Department Focus: PE Teacher and Basketball Coach Mr Jordan

“The difference between a successful coach and a great coach is the ability to inspire and empower their players”

Our Under 14 Basketball team have had the best season ever in the history of Southborough High School. They took part in a total of 20 games, winning 19. They are the U14 Surrey Schools Basketball League Champions, the U14 Surrey Schools Basketball Cup Winners and the U14 London Youth Games Boys Basketball Champions for 2024 and, as of last Wednesday, the runners up in the U14 ‘Dynamik’ Co-Ed Basketball Competition (in association with England Basketball Association), a fixture that took place in Manchester.

Throughout the season the players have shown great resilience, strength and ability in their game. And they have really done both themselves - and our school - proud. But throughout this time there has been one person who the boys have looked up to and trusted the advice and judgement of – and that’s been their team coach, P.E Teacher Mr Jordan.

It takes a whole host of factors to create such a successful sporting team and, invariably, it takes time, perseverance –and most importantly – a genuine passion for the sport itself – to truly succeed.

When Mr Jordan was a teenager himself, he attended a school that was rather rugby-centric and whilst he readily embraced this sport – being part of the school first team and dedicating his time attending training and fixtures – his interest and passion for basketball steadily grew, despite it not being offered on the school curriculum.

He was, however, passionate about American Basketball and was a keen fan of the LA Lakers. His idols included Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan (no relation), and when he visited the USA on a family holiday he was quick to purchase any basketball memorabilia he could get his hands on!

Whilst he continued to play rugby, his heart continued to lie with basketball and once he became a qualified P.E Teacher and joined Southborough High School, he felt passionate about opening up the sport to whoever was interested in playing it. Working closely with Head of P.E Mr Colbert, they put basketball firmly on the map, at first offering  a dedicated basketball club once a week as part of the department’s extra-curricular offer. That was ten years ago. A lot has changed since then!

Today, students get the opportunity to train and play on four out of five lunch times per week and, during the season, a further twice after school. At the start, the boys played fixtures in their athletics kits. Nowadays – and thanks in large part to the generosity of our wonderful PTA fundraisers - the boys not only have smart, specially designed Southborough basketball kits, but also team tracksuits. This all helps them to look and feel the part when they perform at fixtures!

Over the years, Mr Jordan has nurtured our boys’ interest and passion in the game. They know how much basketball means to him and trust his experienced coaching and guidance implicitly. Indeed, Mr Jordan embodies the qualities of a great coach, bringing out the very best in his players. And as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. Our U14 team have put in the hard graft and delivered top results this year.

Many congratulations to our wonderful U14 Basketball Team for their amazing success – and a huge well done to their brilliant coach Mr Jordan for his continued support, inspiration and guidance. Team work really does make the dream work!