Why Beyond Basketball exists.

Sometimes, innovation isn't born in a laboratory. Sometimes it's born on a basketball court. 🏀🇸🇱
Today at Victoria Park in Freetown, I met a young player who reminded me why Beyond Basketball exists.
The basketball rims at the court have no nets. Most people would complain or simply stop practicing.
He didn't.
He bought his own basketball net, found an old motorcycle tyre that matched the size of the rim, attached the net to the tyre, and every time he comes to train, he lifts the tyre onto the rim. When he's finished, he takes it home again.
Think about that for a moment.
Imagine having to carry your own basketball net just to practice your jump shot.
This is the reality for many young athletes in Sierra Leone.
Yet despite the challenges, they continue to show up. They continue to dream. They continue to create solutions where resources don't exist.
Their passion is stronger than the obstacles.
This story has strengthened our resolve.
It is no longer just something we would like to do; it is something we must do.
At Beyond Basketball, we are making a commitment to fight for better basketball facilities across Sierra Leone, starting with something as simple, yet so important, as a basketball net.
Every basketball rim in Sierra Leone deserves a net.
No young player should have to carry a homemade tyre just to experience what the sound and feel of a made shot through a net is like.
This young man's ingenuity has inspired us to fight even harder for change, to support our youth, and to remove the barriers that make sport harder than it should be.
Today, we make this our commitment:
Every basketball rim in Sierra Leone must have a net.
It won't happen overnight, but it will happen one court, one community, and one partnership at a time.
This is more than a project.
It is a promise. And we intend to keep it.
Unfortunately, I was rushing to another meeting and didn't have the opportunity to spend more time talking with this remarkable young man. If anyone knows him or can help us get in touch, please ask him to contact Beyond Basketball. We'd love to hear his story, celebrate his creativity, and see how we can support his journey.