FLINDER'S THOUGHTS
11/26/2009
Over the past few months, social networking profiles and blogs become the new must-have accessories for athletes worldwide.
Shaquille O'Neal and Lance Armstrong 'Tweet' daily to 2.5 million followers during their down time, while just this month Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard was fined $15,000 for criticising referees on his blog.
Someone who has perhaps made more productive use of such down time is Team GB guard, Flinder Boyd.
Injured, and without a club since last season, Boyd has been so surprised by the lack of facilities in London he complained to the London Mayor’s office, publishing the outcomes on his own blog, 'I wish I was a little bit taller'.
"I sent an email to the commissioner of sport in London, Kate Hoey," said the 6' 0" guard point.
"I sat down with her and her people and told them all my concerns about the cost, and lack of facilities.
"Kate reassured me they are working on a project called 'The London Basketball Plan' which aims to get more kids playing basketball and to support clubs in London both financially, and by setting up a central venue league."
The California-born Boyd feels this is a good start but taking the next step with such support is tough due to matters out of Hoey's hands.
"They are working hard but the bureaucracy in London complicates matters. All the councils are autonomous making it difficult to get them all on the same page," he added.
"You need to get more kids playing but you need to make it cheap. The reason it is so popular in the states and everywhere except Britain is because everybody can play, like football."
If the former Leicester Riders star believes Britain needs to follow the Americans lead in this area, it is the European route he feels they need to pursue in terms of elite player development.
"In Europe they have a similar structure to that of football here. You play for your club from the age of around ten and progress through the under 16’s, under 18’s and so on, but we don't have that because the BBL can’t afford it," he said.
"Essex Pirates are trying to get the under 20's to play, but they need elite junior teams to play against and then maybe to go over to Europe and play some of their teams."
In particular it is the French system, revolving around the specialist INSEP (National Institute of Sport and Physical Education) programmes that Boyd feels is the way forward.
"It is a basketball high school, where all the top players in the country go and play in the French third division," he said.
"They are not allowed to be relegated or promoted but they are playing against men, at a good level for the entire year.
"All the top French players including Tony Parker and Boris Diaw played there and it really helped their development, I believe we could have something similar here in the BBL or the EBL."
Boyd also believes this process could be helped by a partnership between the BBL and the proposed BBA (British Basketball Association).
"I think the best thing for the BBA to do is to put their money into the BBL," he said.
"One of the major problems in England is the facilities. Some of them are really poor so unless you can rectify this and get the games shown on TV, nothing is going to change."
Another way in which the 29 year-old feels the profile of the sport could be raised in this country is to make the most of Luol Deng off the court, as well as on it.
"Luol needs to become a star," he said.
"He walks down the street in London and nobody knows who he is and he probably gets paid more that Frank Lampard.
"To really build up a TV audience you need to build up the star power."
It appears the powers that be within GB basketball share Boyd's view and he feels this is how they will be using the huge funding increase the sport received last year.
"That funding was mostly given to GB to get performance levels up and I think they are looking at a trickledown effect where if GB performs well in the Olympics it is going to be beneficial to the sport," he said.
"But I wish they would give more of that money directly to the grassroots because that is going to help in the long term."
In the short term, the guard looks back on EuroBasket with mixed emotions and doesn't hold out much hope for a Wild Card invitation to next year's World Championships.
"It was obviously really difficult with group we were drawn in," said Boyd.
"Our best three players weren't there for our warm up games and other guys were hurt a lot, but I think it was more of a learning experience rather than an attempt to win a medal.
"Obviously I would love to go to the World Championships but I can’t really see them picking us over some of the world powers. I think it would be a smart business move for them to try and get GB in there to get more exposure for the sport here, but we would have to guarantee a certain TV audience, which would be tough."
For now though Boyd is concentrating on getting fit and finding a new club, something which would reduce his down time, curtailing his 'blogging' but facilitating his long overdue return to the court.
"I've been talking to Paul Blake who runs the Newcastle Eagles," he said.
"It's a complicated situation for them in terms of money and because Fab (Flournoy) is hurt, they need someone immediately and I'm having issues with my ankle so it might be something that will happen in a few weeks time we are just in touch right now, nothing is finalised."
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Sam Neter - Wednesday, December 2nd
Great read!
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Chris Quinn - Tuesday, December 1st
Great article. In a world where everyone socially networks. it's good to see people using it productively!
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