Category: Elite U12

3 DAYS, 4 COUNTRIES, 23 GAMES – 1 CLUB.

Yes, you read it right – on the weekend of 4th – 5th February, London Elite Basketball Club played 23 games across 4 different countries.

Our recent Sure Shoot U18 National Cup victory is still fresh in the mind, but for the players and coaches there has been little time to celebrate. With the National League season in full swing and preparation for the Play-Offs underway, the hard work never stops!

The Club is always seeking unique opportunities for our players’ development, and this season we entered Teams in four different age groups to the prestigious European Youth Basketball League (EYBL). The EYBL includes 175+ Teams, allowing our players to test themselves against the best young talent in Europe.  Teams are required to travel twice each season and for the first time, we embarked on three separate European trips in the same weekend:

Our U13 Team flew to the Hungarian capital of Budapest looking to build on their EYBL Stage 1 performances (2-2 record, with Quentin McKelvey voted into the All-Star 5). They didn’t disappoint, achieving an improved 3-1 record that included a fairy-tale win against previously undefeated Serbian club, KK Borac Zemun. Despite being down by 17 points in the game, our boys fought back to secure an important 79-77 victory. Special congratulations to Omer Zardok-Shemer (awarded Team MVP), and Quentin McKelvey (averaged 26.8 points per game, and once again voted to the All Star 5).

Our U17 squad flew to the small town of Ploesti in Romania, where they sought to banish memories of EYBL Stage 1 (1-3 record).

 Our squad looked strong with Star Point Guard Connor James continuing his great EYBL season (24.4 points per game, 2nd overall in EYBL), and the valuable addition of Sebastien Emanelo (22 points per game, 5th overall in EYBL).

Despite tough opening games, the boys fought back to finish Stage 2 with a hard-fought win over Inter Bratislava. Congratulations to Connor and Sebastien who were awarded joint Team MVP.

Our U20 squad (Elite’s oldest Junior Team) headed to the historical town of Levice in Slovakia. Led by coach Kelson, the Team had a point to prove in the EYBL, one of Europe’s most hotly contested U20 competitions.

The tournament started with marginal losses to Orange Lions Academy of Amsterdam and host team SBKL Junior Levice, but our boys showed real resilience to claim back-to-back wins on day 2 and finish with a respectable 2-2 record.

Congratulations to Muddathir Bashir who recorded 10.8 points/8.8 rebounds per game and was voted Team MVP.

Back home our National League season is gathering pace and we are grateful to those coaches who did not travel – they had the tough task of covering multiple fixtures across all of our age groups. 

This weekend represented a true milestone in London Elite’s history, demonstrating the huge growth we have achieved since our inception in 2019. Thank you to our London Elite Family – Coaches, players and parents who all played their part in making this momentous weekend happen!

Bev Guymon Memorial

Weekend 25/25 of June saw the first-ever Bev Guymon Memorial Tournament take place at the Solent Sports Complex, as Boys and Girls teams at the Under 12 and Under 14 age groups get set to compete. Bev, a legend of the game in the region, was always extremely passionate about providing experiences for young basketball players to compete and most importantly be involved in the game we all love so much. Bev has founded Solent Kestrels club and all her work for the club over the last 20 years was as a volunteer, using much of her own money and time to provide opportunities for young people in our region. Bev Guymon has passed away in 1998 after battling pancreatic cancer for a few years. She was 55. Solent Kestrels she started, is now multiple Division 1 men’s champions.

Day 1 saw our U12 boys take part in this great tournament. Group stage saw our boys face Bracknell Cobras, Portsmouth Basketball club and the very competitive Milton Keynes team.

Our boys started the tournament with a commanding win over Bracknell Cobras in the morning behind an all-around team effort. 2nd game of the tournament proved to most competitive as Milton Keynes team showed great athleticism which caused our boys multiple problems on defence. But led by Quentin and Nicholas our boys prevailed with 4 point win. Having closed the group with 3rd win of the day over south cost club Portsmouth, our boys awaited a final against the second Milton Keynes team. Our talented group played really focus and executed the game plan and secured the first-ever Bev Guymon trophy ever! Quentin McKelvey has been voted MVP of the tournament behind his 31 points performance in the final.

On the second day of the tournament, it was our U14 boy’s team travelling to Southampton to participate in the tournament. Our team that has recently been promoted to the U14 Premier competition, did not take this tournament lightly. Boys stormed through the group stage and awaited a final where we met again with the Milton Keynes program. Coach Daniel’s troops started the game with full-court press which caught the opposition off guard. Good start of the game set the tone for the rest of the match up and our boys collected their trophy while Sam Scott received well-deserved MVP award! Watch the highlights below:

This inaugural memorial tournament was a raising donation for Liver and Pancreatic R&D Cancer charity. With over £3.5K raised, it was truly a win-win situation for whole basketball community!

Coach Daniel said:”In my opinion for Bball in the UK to grow bigger, we have to change our approach to grassroots. Bev Guymon tournament just showed what is missing in our country. Events for the youngest in a friendly and competitive environment. I am truly impressed with what the organisers did. Truly hats off to all Solent club!”

History Made

U12  and their first International Trophy won in Belgium

We are pleased to announce that our U12 squad have recently travelled to Belgium for their first international tournament between  26-29th of May 2022 and successfully gained 1st place trophy.

We feel thrilled with this achievement, as we acknowledge the whole process behind the curtains-  countless hours of training and coaching sessions, but also non-court work which involved set up the trip for 29 attendants, booking a coach & ferry, organising a hotel, food entertainment for kids and possible sightseeing after games. Finally, what is the most important thing to prepare mentally this young team for upcoming challenges etc. Our group which travelled to Belgium was made of 11 players and 18 family members & relatives. Both parents and coaches did magnificent work and supported young player on court but also outside it.

After successful check-in into a hotel and getting good night sleep, our boys went to play the home team in the first challenge. A comfortable win was secured with all players getting a sufficient number of mins. Shortly after we faced first of American teams. 40 points win felt unreal as the opposition was well organised, talented and physically ready.  Coach Daniel summed this game” I have seen our team have a great team, but the performance we put against USA Eagles was something I have not seen in a long time, our ball movement, the organised defence was on an absolutely different level”

Having completed first day, our group headed to the beautiful town of Ghent for joint sightseeing and to get a taste of real Belgian waffles and chocolate. In the evening we all gathered to see the local town and head for well-deserved Italian pizza. This was an amazing bonding experience, where parents could get to know each other more, and the team could play a few games together, and eat dinner. That day all smartphones were idle as we  had such a great time together, no one was bothered to check their phones for entertainment reasons. This wonderful restaurant was perfectly scouted by coach Miguel, and believe us, its not so easy to find a venue which would serve to 30 people and can host them.

Second day of the tournament welcomed us with the game against younger team of Space Elite Cadets which was a great opportunity to provide our full roster much-needed experience.

The evening game was probably the most exciting from all group stage where we had a rematch with USA Eagles. American team came out firing and looked really determined to prove the day before was just an accident. Supported by nearly 100 people our American opposition was able to slow down our ball movement, forced our players to take low chances shots and force us to sustain from the non-established lead of no more than 5 points. A nail-bitin finish saw the Eagles taking 1 point lead with 40 secs left, tough baseline floater by Logan Addison regained our small margin lead. However 2 secs to go, the opposition made 1 free throw out of two and the result was tied. Time out called by our coaches helped our boys establish good inbound play, executed by Nicholas Ferrari we all witnessed one of the most acrobatic game-winning shots which secured 2 point win over American team. WOW

Having collected another 2 wins, our boys were indeed quite tired but very happy. The plan for the day was not over as all group headed for 2nd day of sightseeing, this time we got to see the outstanding town of  Brugge. Breath-taking and picturesque architecture divided by channels would remain in our memory, not to mention delicious ice creams topped with Belgian waffles.

3rd and final day saw our young squad facing 3rd time Eagles. The structure of the tournament saw top 2 teams from the group go against each other. Both teams started game off with much of focus on defence limiting opposition’s chances to score. Lead going back and forth provided yet again a lot of emotions to spectators. With 3 point lead, 40 secs to go our team did not lose nerves. Great team offence finished by Judah Assam established 5 point lead which our team never let go. The first international tournament championship has become a reality. History made!

Our U12 team top scorer Quentin said:” The tournament was very diverse. We got to play teams from different parts of the world. Our coaches supporting us during our time playing was vital. We always have good coaches who tell us how to correct mistakes so we try not to let them happen again. It was great to come together and go sightseeing. Trying different foods, seeing different sites and hearing different languages were amazing.

Really bonding with my teammates made me happy. I’ve never taken a long coach ride before and the comforts of having a good bus driver made it a good journey for me, my teammates and my parents. I can’t wait to travel again with my team! “

Elite U12 set on International Duty

U12 players will be on international duty this weekend .This is our first ever trip abroad, and it is set in Belgium.

We are happy to confirm our youngest squad will take part in one of the biggest youth basketball festival, starting this Friday 27th of May 2022. New adventure awaits, and so is new experience which could not be any better. Gerolsteiner Arbeidershuis basketball tournament will take place between the 27-29 of May in the beautiful town of Sint, Belgium . Our team will travel by luxury & comfortable coach this Thursday evening.

The competition at the tournament is looking really strong. Out of 4 teams, our boys will be competing against 3 that are coming from the American AAU system which will provide a great test for our young squad . 5 games across this tournament will be definitely a new experience that our players and coaches cant wait. Space High Elite I (USA), Basket Poperinge (BEL), Eagles Basketball (USA), Space High Elite II (USA). Those teams our young squad will face in the group stage of the tournament.

Our GM Daniel Szatkowski said this: “Since we have opened doors at London Elite, We were committed to providing the best opportunities for junior players in the UK. This tournament is a great opportunity, especially playing against American teams is something rarely seen in UK basketball. There is a lot of great news on the way but we will definitely make most of this Belgium trip.”

Squad travelling to Belgium will be made of : Q.McKelvey, N.Macionis, L.Addison, O.Wagner, E.Onashile, J.Assam, S.Kaniki, G.Robson, G.Chong, A.Ayyadi and N.Ferrari

Feel free to check out our social medias for frequent updates with scores, news and everything that is going around this trip!

National League season recap

Long awaited, Elite’s first National League season has come to the end. It is truly hard to believe this was a premiere season for us. The whole program success stands as a testimony that the hard work at club foundations pays off. Freezing period during lockdown, gave us time to create strategy how to approach season 21/22 in a best possible way. Along with excitement which was high since , multiple teams were heading towards their first ever season at national league level we coudln’t await the moment of start. Few months later , we come out of very successful Summer 2021 where we collected RBL and CBL championship titles!

U12 Review: Unbelievable Journey.

September 21′ brought lots of questions for our youngest members . Most of players from last year have moved up to U14, some moved from the west London area. This made us think if we should push with the project or simply pull out of National league. At times with less then 5 players in training, it became a challenge and test for us as an organisation. Now looking back we can say that It would have been a massive mistake to pull this team out of NL . Our youngest squad Led by Quinton McKelvey picked couple very talented players on the way and finished 2nd place in league! Journey and testimony for all players and parents involved was indescribable. Currently the future is bright!

Highlights of the year: 2OT win vs Talented Kingston Lions team.https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaM9E0lpAp8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

U14 review: Goals Achieved!

As previously, the stem of the team results lays in our talented players led by young guard Kaya Birsen. Yet again Kaya didn’t disappoint the U14 Elite fans and brought us joy and plenty of great memories with his amazing game. The journey of our young players’ development leads to one conclusion; the coaching and quality structure which London elite offers is the root for our success. Upcoming talents Sam Scott and Aron Okenge will be players to look out for in near future. Our U14 NBL team finished season with record 14-2, claimed the South IV conference championship title and secured a promotion to Premier level of competition next year!

Check out highlights from a key victory this season:(22) London United vs London Elite (NBL U14 Boys 2021/22 Game 2 Highlights) – YouTube

U16I Review: Mission Completed.

After very successful recruiting summer 21′. Our expectations grew big on our upcoming u16 squad. It did not take us long to enter this talented squad into prestigious EYBL. Season started with multiple wins Coach Mauro DiNunzio had lots to look forward to. His troops improved with each week of fixtures and claimed South II conference title behind fantastic 19-1 record! After regular season was finished, Our boys entered promotion play offs where in first round we faced Milton Keynes. Convincing win (79-54) came behind great defensive performance, our squad sealed final where We faced Woking Blackhawks away. As it was last game of the season, our boys came out firing and claimed a Promotion to Western Premier competition with convincing 106-78 victory!

U16II review: Purpose Fulfilled

With numbers constantly going up, we had more then 12 players showing talent good enough for playing at NL level. With placement of U16II into NL, we have invested resources and time which was very beneficial investment for our club . The evident progress made by our team which was mainly year 10 players was really impressive. Team members proved that they deserve to be on A team in upcoming season. Hard work from coach Kieran resulted in team coming to nearly 500 record as they ended up 8-12 in whole campaign! Well done!

U18I Review: Bright Future

After successful summer 21 and securing multiple players with scholarships in USA, We knew that upcoming season will be a tough test. With 90% squad being in first year it suppose to be a learning curve. But it was more then that. Our talented troops led by Oskar Striuga, Anthony Wilson and David Jesubayode, have proven that they are capable of beating any team in their league. Our team came 2nd out 10 and have proven to be a force to look out to in coming season. Eligible players from that squad formed our U17 EYBL team which was capable of sweeping stage in Romania. We can clearly see that right foundation have been laid for next 12 months.

U18II Review: Progress Made.

Do not sleep on this team. Formed with multiple talented U17 players, with whom many travelled with our U17’s team across Europe. It was a big headache in offseason how to classify which player goes to A or B. But we are glad that many players who started off on our second team are now considered strong candidates for our first team in upcoming season. great work by coach Daniel and coach Kieran.

Men’s Review: Undefeated Squad.

There was only one goal for this team. Knowing how much talent, experience and skills we have acquired in last summer, goal could be one. Winning our division 3 league. And team led by coach Sam Stiller did it in perfect way. Going undefeated in whole season shows that there is pure potential is in our men’s section. But best part of it: it is just a beginning! Look out for exciting news coming up in this summer!

Our GM Daniel Szatkowski said: “First ever National League season was a true accomplishment for our program. We have achieved what we set out as a goal. Promotion of 3 out of 4 teams is remarkable achievement. We still have to remember that despite high ambitious, this was our first ever NL campaign. With more fantastic excitement coming to our home, Capital City Academy, we can say one thing. Season 22/23 cannot come any sooner!”

London Elite Welcomes Support of Leading Global Tech Company Datasite

London Elite, a basketball club focused on developing London’s young sporting talent, is delighted to announce its sponsorship by global technology company, Datasite, a leading SaaS provider for the M&A industry.

Datasite regularly supports initiatives that help bring about greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in its own business and industry. The company is a visionary sponsor of Exponent Women, an industry organization that is dedicated to giving women dealmakers access to meaningful interactions and educational content. Datasite helps educate and inspire the next generation by enabling its leaders to speak with students at institutions like NYIT in Manhattan and the AFAS in Minneapolis, about technology careers.

Merlin Piscitelli, Chief Revenue Officer for Datasite in Europe, the Middle East and Africa said:

“We at Datasite are passionate about supporting the communities where we live and work and London Elite is an excellent example of a programme that is making a difference in the lives of young adults. Sports equip young people with key skills, like leadership, collaboration, dedication, and camaraderie, that will be crucial to their future success and can open up new avenues of opportunity that might not have been previously available.”

Our Director, Daniel Szatkowski said: “We thank Datasite for its generous support, which will give our kids opportunities both on and off the court, including a chance to compete, gain confidence and skills they can use the rest of their lives. Basketball has the power to change lives and Datasite’s contributions will help our kids understand the importance of hard work and achieving goals. Sports is a great unifier, motivator, and leveler.”

to learn more about Datasite, please visit: www.datasite.com

We will regularly update you on project we run together. There will be real impact on our local community. Exciting times ahead!

Summer Showcase 2021

We are thrilled to announce that from summer 2021 we will be organising basketball tournaments in London. An idea appeared after having seen multiple talented teams from across UK and lack of platform to showcase their game due to recent lockdown restrictions.. We wanted to organise a proper tournament where kids could play in the best environment, where they can enjoy the game and bring great memories back home. So it is official August 13-15, Capital City Academy will host first ever Summer Showcase! This year tournament will focus on U12 group.

Organising tournament turned out to be harder than it initially seemed . The multiple factor behind idea had to be implemented, before it could become a reality. This is an combined effort of experienced staff , supportive parents who are unreplaceable, venue that can host big event and sponsor that can make things happen.

Our first tournament is proudly sponsored by Undeniable Label from South London. COE and founder of Undeniable is Koder who is also an artist. He has over a decade of experience being a recording artist and creative entrepreneur doing sold out shows in New Zealand, Song featured on FIFA 2021 and many more successful endeavours. 
“Undeniable focuses on fostering local greatness through its sub divisions, Undeniable records, Undeniable studios and and Undeniable films. The backbone of Undeniable is the community, we focus on creating a sustainable ecosystem that gives back full circle. Undeniable takes creatives from adverse backgrounds and nurtures their growth using education to enable them to successfully further their careers” Koder said. 

This year tournament line up is truly impressive. From London based team of Chiswick Gators, Brent Panthers, and our own U12, we are happy to welcome two programmes which are long time recognised for their great work, Brentwood Fire and Manchester Magic,

Teams will tip off from Friday 13th of August at midday. Schedule will arrive shortly.

Our General Manager Daniel Szatkowski said: ” London Elite has been most spoken club in this summer due to amazing results from U18 however one thing we cannot forget. No one will work harder then we do to bring up basketball at grassroots level. This is our ID. We pick talented kids from primary schools and train them all the way to be top prospects in UK. Massive shout to Undeniable for there support. We will be able to watch them perform at our tournament!

The tournament is opened to public, please feel welcome to come and enjoy this great event. For more info please contact coach Daniel.

Coach Lee Welcome Aboard!

Coach Lee welcome to the team! We are thrilled to have you at London Elite . With your exceptional skills and expertise, our dynamic club will progress to new heights! We are excited to have you onboard

Lee, level 3 coach has already over 18 years of experience in coaching different levels in UK. From EABL, ABL level, across national league U18 all the way to community coaching. His range of experience is well known and respected across basketball community in United Kingdom. Lee McCarthy started his basketball journey with a junior program of London Towers where he won National league titles in all age groups. Having finished junior basketball he moved on to Senior level where he won Division 1 championship with Reading Rockets. He continued his professional career in Turkey and Portugal before returning to BBL.

In 2008 coach Lee opened Bucks Hornets club based in Aylesbury area which competed at National League level, then in 2018 moved to south London and took the Head Coach role at Harris Academy Crystal Palace. This year coach Lee McCarthy will take over U12 squad in our domestic competitions for reminder of season 20/21. His experience in basketball will significantly assist our club in providing best basketball development pathway and will be a valuable and terrific asset. Here is what he had to say: “I am passionate about developing elite players both on and off the court. There’s little more satisfying as a coach than seeing a young player I have worked with develop some of the skills and personal attributes needed to eventually perform at the top level. I’m really excited to be joining London Elite”

Our club is committed to providing best possible provision, therefore adding Coach Lee is another step to building amazing club. His role will be in leading our talented U12 team in domestic competitions while we are looking on adding international tournament in this summer. Check quote from our GM Daniel Szatkowski:

Our u12 squad is still open for taking new members. If you are interested in taking part in this exciting project, please contact coach Daniel on 07453314867 or [email protected]

2020 Review

2020 is the year to be remembered. We look back in what happened in previous calendar year. Our club has grown in strength despite all obstacles we faced.

SEASON 19/20

Season 19/20 was cut short due to lockdown being imposed however we look back to our EYBL experience keeping our heads high. In first year of entering club performed on great level against top European competition.

It led to some of our players receiving individual awards of prestigious All Star 5 of tournaments. Aaron Pyne and Israel Olalekan shined at U17 level while Matthew Disu collected this award for his great performance at U20 level. Head Coach Daniel Szatkowski said: “It is shame we never got to finish U17’s season but overall experience showed we belonged to that high level of basketball and can perform against great clubs”

Our Club always priorities development as a key for success. In season 19/20 our talented U12 squad was crowned champions of CBL Division 1! This is outstanding achievement bearing in mind how competitive the league was. Boys showed amazing commitment and heart for the game. This successful campaign would not be possible without impact that our young guard Kaya Birsen had on a team. On many occasions Kaya led our team and earned himself a MVP of the league title. We cannot miss the fact that our top scorer Anton Safin was named to All Star 5 of the league. Well done!

PREPERATION FOR SEASON 20/21

We could not achieve our goals if it was not for our partners. We are fully delighted that from season 20/21 we have taken our partnership with London School of Basketball to whole new level. It creates unique combination and helps London players to take their game to next level while studying at Capital City Academy.

London Elite has entered 8 teams into national league, and 9 teams into CBL for upcoming season 20/21. It is linked to heavy increase of members in our club. It is worth to mention that heading into 2020 year we had 80 members while by Christmas 2020 time this number was 140!

Our European campaign not only continues, but has been expanded by adding U16 boys and U18 Girls. It gives 4 squads an opportunity to take part in European league in season 20/21! We are proud to say that we have made history as first British team to enter European Girls Basketball league. Head Coach William Twigg said: “Great opportunities for girls and women in our sport right now. I believe London Elite will optimise every experience for them in the EGBL and other leagues at U18s international level”

It was always obvious for us that we cannot be sure on when domestic leagues will start. However we focused on things we can control. We organised and played 30 friendly games between August and Christmas. It provided great replacement for lack of leagues that are delayed till at least March/April 2021.

Shortly before Christmas we have opened our clubs merchandise shop which provides all sort of clothing accessories at affordable level. It is another step club is taking towards bright future, but also a gives a way of direct support of club to stay afloat during current uncertain times .

WHATS NEXT?

Our Head Coach Daniel Szatkowski said:” 2020 was a year of growth for us. Lockdowns imposed on UK did not help at all however we prevailed despite obstacles. We are currently in another lockdown which is frustrating. However I am sure and confident that determination of coaches, parents and players will not only allow us to pull through these times, but we will come out of it stronger. You will see in 2021 what London Elite is. New competitions added, new equipment, new pathways to America and Europe. New coaches and even more fun in this basketball journey”

Champions within…

London Elite U12 has been crowned a champions for most competitive Basketball competition there was in season 19/20. In our first season in operation, as a rising force in London basketball we have come first in CBL U12 Division 1!

Since opening first time doors to new members in summer 2019, philosophy of club has been very clear with development as a center point of whole club. Our coach Daniel Szatkowski is a biggest fun of grassroots basketball, spending countless hours in primary schools to get more kids in love with basketball. “We want to put a lot of effort in area where it matters most… grassroots!” Coach Daniel said. It did not take him long before establishing very competitive U12 team with regular sessions taking place at Alec reed Academy in Northolt. Within few month London Elite was able to establish 2nd U12 team providing additional experience to our younger players.

CBL had proven to be extremely competitive league with lots of great talent on teams across London. By far our biggest challange was a American team OWE Zoo Crew which our young squad faced in very first game (link for the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDVjyoE_gfE&feature=emb_title).

Coach Daniel said:”Zoo Crew pushed us all the way in that game. With amazing talent on roster, amazing coaching and one of biggest support in whole league that team was a problem for us. However Safin brothers really stepped up in that game and helped collecting really important win and additional booster in confidence for our boys. Anton collected MVP f the game while his brother Thomas was key factor on offense. I really have to give credit to that Zoo Crew organisation for the great work they do”

One of highlights of the season was Christmas trip to Belgium for Coca cola basketball tournament where our team came 7th of 32 teams proving there is bright future lying ahead of us. With a lot of players still being in u11 age group (K.Birsen, C.Sagun, D.Olusanya, M.Davendra) our team fought really brave against top teams from France, Belgium and Germany. It was definitely great experience and helped boys understand how great basketball journey can be.

We are really happy to see our youngsters shining at London stage and we value every single one of them in their basketball journey. Kaya Birsen was really consistent with all trainings and games showing he cannot be stopped by any other guard in whole league. It is hard to believe Kaya is still U12 next season and will lead our side once again.

In our short history we have managed to collect first ever official Championship and we are truly proud of all support from parents, effort from players and coaches. Our u12 roster for the season was: K.Birsen, M.Davendra, J. Bernadin, A.Safin, T.Safin, C.Sagun, D.Olusanya, E.Aroyo, J.Balaba.

As our season is officially over, we are already planning preparation for campaign 20/21. Look out to our social media for details of coming up trials!