Thanks for your comments which we are taking on board.  You are right, it's not the best court in London.  However, those in the committee have been to busy this season to find a proper court.  I personally spent hours on the phone, email,etc with lots of leisure centre managers for nothing.  This was the only court available for that amount of hours. 

I understand your comments England Basketball.  However, EB does not hold back basketball.  Its representative in London, Steve Alexander, has been very helpfull and proactive over the last months so we could find a court and funding for our league.  Some of the committe members of the Filipino leagues have refused to follow EB policies.  For instance, you have to present your resignation before the AGM and run for election.  And present your accounts to the league members, and have them agreed.  You may have a different experience though. 

About refereres, EB issued a statement in September 2005 (weeks before Kapis was due to start) during the Referees' Conference.  The current policy is that ' all referees, wishing to be part of the development pathway of EB and FIBA, will be informed that they cannot officiate at not recognised EB basketball leagues [...] The implications are clear.  Officials (referees, table officials and commissioners) who choose to officiate at not recognised will not qualify for technical development and appointments.  They must know that they are not acting as basketball referees but as members of the public, with the consequences it brings in a court of law'.  Therefore, nothing stops me from refereeing in a Filipino league (I am a referee and did games in Kapis before Sept 2005) but if I do, I am saying bye bye to my career.  And no referee wants to sacrifice their career for doing a few games in Kapis.  Unless if you do not have career at all, I guess.  Most of my colleagues have been contacted by Kampi, ELSA and Pinnoy but have refused to referee there.  The Filipino leagues do not inform us of the above, which I think it's not very professional in our opinion. That is the reason why only Filipino referees are doing those leagues.  One of them refused to referee Filipino leagues and is now travelling all over England doing games.  I would say from my experience that most of the referees would like to do Filipino (we enjoyed the music and the food, and the games) leagues but we cannot because those leagues refuse to get registered. Last comment about referees, as a national league referee, I am observed by commissioners most of the weekends.  If I have a bad performance, or several bad performances, I may not be appointed for a week, or two.  I make gross mistakes, I may be expelled from national league competitions for the rest of the sessions.  In the Filipino leagues, it does not matter how punctual, how fit, how good (or not good) the referees are.  They are alwyas the same ones, as the leagues have no pool of referees, apart from 4/5 names.  Apart from one I know personally, none of them has sit an exam or text in the last 10 years. 

Back to the league, the fee is going down to £150 per team (included EBBA fee) after we have received funding from Sport England.  It may be even less than that.  EB will assist us with paying referees, table officials and court fees. The have also facilitated grants for a minibasket school and tournament through private sponsorship. 

I think £15/20 per person to play basketball outdoors is a good offer, plus free training to become table officials and referees.  For being registered with EB, any team can access funding to pay part of their own activities (training sessions, junior team, etc..). 

However, next season we are definitively having an indoors league.  We have had some Filipino people and teams interested, but eveybody seems to be playing in ELSA, Pinoy or Kampi which we respect. 

I know the Columbian team and they are trying to come and play on Saturdays. 

Amateur

So you know Steve Alexander?  I have to say that for a team of 10/12 players, £570 is £57 per player.  Registration with EB will put the figure up to £70 approximately.  If we compare with Middlesex League (£1,800 per team and season), I think it's a bargain.  Do Kampi explain how much money they spend of these £575 and in what?  I wouldn't mind paying if I know what is being done with my money. 

However, once you are in the system, you can access several grants.  ClubMark gave last season £2,000 approximately to a few clubs in London this season.  This money will pay your fees for Kampi for 3 years.  RAF gives grants to junior/cadet clubs.  CSP (County Sport Partnership) gives money to new teams, or teams that bring new players every season.  Once again, I think that there is more to gain than to loose. I love this sport and have dedicated to it most of my adult life.  I am committed to asssit my comunity (Latino Americans and Spanish), and in the past 5 years we have sent over 10 people to referees courses (7 of them are regularly refereeing), 4 to table officials courses and 5 to coaches courses.  As qualified courses, they are coaching 200 latin american children on Saturdays, and will start with 150 Spanish children this month.  And we have over 4 teams competing.  Only Valle del Cauca (Columbian Team) is competing in a unregistered league (ELSA) but they said it would probably be their last time.  Bolivian BC do not want to play there because the league does not apply FIBA ruels, they awarded games to teams that caused fights (against FIBA disciplinary rules), gave 3 points to victory but 2 points to victory by forfeit (against FIBA rules). 

As I explained ELSA, Kapis and Pinoy, the leagues can actually keep a percentage of the registration fees and spend that money on their competitions.  If a club pays £61.5, the league keeps £12, and a player pays £12 and the league keeps £4 and so on. 

I have asked in Kensington Sport Centre, but they do not have 7 hours court time.  Eastlea gave me a good offer (£10 per hour for a registered league), but it's too far for most of the teams.  I have already signed the contract with Westway though.  This is the 2nd time we run a summer league, and it's a good chance for new teams, and apprentice referees/coaches, etc. to gain some experience.