We are pleased to announce an ongoing partnership with Preston Johnson and his associates, providing new opportunities for students at Holy Trinity School and players at Sussex Storm Basketball Club to compete at a higher level in Europe.  

With the governing body controversially rejecting the school’s appeal to join the Elite Academy Basketball League, alternative pathways had to be explored. As part of this initiative, the club entered a Division 3 National League team, currently fighting for promotion, while the HTS Storm Basketball Academy first team took the opportunity to compete in the European Youth Basketball League (EYBL). This saw the players travel to Bucharest, Romania, in November and Budapest, Hungary, in February to test their talents.  

The team played four games over two days at each tournament, finishing with a 3-1 record in Bucharest and a 2-2 record in Budapest—narrowly losing their final game on a last-second shot. With an overall 5-3 record, they now eagerly await confirmation on whether they have qualified for the Super Final later this year.  

The Partnership with Preston Johnson  

Preston Johnson, a Los Angeles native, first connected with the club after arriving in Crawley in 2022. Passionate about basketball, he was pleasantly surprised to find the successful Storm Basketball Club in the same town where he and his partners had acquired Crawley Town Football Club. Keen to get involved, he offered his support to both the club and school.  

For the 2023/24 season, Johnson joined the squad on the bench for home games, using his analytics expertise to track stats and provide insights for the Sixth Form team. He also attended training sessions, assisting where possible—even rebounding for players at The Academy. His competitive nature saw him take on some of the top players in shooting contests, where he secured a few victories of his own.  

This partnership will continue to expand, with new developments including strength and conditioning support, consultancy, and collaboration with Crawley Town Football Club’s well-established performance department, PWR S&C.  

Looking Ahead  

“I’ve always appreciated the strong sense of community in Crawley, whether in sport, art, or music,” said Johnson. “We’re excited to help basketball grow in the town and intend to build something that can compete at the professional level. There are already key steps in place to make this happen—it’s an exciting time for the community.”  

Over the years, Sussex Storm has helped numerous players achieve remarkable success, with the club continuing to grow. The financial backing and personal investment from Preston and his partners have already been invaluable to Holy Trinity School and its basketball programme.  

Daniel Hildreth, Head Coach of the Academy & National League Programmes, expressed his gratitude:  

“Firstly, I can’t thank Preston enough for his support. He has provided opportunities to our players and students that they would never have had otherwise. This goes beyond basketball—some of our players had never travelled abroad before, and the memories made on these trips will last a lifetime. The basketball wasn’t bad either!”  

As Holy Trinity awaits news on their EYBL Finals qualification, they now face a packed schedule, battling for more national titles and championships in the weeks ahead.  

The Holy Trinity school is seeking an elite experienced coach with immediate effect, to coach the girls Academy programme. It is with immense gratitude that we wish Kyla Nelson the very best of luck with her future career having accepted a coaching role at a University in Canada. The role at HTS will include all duties and responsibilities in maintaining and improving the successes within the girls 6th form academy along with assisting on the boys side.

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, self-motivated coach to join a professional coaching team in delivering an elite basketball programme within the school and alongside a National League programme with Sussex Storm. The school competes in the Academies Basketball League (CBL tier 2) and in national and county competitions for years 7-14 student athletes. Basketball is at the heart of the academy programme, with a professional approach across the board.

The role is ideal for a coach who would like the opportunity to develop and progress their coaching career. We are looking for someone with excellent basketball knowledge, combined with strong interpersonal and leadership skills.

The school’s partnership with Sussex Storm Basketball Club will allow a separate working
arrangement to be made directly with the club for additional hours, which will require the flexibility to work regularly at weekends and some evenings. In this role the successful candidate should have knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball and the operation of club basketball.

The successful applicant will have to meet the requirements as set out in the Person Specification which accompanies the Job Description. Presentation of the Application Form and covering letter will form part of the selection process as will practical testing and interviews on the day. Shortlisted candidates must be available for interview on the date indicated.

The preferred method of communication in connection with this vacancy is by email. This is how invitations to interview will be sent. Please ensure that you check your emails and junk or spam folders on a regular basis.

Application forms and details about the post are attached and on the website. All enquiries and completed application forms with covering letter / statement should be sent to
hr@holytrinitycrawley.org.uk by the closing date or earlier.

We are seeking candidates who will commit to upholding our values and ethos as a faith school; however, although desirable, applicants do not need to be a practising Christian.

NB: The closing and interview dates are a guide only. We intend to review applications as they are received and call those shortlisted for immediate interview. An early application is advised, as once we have appointed, we will close the recruitment process.

Applications close on 17th October

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, self-motivated coach to join a professional coaching team in delivering an elite basketball programme within school and alongside a community programme with Sussex Storm. The school competes in the College Basketball League (CBL T2) and in national and county competitions for years 7-14 student athletes. Basketball is at the heart of the academy programme, with a professional approach across the board.

The role is ideal for an ambitious coach seeking to work as a valued mentor, role model and supporter of our junior Basketball student athletes. They would like the opportunity to develop and progress their coaching career whilst also gaining pastoral and mentoring experience in a diverse but inclusive community. This will include planning and delivering a comprehensive high-quality coaching and mentoring programme. As a coach, you will also work closely with the pastoral team to collect high-quality data to demonstrate the effectiveness of the programme and quantify the progress we are making for our young people. We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal, mentoring and leadership skills. Someone who can communicate effectively with students and use Basketball as a tool for personal development, and growth towards future aspirations both academically and on the Basketball court.

The school’s partnership with Storm Basketball Club will allow a separate working arrangement to be made directly with the club for additional hours, which will require the flexibility to work regularly at weekends and some evenings. In this role the successful candidate should have excellent knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball and the operation of club basketball. This role will offer opportunities to deliver in the community & national league programmes.

The successful applicant will have to meet the requirements as set out in the Person Specification which accompanies the Job Description. Presentation of the Application Form and covering letter will form part of the selection process as will practical testing and interviews on the day. Shortlisted candidates must be available for interview on the date indicated.

The preferred method of communication in connection with this vacancy is by email. This is how invitations to interview will be sent. Please ensure that you check your emails and junk or spam folders on a regular basis.

Application forms and details about the post are attached and on the website. All enquiries and completed application forms with covering letter / statement should be sent to hr@holytrinitycrawley.org.uk by the closing date or earlier.

Applications close on Friday 12th of July.

Starting from the 2023/24 season, we will be combining and rebranding our “Battle of the Borough” competition and the “Crawley Basketball League” into “The Storm Basketball League.” This move aims to streamline the transition for players from our primary school competitions to the secondary school level. Consequently, there is no longer a need to change uniforms when progressing to year 7. Moreover, this rebranding also encompasses all the hub sessions we conduct in various towns, making it more inclusive. The scope of these leagues extends well beyond Crawley, with players now participating from locations stretching from Croydon down to Eastbourne.

Entry has now opened for the 23/24 season, and more info can be found here: https://stormbasketballclub.com/storm-basketball-league/

The leagues will operate bi-weekly on Friday nights, providing players with a regular schedule. This arrangement ensures that weekends are now free for those involved in our National League Programme, which now welcomes participants as young as U9. For those who previously competed in “Battle of the Borough” (BotB), please note that you will require a new kit. However, this kit will now be the one used consistently throughout your journey, all the way through to Year 13, eliminating the need for changes upon reaching Year 7.

Feel free to reach out if you have any further questions: office@stormbasketballclub.com

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, self-motivated coach to join a professional coaching team in delivering an elite basketball programme within school and alongside a community programme with Sussex Storm. The school competes in the College Basketball League (CBL T2) and in national and county competitions for years 7-14 student athletes. Basketball is at the heart of the academy programme, with a professional approach across the board.

The role is ideal for an ambitious coach who would like the opportunity to develop and progress their coaching career. We are looking for someone with excellent basketball knowledge, combined with strong interpersonal and leadership skills. The role is primarily on delivering delivering small group and team practices of year 7-14, leading & assisting with our CBL Boys & Girls Academy programme & coaching in the Dynamik National Schools Competition.

The school’s partnership with Storm Basketball Club will allow a separate working arrangement to be made directly with the club for additional hours, which will require the flexibility to work regularly at weekends and some evenings. In this role the successful candidate should have excellent knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball and the operation of club basketball. This role will offer opportunities to deliver in the community & national league programmes.

The successful applicant will have to meet the requirements as set out in the Person Specification which accompanies the Job Description. Presentation of the Application Form and covering letter will form part of the selection process as will practical testing and interviews on the day. Shortlisted candidates must be available for interview on the date indicated.

The preferred method of communication in connection with this vacancy is by email. This is how invitations to interview will be sent. Please ensure that you check your emails and junk or spam folders on a regular basis.

Application forms and details about the post are attached and on the website. All enquiries and completed application forms with covering letter / statement should be sent to hr@holytrinitycrawley.org.uk by the closing date or earlier.

Applications close on Monday 10th of July.