A groundbreaking new initiative has seen four women’s basketball teams merge to create a new Surrey super club for 2014, writes Lucy Lomax.
 

Four clubs Woking Blackhawks, Surrey Rams, Mole Valley Phoenix and Kingston Wildcats School of Basketball have pooled resources to arrest the decline in numbers of girls playing basketball in the county.
 

The net result is the creation of the Surrey Steelers, who now have  two teams in the England Basketball National League at U16 and U18 level.
 

And the initiative’s brainchild Andy Lambros, who brokered a sponsorship deal with Surrey Steels  for the scheme, hopes it sees Surrey basketball go from strength to strength.
 

“There was always talk about combining the clubs together to help encourage more girls to play basketball, but no one thought it would ever go ahead,” he said.
 

“Then in September I approached the main clubs, organised a sponsor and we have all thrown our resources together to great
effect.”
 

England Basketball qualified  coaches, at training bases in Leatherhead and Chessington, saw their hard work come to fruition with two league victories before Christmas.
 

The U18s beat Brixton Topcat’s 50-40 at St Andrews in Leatherhead and the U16s won 40-13 at London Greenhouse Pioneers.
 

For information  contact Andy Lambros on 07801 183841, email surreysteelers@hotmail.co.uk or visit surreysteelers.com.