Teesside Lions have made an early appointment ahead of next season with news that Paul Pickering will join the National league junior programme as a lead coach.

Coach Pickering has a wealth of experience in both Conference and Prem divisions with U16 and U18 teams. Most recently he was chasing the U18 Championship with York Eagles.

Paul began national league basketball as a player with Doncaster Eagles under the highly respected Bob Martin from 1998-2008 with the junior and senior programmes. In 2010 he began his coaching career with Doncaster U14 and U16 teams, achieving a 60%+ win record over a seven year period.

In 2023 Paul joined York Eagles as U16 Prem Head Coach in his first year followed by U18 Conference Coach in 2024-25. York Eagles were one of the best teams in a strong U18 league.

Paul will bring his experience from a number of clubs and coaches to Teesside where he will lead the U18 programme.

Coach Pickering was complimentary of Teesside following meetings with Lions chief; James Thomson, stating:

“I am delighted to be joining Teesside for the upcoming 2025-26 season. After meeting James and the team; it was obvious that this was the club to continue my coaching career. James’ passion for the development of the community and young people through basketball is evident in his delivery and ethos, and this is exactly what I am looking for.”

When asked about his expectations for the U18’s, Paul added:

“I look for commitment and respect from players, both at training and in the game day squad. On the court I promote intensity, good decision making, clear communication, and above all sportsmanship and integrity.

“A coach is not only for developing basketball, but also a role model for developing people, and I take pride in this position.

“I am looking forward to also meeting the parents and volunteers at the club. They play a huge role in the successful operation, and critically without their support, basketball doesn’t happen.”

Coach Paul is looking forward to diving in, and working on the players during the off season, to ensure the team is best prepared for the new campaign.

Teesside Lions Director of Coaching James Thomson has welcomed Paul to the club and is looking forward to having another elite level coach join; following the arrival of Ryan Weir last season, and Serge Bojev the previous year.

James said: 

“After meeting with Paul, it was clear we had very similar principles and this is important for the club. He has a good basketball resume, and has been influenced by stellar coaches such as Bob Martin. We are very fortunate he has decided to join Teesside and I am looking forward to his arrival.

“Looking back, it wasn’t long ago I was juggling multiple teams across the club, so to have Paul join Ryan and Serge along with myself as the lead National League coaches I feel very fortunate as we continue to develop the club into one of the best programmes in the UK.

“This ambition will continue to evolve along with our capacity, which has been further boosted by Paul’s arrival, ensuring we can dedicate more energy and attention to specific groups.”