Mo Jalloh’s Story

In partnership with Nike, Jordan and the London Basketball Association (LBA), BPT offer free basketball certification courses at the BPT Hub throughout the year. The ROC programme is designed to give basketball enthusiasts the opportunity to become qualified referees, table officials or coaches.

ROCs play a vital role in allowing basketball to be played in the UK, but a lack of qualified officials often mean games are unable to take place. Therefore, this course is able to provide people with the right qualifications to help fill the gap of these roles in the UK and gain invaluable skills for their daily lives.

We caught up with one of the participants from the programme, Mohamed (Mo) Jalloh to see what he has been up to since earning his qualifications…

Last summer, Mohamed Jalloh was selected for the level 2 basketball coaching course as part of the programme.  After earning his qualification, he received many opportunities, not only in London but also internationally, however for Mo the best opportunity came when he was offered a head coaching role with University College London’s (UCL) Women’s Second team, which he accepted ahead of the 2022-23 season. Mo described his first season as a head coach ‘challenging, but exciting at the same time’ and a role he has been thoroughly enjoying. This was the beginning of a new experience for Mo, who was new to the basketball scene in London, but soon after completing his qualifications, he received his first taste of coaching in a women’s league and at university level.

Despite having years of experience playing the sport, he still found the course interesting and effective, ‘I believe the efforts of the course organisers and the interaction during the sessions made it [the course] quite friendly and easier to do.  I still had so much to learn about the game especially from a coaching angle.’

Whilst Mo enjoyed the whole course, to him, the best part of the experience was meeting the other coaches and getting to know their stories, ‘my favourite part was getting to meet different people from different backgrounds and experiences. Some played pro, overseas, coached at community levels and some were leaders and role models in their communities already. It was an awesome experience!’  He added that the chance to coach on the Regal Court was also exciting.

In addition to his role with UCL, Mo is also an assistant coach for the Bromley Under 16 boys team who play in the Junior NBL league.

As well as receiving a coaching or refereeing qualification, the courses are designed to help newly qualified ROCs find work opportunities, such as Mo’s role with UCL. The Black Prince Trust and London Basketball Association work tirelessly to create volunteering and paid opportunities with basketball organisations across London.

In addition, Mo said that ‘the course has not only helped me qualify as a coach, but also helped build my network in the community and has amplified my leadership potential both here in the UK and Sierra Leone which is where I am originally from. This experience to me is the dream I had as a kid growing up and I look forward to the bigger things coming.’

Mo’s story should inspire and pave the way for many other young coaches to get into the basketball industry.  Here is his advice to anyone interested in pursuing a career in the basketball industry:  ‘I would say, ‘Have you reached out yet? What are you waiting for?’ to anyone who wants to get into coaching or any other role in basketball, do not hesitate to reach out and ask for the opportunity.

‘But remember, while you seek the opportunity, be intentional about what and where you want to be, work 10 times harder, be dedicated and consistent.’

If you are interested in becoming a qualified basketball coach or a referee but don’t know where to start, get in touch. We not only run annual courses, but we also can put you in contact with different basketball organisations to gain relevant experience. For more information, please email community@blackprincetrust.org.uk.