As a not-for-profit organization, Guardian Ballers has already accomplished so much in providing young people with an outlet to improve mental health through sports. Kieran Joseph started the organization at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. Its mission is to connect and inspire young people ages 10-25, equipping them with the tools to create a positive change wherever they live. Guardian Ballers got its start five years ago. The charity works with schools, charities and local organisations to involve hundreds of young people in sport and boost their mental health.
The inception of Guardian Ballers occurred while Joseph was stacking shelves in a factory, where he conceptualized a vision to assist youth facing challenges. “My vision was a basketball with angel wings,” Joseph stated, reflecting on the unique approach he wanted to take towards youth engagement. The organization quickly swung into action, providing sessions within weeks of the second lockdown being lifted. This rapid action shows their deep commitment to being there for youth when times are toughest.
Guardian Ballers has developed a collaborative partnership with Coventry Mind to protect early stage funding and make sure they have the resources to continue their important work. As young leader Dom, 17, explains in his success story, these are just a few examples of the organization’s transformative impact to date. Having lost his father during the pandemic, Dom turned to Guardian Ballers and found a community of support among his peers. So it would have been extremely easy for me to get lost in that shuffle and fall down that wrong path. Guardian Ballers really helped me understand that there is someone around that you have the ability to talk to,” he said. His path could be that of any number of those who have reaped the rewards of the organization’s abundant programs.
Joseph is proud of the leadership skills that Dom has gained through his time with Guardian Ballers. Reflecting on a pivotal moment, he recounted, “I sat in a room with his head teacher a year or two later and I remember that moment where [Dom] told the head teacher, ‘Guardian Ballers helped me process the grief of losing my dad.’” Guardian Ballers has had a profound effect on personal change. The reach of their impact goes beyond just their families, to their educational communities too.
During the past decades, the organization’s years of hard work have borne fruit. In 2015, they beamed when they collected the Not-for-Profit Champion Award at the Coventry & Warwickshire Business and Community Awards. Joseph emphasized his commitment to the cause, sharing, “My passion for Guardian Ballers is to see happy and healthy young people.”
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