What is BSBL? Everything You Need to Know

The Bexley Schools Basketball League (BSBL) is a borough-wide schools basketball competition, powered by Bexley Tigers Basketball Club and tailored for schools across the London Borough of Bexley. Designed to increase participation, accessibility, and excitement around basketball, BSBL is a fully supported, beginner-friendly league for both primary and secondary schools.

Age Groups & Structure

BSBL is split across three age divisions:

• Junior League (Primary Schools) – U9 Mixed, U11 Mixed (3v3 festival-style tournaments with smaller courts and hoops)
• Senior League (Secondary Schools) – U12 Mixed, U14 Boys & Girls, U16 Boys & Girls (5v5)
• Post-16 League – U19 Boys & Girls (5v5)

Each league is built to ensure fair competition, local fixtures to reduce travel, and expert support from Bexley Tigers through referees, CPD training, coaching, and safeguarding resources.

The season runs from September 2025 to March 2026, culminating in Playoffs and All-Star Week in April 2026.

BSBL is more than just a league—it is a vehicle for community empowerment, school development, and youth opportunity.

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Meet the Teams: East & West Conference Breakdown

To reduce travel and foster regional rivalries, BSBL’s Senior Boys Division is split into East and West Conferences. Teams will play games across both conference but with a conference league table with the top teams advancing to a cross-conference playoff. A school might move to a different conference for a particular age group to balance the number of teams in the conference league.

West Bexley Conference Schools

1. Bexley Grammar School
2. Welling School
3. Hurstmere School
4. Cleeve Park School
5. Bexleyheath Academy

East Bexley Conference Schools

1. Haberdashers’ Crayford Academy
2. Leigh Academy Bexley
3. Trinity Church of England School
4. Harris Garrard Academy
5. St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School

Girls Division

• West: Bexley Grammar, Welling School
• East: St Catherine’s Catholic School, Townley Grammar

In total, 12 of the 16 secondary schools in the borough have joined the league across multiple age groups—a huge milestone for basketball in Bexley.

Each participating school has also been given a custom BSBL logo, creating a unified brand identity across fixtures, social media, and scoreboards. Schools have the option to modify their logos for future seasons.

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How BSBL is Tackling Youth Inactivity & Obesity Through Sport

Bexley, like many parts of the UK, faces rising levels of childhood inactivity and obesity. With less structured PE time and limited access to team sports, many students are missing out on the physical, mental, and social benefits that sport offers.

The Bexley Schools Basketball League is a direct response to this challenge.

Key Benefits of BSBL:

• More Opportunities for Physical Activity: Weekly games give students a regular outlet for movement and fitness.
• Positive After-School Engagement: Instead of being idle, young people are engaged in fun, structured environments with clear goals.
• Inclusive & Beginner-Friendly: With tailored leagues and training support, even schools with little basketball experience can participate.
• Development Pathways: Talented players can be signposted to Bexley Tigers’ development and National League teams.

Basketball is a high-intensity sport that builds endurance, agility, teamwork, and confidence. Through BSBL, Bexley Tigers hope to ignite a love for the game in every school, while fostering healthier habits for life.

The league also helps combat inactivity by making participation easy for schools.

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Join Us This Season

As the league tips off in September 2025, students, parents, and the wider Bexley community are encouraged to support their schools and celebrate the growth of youth basketball.

The Bexley Schools Basketball League is more than a competition—it’s a movement.

Follow fixtures, results and updates via: 🌐 bexleybasketball.co.uk
📧 bsbl@bexleytigers.co.uk
📱 @BexleyLeague on social media

The Bexley Schools Basketball League (BSBL) is not just for secondary schools — we’re proud to announce the launch of Junior BSBL, our dedicated basketball programme for primary schools across the London Borough of Bexley.

This exciting initiative is aimed at Years 3–6 and is built on the belief that it’s never too early to fall in love with basketball.

A Festival-Style Format to Inspire Young Hoopers

Unlike the traditional league format used in our secondary school competitions, Junior BSBL adopts a festival-style approach. Instead of weekly fixtures, participating primary schools will be invited to dedicated basketball festivals throughout the academic year. These events will be hosted at local secondary school venues to ease logistics and foster community spirit between schools.

Each festival will focus on:

• 3v3 games for quicker action and more touches per player
• Smaller courts to suit the physical development of younger players
• Lower hoops to increase shooting success and engagement
• Fun, inclusive atmosphere to encourage participation for all abilities

Supporting PE Staff Every Step of the Way

One of the biggest barriers to basketball in primary schools is a lack of training or confidence in delivering the sport. That’s why Bexley Tigers Basketball Club will provide:

• Event staffing, including qualified referees and session leaders
• Equipment such as balls, bibs, cones, and height-adjustable hoops
• Optional CPD sessions for school staff to build basketball delivery skills
• Festival delivery guides for schools that want to run their own sessions

Our goal is simple: make basketball fun, accessible, and easy to deliver in every primary school in Bexley.

Building Pathways from Playground to Performance

Junior BSBL isn’t just about fun—it’s also about building a long-term pathway for young athletes. By introducing basketball in the early years, children gain the confidence, coordination, and passion that can take them all the way through to:

• Secondary School BSBL
• Bexley Tigers club programmes
• National pathways and performance squads

Why It Matters

Bexley Tigers believes in the power of sport to change lives. Through Junior BSBL, we aim to:

• Tackle childhood inactivity and obesity
• Boost confidence and teamwork skills
• Create positive after-school experiences
• Strengthen school–club–community links

Get Involved

Junior BSBL is completely free to participate and open to all Bexley primary schools. If your school is interested in taking part or hosting a festival, please email us at bsbl@bexleytigers.co.uk.

Let’s build a borough where every child can play basketball—regardless of ability, background, or experience.

The Bexley Schools Basketball League (BSBL), powered by Bexley Tigers Basketball Club, is proud to announce that 12 of the 16 secondary schools in the London Borough of Bexley have confirmed their participation in the league’s inaugural season — launching September 2025.

This marks a major step forward in transforming basketball opportunities for young people across the borough.

Confirmed Schools for Season 1

The following schools have officially signed up to take part in Season 1 of the BSBL:

1. Bexleyheath Academy
2. Bexley Grammar School
3. Cleeve Park School
4. Haberdashers’ Crayford Academy
5. Harris Garrard Academy
6. Hurstmere School
7. Leigh Academy Bexley
8. St Catherine’s Catholic School for Girls
9. Shooters Hill College
10. St Columba’s Catholic Boys’ School
11. Townley Grammar School
12. Welling School

Most schools have committed multiple age groups, allowing students from Years 7 to Sixth Form to benefit from structured, local basketball competition. This level of uptake reaffirms the need for a borough-wide basketball league and highlights the shared ambition of schools to increase sports participation and develop a basketball culture in Bexley.

“To have 75% of all Bexley secondary schools on board from day one is a massive win for the borough,” said Lisa Coakley, Head of Community & Schools at Bexley Tigers. “It shows that there’s a real appetite to grow basketball and offer young people more opportunities to play after school.”

A League with Identity

As part of its branding and media-first approach, BSBL has designed a custom basketball logo for each participating school. These logos will be used throughout the season on fixtures, league tables, graphics, and social media posts. Each school will have the option to adopt or modify their assigned logo to better reflect their school identity.

This initiative not only brings a consistent aesthetic to the league but also gives students something to take pride in — seeing their school represented professionally in a basketball environment.

Looking Ahead

With 12 schools signed up, the stage is set for an exciting first season of BSBL. However, the work continues.

“We’re hopeful that the remaining four schools will join us in Season 2,” said Sten Mayunga, CEO of Bexley Tigers. “This is a long-term vision. We want BSBL to be a key part of Bexley’s sporting ecosystem for years to come.”

The league will run from September 2025 to February 2026, culminating in All Star Week in April 2026, where players, coaches, and schools will come together to celebrate the season with playoffs, an All-Star Game, and individual contests like the 3-point shootout and dunk competition.

A Community Effort

The BSBL is more than just a competition. It’s a borough-wide collaboration that aims to:

• Reduce travel distances for fixtures
• Increase participation in school sport
• Support PE departments with basketball expertise
• Promote health and tackle childhood obesity
• Celebrate students through sport

Bexley Tigers would like to thank all schools for their commitment to making this league possible — and for believing in the power of basketball to impact young lives.

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📲 Follow all the action this season at bexleybasketball.co.uk
🐦 Twitter/X: @BexleyLeague
📸 Instagram: @BexleyTigers

#BexleyLeague #BSBL #BuiltInBexley

A New Era for Basketball in Bexley Begins This September

Bexley Tigers Basketball Club is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Trinity Church of England School, Belvedere, to launch a new school basketball academy – Trinity Tigers – starting in September 2025.

This marks a major step forward in the development of basketball within the borough, further strengthening Bexley Tigers’ commitment to providing world-class coaching, opportunities, and experiences for young athletes in the community.

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🐯 What is Trinity Tigers?

Trinity Tigers is the official basketball programme for Trinity CofE School, fully supported and powered by Bexley Tigers Basketball Club. Through this partnership, all year groups at the school will receive professional basketball coaching year-round – delivered by qualified Bexley Tigers staff – creating a thriving basketball culture embedded into the school’s sports offering.

As part of the programme, Trinity Tigers will also compete in:

• The Bexley Schools Basketball League (BSBL)

• Additional borough, regional, and national school competitions

This structure gives student-athletes the platform to grow, compete, and excel in a fully supportive environment, while building long-term pathways into club and elite-level basketball.

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🏟️ Trinity Becomes Bexley Tigers’ Home Court

In addition to launching Trinity Tigers, Trinity School will also become the official home venue for Bexley Tigers Basketball Club starting this season.

The club’s Men’s Local League and Junior National League teams will play all home fixtures at Trinity, welcoming teams from across England to compete in Bexley.

We’re especially excited to announce that Bexley Tigers Men’s games will take place every Friday night at Trinity, turning the end of the week into a community celebration of basketball.

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🎟️ Free Friday Night Basketball for the Community

Bexley Tigers invites the entire community to come out and support the Men’s team this season.

• 🕓 Tip-off: Friday nights (check schedule for match times)

• 📍 Venue: Trinity CofE School, Belvedere

• 🎟️ Tickets: FREE for the entire 2025/26 season

Tickets are limited and issued on a first-come, first-served basis via the official club website:
👉 bexleytigers.co.uk/tickets

Whether you’re a parent, student, teacher, or basketball fan — we encourage you to bring your friends and family and be part of something special in Bexley.

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💬 Building a Basketball Future Together

This partnership reflects the core mission of Bexley Tigers: to inspire, develop, and unite communities through basketball.

By embedding expert coaching into the school system and giving young people meaningful competition opportunities, Trinity Tigers will play a key role in developing the next generation of athletes – while providing a source of local pride.

We thank Trinity CofE School for their vision, belief, and commitment to growing basketball alongside us.

Let’s build the future. Let’s go Tigers.
#TrinityTigers | #BexleyBasketball | #OneClubOneFamilyOneFuture

September 2025 will mark the launch of the Bexley Schools Basketball League (BSBL), a new local schools competition powered by Bexley Tigers Basketball Club, bringing structured basketball opportunities to schools across the London Borough of Bexley.

Over the past few years, Bexley Tigers have worked closely with schools, listening to the challenges faced by PE departments. Many schools highlighted the same barriers: a lack of basketball expertise, and the travel burden required to compete outside the borough. In response, Bexley Tigers developed a local solution — a borough-wide league designed by schools, for schools.

A Community-Driven Vision

The BSBL is built on a simple but powerful idea: every child in Bexley deserves the opportunity to play basketball. The league has been created in collaboration with the borough’s Heads of PE and School Games Organiser, and is structured to support schools with both competition and development.

Fixtures will take place locally, drastically reducing travel time and ensuring more students can participate. Schools will also receive direct support from Bexley Tigers, including:

• CPD training for PE staff

• Access to referees, table officials, and statisticians

• Development opportunities for students to learn key life skills through sport

The initiative reflects Bexley Tigers’ commitment to growing the game at all levels, with the Junior BSBL launching alongside the senior leagues to introduce basketball to primary school pupils in a fun and inclusive way.

Strong Uptake Across the Borough

In its inaugural season, the league has seen overwhelming interest. 12 out of 16 secondary schools in Bexley have already signed up, many entering multiple age groups with over 10 primary schools also signed up. Schools will compete across Junior (Primary School), Senior (Secondary School), and Post-16 (Sixthform/College) categories, with regular fixtures from September 2025 through April 2026.

More Than Just a Game

BSBL is about more than competition — it’s about creating healthier, happier futures for young people in Bexley. With rising concerns around childhood obesity and reduced physical activity levels, the league provides a practical and engaging way to get students active and connected after school.

“We believe in the power of basketball and the values it brings,” says Sten Mayunga, General Manager of Bexley Tigers. “Discipline, teamwork, confidence — these are life skills. BSBL is a platform for our youth to grow both on and off the court.”

A Borough-Wide Celebration

To mark the end of the season, the BSBL will host a spectacular All Star Week in April 2026, just before the Easter holidays. This event will include:

• Playoff Finals

• East vs West All-Star Game

• 3-Point Shooting Contest

• Free-Throw Challenge

• Dunk Competition (lowered hoop to encourage wider participation)

It’s more than just a finals week — it’s a celebration of basketball in Bexley, recognising the players, coaches, and schools who have helped make the first season a success.

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For more information about the BSBL or to get involved, visit bexleybasketball.co.uk or follow the league on X (formerly Twitter) at @BexleyLeague.

#LetTheGamesBegin
#BSBL
#BexleyTigers