The British Basketball League (BBL) has chosen Frog System’s pioneering Ashia software to launch a nationwide platform to support its community with their mental health and physical wellbeing.
The BBL platform was developed in response to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which the league believes has hit its fanbase particularly hard.
Andy Webb, Chief Operating Officer of the BBL, added: “This is a proud moment for us to be the first national sports body to launch a platform like this to support our community. The past year has been tough for everyone – players, fans and administrators alike – and this puts us in a great position to move forward and make a positive difference.”
The platform contains bite-sized video clips from players and officials from clubs in the BBL sharing their own experiences and highlights organisations where the basketball community can go to get help. Users can search for information about mental and physical wellness, diversity, equality and inclusion, and personal development and financial management. They can also look for community programmes and volunteering opportunities with the sport in their area.
Phil Worms, CEO of Frog Systems, said: “This is another example of how sport can be used to deliver important messages around mental health and wellbeing. We have worked closely with the BBL to produce a platform that will help them make important decisions about where they direct their support and resources in the future.”
The platform is the first step in a series of initiatives planned by the BBL to improve welfare provision ahead of the 2021/2022 season which are being spearheaded by former Scotland and Great Britain basketball captain Kieron Achara.
Keiron Achara said: “The BBL family have always believed that our communities are the backbone of our league and I’m proud that we are working together to amplify the amazing local support services and resources available to ensure our communities are getting the help they need.”
It is estimated that a million people play basketball in Britain every week. All 11 BBL franchises are behind the platform and will add new supportive video content in the coming weeks and months.
Sir Rodney Walker, Chairman of the BBL, said: “Our players and coaches do a huge amount of work in their local communities. We hope the BBL Community Wellness Hub will add another layer of support by linking our thousands of fans with advice and support around the challenges they face.”
The software behind the platform has been developed by Frog Systems over the past two years. It combines the use of video, search, and location data to provide clients with one place where they can bring all their wellbeing resources and tools together, alongside bespoke video content, to deliver important messages to their communities. The anonymised data produced contributes important insight for their long-term business strategies.
Clients pay an initial start-up fee and then a monthly management fee. Earlier this year, Frog Systems helped Sussex Cricket become the first top tier sports club to launch a mental health and wellness platform. Other recent client wins include UWE Bristol and GAP Group.
