"Its Great to Be Back" Hosting UK's Only International Basketball Event - Raising Awareness on Invisible Illnesses.

It had just gone past 2am on a Sunday morning, and I have just got off of a WhatsApp call with another basketball coach in the USA who wants to bring his team to compete in the World Club Basketball Tournament. 

 

Although it was a good call and the coach and I discussed many subjects, including the Queens Platinum Jubilee (I don’t know why), I was very tired, bleary eyed and a headache was looming through the lack of sleep.

                  It's Good To Be Back!!
              The Stoma Saved my Life

This was the third consecutive night I had been on a late night/ early morning call with an overseas coach or basketball organisation, either discussing WCBT or just having a conversation about basketball in general. 

               On another transatlantic call 

As I got upstairs my wife Mandi, woke up and said she was just about to come and get me in 5 minutes if “ I didn’t stop talking laughing and becoming a walking advert for the English Tourism Board”. 

Then she said something quite profound which had never occurred to me,since planning for WCBT2022. ...“ Its good to see you back” ....then she rolled over and went back to sleep, leaving me to find my PJ’s in the dark and think about her profound statement.

“Its good to see you back?” … Has the wife been eating my mother’s rum laced cake again, or had one to many Babychamps ?

It took me a lot of head scratching to understand what Mandi meant by that statement .......Then I had a light bulb moment.....”Ohhhhh” !!! 

I suddenly had flash back to the very dark recent period of my life, Sunday 3rd January 2021.

This was the date I had  emergency lifesaving  surgery after my bowel  unexpectedly ruptured.

This was  the date I had a ‘stoma’ formed,  and part of repairing my bowel would leave me with a bag attached to my abdomen to 'collect my output' 

This was the  date that would change how I saw myself as a person, physically and mentally creating doubt and insecurity as to who I was.

This was the date I considered giving up to wallow in self pity, not wanting to face anything or anyone.

But now I was back, doing what I enjoyed, the thing which kept me grounded, focused and ...sane.



Just a bit of background.

Back in 2010, after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, I had a kidney transplant, donated by my wife Mandi.

       Mandi & Eric - Sussex Sports Awards 

It was during my recovery I decided to create an event to raise awareness on the need for organ donors, through sport.

In 2015 the World Club Basketball Tournament, UK's only International Pro Am basketball event was founded.

                       The Global Brand 

The event started  with an invitation on social media to teams around the world, who would be interested in coming to the UK and play basketball.

If I hadn’t been through the kidney transplant, I would never have even considered such an audacious idea.


But here I am in 2022, planning the 6th World Club Basketball Tournament, being hosted on the 3rd-4th September. 

Yes as Mandi said “I am back”, post the trauma of stoma surgery and with my life saving ‘Stanley the Stoma’ on my stomach but I was back.

The planning for WCBT2022 is now well underway, and we will have 10 teams from around the world competing in the UK’s No1 International event.

Sometimes when I’m alone and planning for WCBT, talking to teams, sponsors, media etc, I take a pause and realise how lucky I am to still be alive.

I was told by the surgeons that I was literally 24hrs from dying, if I didn’t have the lifesaving surgery. *(Please read previous blog)

When WCBT2022 kicks off and I welcome the teams at the opening ceremony, I will probably turn into a blubbering, emotional wreck.

But then I’ll remember....”its good  to be back” 

WCBT will be supporting Kidney Research UK & Colostomy UK 

For details Visit www.worldclubbasketballtournament.com 






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