Martin Henlan: a life in basketball
With the British Basketball League Cup finals taking place in Birmingham this weekend, we catch up with Dame Kelly Holmes Trust Trustee, and former pro basketball player, Martin Henlan about his experiences in elite sport, what impact that’s had on his life today, and why he is involved with the Trust.
Can you tell me about your sport and how you got into playing it?
I started playing basketball at school, aged 14. It was actually down to the weather rather than an attraction to the sport itself or any innate talent. Back then, from 4th year. which is year 10 nowadays, you had the option of choosing which sport to do in Games lessons. At my school, the choices were football, rugby, hockey or basketball. On the day of selection, we were gathered in the school sports hall with the rain lashing down outside. Out of self-preservation, I went with basketball! Before you knew it, I was hooked; I started playing for the school and after about a year I joined my first club, West Bromwich Kestrels. In all honesty, I wasn’t very good at first but, basketball is an easy game to master the basics of, and once I got the hang of it I couldn’t stop playing. To me it is the ultimate team sport. Each player needs to be competent at all of the basic skills which meant you got to do everything rather than be stuck filling a single role. But in 1980, the main thing for me was that I got to stay warm in those Games lessons…
What was your greatest sporting achievement?
I always say the proudest moment of my career in basketball was my first cap for England. For me, there is no greater honour than to represent your country, and finally being selected for the men’s team filled me with pride. I had been rejected at under 19 level which hurt greatly, but in my first year as a professional I was given the call up. I was absolutely thrilled when I received the letter. 40 odd million people to choose a team of 12 from and I was one of them! It gave me validation and a sense of self-worth that I had always lacked. At that moment in time, I was considered one of the best basketball players this great country had to offer and my selection proved it. In years to come, I was fortunate to win many championships, represented Great Britain in Olympic competition and to play professionally across Europe, but being called up for England still sits with me as the crowning achievement.
You moved to America at a young age. Can you tell me about that experience?
I left school at 16. It was 1982, a difficult time to be young in the UK. I did not perform well in my exams and my prospects were slender to say the least. Where I grew up in Birmingham there were few opportunities for most school leavers. Unemployment was high and my first job was signing on to the dole. Most of my peers ended up working at Longbridge making cars for British Leyland whereas I ended up working in an electrical goods shop selling TVs and washing machines. It’s hardly inspiring stuff, but I learned the value of hard work and I was still passionate about basketball.
Despite the disappointment of getting cut from England U19s squad I was spotted by a coach who presented me with an opportunity to go to US high school as a foreign exchange student. I spent a year at Deep Creek in Chesapeake, Virginia, then five years at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). I didn’t have time to even think about what it would be like to make the move. When I told my parents about the opportunity, they had me packed up and on a flight to US within a week. I must confess that the first few weeks were tough. The lifestyle was so different to anything I had experienced, and the culture shock hit me hard. With that said, I loved being in an environment where basketball was of massive importance.
Once I got my head around the differences between US and English living, I embraced the opportunity before me. I went from a kid with few prospects, hanging with his mates in Birmingham, to a highly recruited athlete with over 100 full scholarship offers on the table. Suddenly I had a belief that I could be whatever I wanted to be. It was this change in attitude that set the foundation for my future career success. Like many of the young people Dame Kelly Holmes Trust supports, I had always been told that my future was as a worker drone at best, or a 'nothing' at worst. Success would be getting some kind of manual labour job; career options were few and far between. That all changed with my move to the US. Once I settled into the high school experience, I realised that there was no limit to what I could achieve. It was terrifying! I always thought I would doss around in the States for a few months, maybe get a little better at basketball, then go back to playing part time while working at a local electrical retailer. Once I started to believe in my worth as a person in my own right, I blossomed.
My time in US high school and college was incredibly challenging but compared to my prospects back home it was a breeze. I can't say that I did everything right, far from it, but it was a terrific environment to learn and grow both as a student and an athlete. On reflection, all I needed was a change in outlook, an opportunity to light the spark of self-belief in me. OK, I got lucky because, for me, that change was seeded by a journey across the Atlantic to beautiful Chesapeake and then Richmond Virginia, but it was the change in environment that opened my eyes. It is so difficult for young people to realise and believe that the world is filled with positive opportunities. For me, going to US was like moving from a monochrome world to one filled with a kaleidoscope of colour!
What kind of skills do you think people need to compete at a high level in sport? And how are they transferable to ‘everyday’ life?
The first thing is to have belief in yourself. I always ask a simple question, “why not me?” There is no good reason why you cannot achieve whatever you set out to. Once you believe in yourself, the hard work feels a small price to pay for success. The great thing about this is that it is a learned skill and it's one that transfers from sport into everyday life. To me, self-belief is giving yourself permission to 'try' and to keep on 'trying'. That's what sport is all about. Even the greatest, most successful sports people suffer defeat or failure but what makes them successful is accepting that defeat and trying again. Why? Well because they believe that they have every right to compete and to eventually win. Of course, there are many other factors but for me at the heart of it all is a belief that you have as much right as the next person to be the best at whatever you put your positive self to. In a nutshell, "why not me?"
What attracted you to becoming a Trustee at the Trust?
The Trust sets out to instil that self-belief in young people who, like me, may not feel they have much going for them. I identify with those young people, and I believe that by being a Trustee I can offer some help and insight from my personal experiences that may be useful in helping them learn to ask that question "why not me?".
What is your current involvement with basketball in the UK?
I do a lot of commentary on international basketball, The Euroleague and Eurocup are the two highest levels of competition outside the NBA and I am fortunate to cover both competitions throughout the season. Strangely, I don't have much input to British basketball other than to support and offer advice to those who ask for it. With that said, I get fulfilment from supporting an organisation like the Trust. While basketball remains a passion for me, I am more than happy to enjoy life as a spectator.
It’s the British Basketball League Cup Finals this week, what are you most looking forward to about it?
In my playing days, I was fortunate to win this trophy on several occasions and I always loved the few days before the final. There was an extra edge to training and the anticipation of sharing a special moment in the basketball calendar was always exciting. What I like most about this competition nowadays, is that it offers a chance to celebrate the best of women's and men's basketball on the same stage. I have long been an advocate of British women's basketball and am thrilled to see its continued development and success. That both finals will feature Leicester Riders and London Lions is special too; a real 'battle royale'!
Our programmes are focused on physical and mental wellbeing. How do you look after your mental health?
Over the years, I have learned the importance of giving myself permission to focus on my own wellbeing instead of constantly giving everything to those around me. It isn't easy but I am getting better at it. As someone who spent his entire sporting career, 'sacrificing' for the team I often struggle to take a breath and allow myself time for me. I work out most days which gives me an hour when I am not worrying about work or family issues. In recent years I have also learned, and am still learning, to sometimes "not" do. It is important to accept that I don't have to be all things to all people all the time. It is difficult as I hate saying no, but I am always seeking to understand my personal limitations and to not get down on myself when I reach them.