Building legacy for Newham over three decades - with Caroline Charles - Ep. 80

Hoopsfix Podcast - British Basketball with Sam Neter

For Episode 80 of the Hoopsfix Podcast we sit down with Caroline Charles, founder and owner of the Newham Youngbloods basketball club.

Charles founded the Youngbloods in 1992 and for almost three decades has provided an outlet for young basketball players in one of the most deprived boroughs in the country.

Caroline has been responsible for thousands of players getting their start in basketball, having fielded Youngbloods teams for both boys and girls through u14s to u18s, as well as coaching the Newham London Youth Games squad for 25 years.

Having been mentored by the likes of legendary grassroots coaches Humph Long, Jimmy Rogers, and Joe White, she has received an award from the Mayor of London for services to youth basketball, and led Youngbloods teams to multiple Final Fours appearances, as well as winning the U16 Girls National Cup this past season.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
02:15 Interview start
02:33 What made Caroline first get into basketball
05:55 Her progression as a player and transitioning into coaching
10:17 Where the name Newham Youngbloods came from
13:31 What was the motivation to start her own club
20:03 The influence of Jimmy Rogers, Joe White and Humphrey Long on her journey
24:26 How she approaches working with a new young player who comes to the club
29:07 The current Newham Youngbloods structure in terms of teams
30:34 Whether she's considered setting up an academy
33:02 Basketball as a tool for a social impact
38:32 the London 2012 Olympic legacy
45:47 Being involved with the London 2012 Olympic bid
50:01 If she was given a blank cheque for the club what she would do with it
54:00 The Youngbloods partnership with the London Lions
57:28 If the Lions new ownership changed anything with the partnership
59:20 The state of female basketball in England
01:03:12 Why less females are into basketball than males
01:06:48 If she was in charge of increasing female participation what she would do
01:10:18 Whether Newham could support more clubs
01:13:21 Favourite basketball memory from playing and coaching
01:14:52 The best player Newham Youngbloods has produced
01:17:40 The best coach she's played or worked with
01:19:04 Advice for someone who wanted to set up a community club
01:21:03 The future of the Newham Youngbloods
01:24:05 What she wants her personal legacy to be

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