We’d like to celebrate IWD2025 by saying a huge THANK YOU to this fab group of women, who volunteer their time to support the GB Maxibasketball national teams programme.
This year, we’re spotlighting Coach CAROLINE CHARLES (Newham Youngbloods) who has been with the programme since its inception in 2018 in East London. To date she has coached our F40+ and F55+ teams at the World in Helsinki (2019), Europeans in Malaga (2022), World Championship in Mar del Plata (2023), Euros in Pesaro (2024) and will be with our F50+ team at the FIMBA Ticino 2025 world championships this summer. When not coaching GB Maxis, Caroline continues to be one of the most successful youth basketball coaches in the country, developing some of our most successful GB senior women, among them Shanice Beckford-Norton (Commonwealth 3×3 Basketball silver medalist) and Savannah Wilkinson (EuroBasket 2025 qualifying squad member).
Ex-England & Great Britain international player, and now coach, ANITA CURTIS (Northampton Basketball Club) joined us in 2022, along with our lead Team Manager LOUISA SMALLEY (ex-London YMCA Bobcats WNL) and our very dynamic Strength & Conditioning Coach, MICHELLE ORTEGA (Ortega Performance). All were integral members of our GB Maxibasketball delegation in Malaga. Anita and Michelle were also appointed to join our championship teams competing in Argentina and Italy, alongside Team Manager GRACE JACCA.
F35+ Asst. Coach ROBERTA GUERRINA (Woking Blackhawks), Team Manager KORRIE RILEY (Nottingham Wildcats BC), Physiotherapist ELSA MANN and Sports Therapist GAIL WHITE joined us in 2023 representing GB Maxis at the FIMBA Pesaro 24 Europeans. EMILIE FAIRNINGTON (Loughborough Uni BC) is the newest of our female coaches; she joined us in 2024 and will be heading to Ticino as assistant coach with our M35+ team.
We’d also like to acknowledge our nutritionist, MICHELLE WILLETS, as well as players that have dual roles in supporting the GB Maxis education and logistics programme, namely CHRISTIE ROURKE, DAWN HALL, EMMA PARSLOW and SADIE MASON.
What a fabulous line up of inspirational women – we thank you and celebrate you today and always 
#IWD2025 #GB #maxi #basketball
#IWD2025 #GB #maxi #basketball
