessed Fund has pledged £500,000 to the Sporting Chance campaign, a joint initiative with Greenhouse Sports that champions sports coach-mentoring for disadvantaged young Londoners. Half of this fund, £250,000, will support Greenhouse Sports programmes in five London secondary schools. The remaining £250,000 will be distributed among four other charities offering coach-mentoring in various sports. The campaign is seeking further donations from corporations, foundations, philanthropists, and the public to extend its reach.

Jago Streete Campbell implemented a policy that Maryam could not play matches if she missed lessons, which he described as a turning point. This requirement led to a dramatic improvement in her behaviour and grades, and she developed confidence in social situations. She also took on roles such as a basketball referee and table official. Maryam stated that both the sports coaching and the soft skills mentoring were crucial to her development, building a strong relationship with her coach and integrating the discipline learned on the court into her academic life.

Now 18, Maryam is pursuing a Level 3 sports diploma at an east London college and aspires to become a physiotherapist. She continues to play basketball in the London Metropolitan Basketball League and hopes to play professionally abroad. Reflecting on her journey, she told The Standard, 'Without Greenhouse, I would have been an ordinary kid, now I am extraordinary.'