I can’t believe it has taken me this long to actually talk about playing basketball in England. Especially with the positive basketball experiences I have playing there. Added to my positive experiences is the amount of leagues you can play in and the accelerated rate in which basketball in England is improving.
Why is playing basketball in England a good option for anyone wanting to play pro?
If you are living in Australia or any English speaking country for that matter England is a great option if you want to get your foot in the door to play pro basketball. The sheer volume of leagues and the exposure in these leagues makes getting noticed so much easier than say Australia. Even though the standard in Australia is better.
This will require to swallow your ego for a season or two so stay with me on this. Coming to England you don’t necessarily have to play in the top league, which is the BBL (British Basketball League). There are so many lower leagues where you can join and build up your stats and get a following from other larger teams throughout Europe. This means you might actually have to play without getting paid. As I said, you have to get your ego in check. Play a few years in the lower leagues and build a name for yourself. By doing this you can be picked up by another team in a higher league.
How can I survive without getting paid to play?
Do the hard yards, get a job. Part time preferably so that you can have time for basketball training. In UK there’s plenty of bar work and getting part time jobs isn’t all that hard. If you want to live a little better get a temp job. In London the job boards are littered with temp jobs that pay well.
Sometimes basketball clubs can help you. When I was talking to some clubs the coaching staff had some pull within their corporate sponsors and were able to organise part time jobs. In some cases you can get paid to do basketball camps for the club. This practice is not uncommon in UK.
How do I get a VISA to go play basketball in England
I’m lucky I never needed a visa to go to England or anywhere in Europe for that matter. I hold a British passport as I was born there. This passport made it super easy for me to get on teams as I am not classed as an American import. So, if you have a European passport or can apply for one because of your parents have one. Get one! It’ll open up so many opportunities for you.
If you don’t have a European passport then you will need a visa. If you unsure and you’d like to check to see if you need a visa visit England immigration website and fill out the online form. For more information about visa’s into UK visit the British immigration website.
What leagues are in England
- British Basketball League (BBL)
- National Basketball League Div 1
- National Basketball League Div 2
- National Basketball League Div 3 Two conferences
- Youth Development League
- U18’s National League
- London Metropolitan League 1
- London Metropolitan League 2
- London Metropolitan League 3
- London Metropolitan League 4
All the above listed are professional and semi professional leagues.
What’s the standard like?
British Basketball League (BBL)
Darryl Corletto whom played 397 Australian NBL games and currently playing for Portsmouth said “the BBL standard is between the Australian NBL and SEBL” I always thought the BBL was more an athletic version of SEBL. But it has been 7 years since I was with the Guildford BBL team.
National Basketball League Div 1
Is more like State Men’s Championship league in Australia not quite as good as SEBL
National Basketball League Div 2 & 3
Are like Big V but still a pretty good standard. These are the leagues you want to be in if you are looking to go pro. There’s enough room to get minutes and get your stats up. These leagues also have a lot of recruits watching your games so it’s pretty easy to make a step up or even go to another country in Europe and play.
London Metropolitan League 1
This is very similar to BBL but no where near as athletic. A lot of old BBL players play in this league and the skill level is very good. Not too bad a league to start in but note, it is highly competitive.
London Metropolitan League 2 & 3
Not the best quality basketball as the teams in the competition can either be awesome to just plain crap. It’s not too even in competition. Still it’s not a bad league to get some experience.
Playing basketball in England is very enjoyable. It’s brings back the excitement for basketball I had as a young basketball player. I firmly believe that for any Australian basketball player looking to go pro England is the best stepping stone. After all it’s not much different to the culture here in Australia. They speak English, their transport systems is similar to ours, hospital and health and also the food. For a young person making the first trip overseas to play basketball. England by far is the safest bet!
For more information about England basketball visit their website.
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