Ex Nottingham player, Messam has been appointed the new Talent Programme and Pathway Manager for Basketball England.
Messam played for Nottingham based teams for the majority of his playing career, finishing with the Nottingham Hustlers before moving away to pursue his coaching career.
Messam joins the Basketball England team from his role as senior lecturer in sports coaching at the University of Lincoln, with a wealth of experience.
He previously spent nine years as course leader in sports coaching at Bradford College University Centre and has also held positions at Bradford College, Stephenson College and Greater Warwickshire Sport.
Messam is also one of just 10 to hold the UKCC Level 4 Coaching Award, and is working towards completing his Doctorate in Elite Coaching Practice.
He will begin his work with BE on Wednesday 6 October.
In his new role at BE, Messam will be at the forefront of improving and developing Basketball England’s Talent system and networks, working within the player pathway, Aspire and GB Youth programmes.
He will also work closely with the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) institutions that make up the EABL and WEABL competitions.
An apprentice coach as part of Andreas Kapoulas’ staff for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Messam will also work alongside BE Head of Talent & Performance Steve Bucknall and the rest of the talent department as part of the preparations for the 2022 Games in Birmingham.
Sam replaces Charlie Ford, who has recently taken up a role with England Boxing.
Sam Messam said: “I am extremely thrilled to be joining Basketball England and am very much looking forward to contributing to the Talent agenda. Having worked in and around sport and education for the past 25 years, I can say with a great deal of confidence that the sport of basketball is rich in ability, and as such it is going to be an honour to work with the talented administrators, coaches, and athletes to realise the strategic aspirations of our great sport and build on previous successes at all levels of the talent pathway.”
Hoods Club Captain, Bruce Lauder, commented, “I’m so pleased for Sam, he was one of the guys that inspired me to play and I was fortunate to spend one of my favourite seasons on court on him with the Hustlers. On behalf of the Hoods, we wish him all the very best in his new role.”
EVERY. MOMENT. MATTERS
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