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8 October 2025  4 min read

Douglas hopes to put Birmingham on WEABL map

Following recent additions MK5D into the North Conference and bringing the WEABL up to 12 teams, BMET will have their work cut out for them to make an immediate impact.

MK5D were unable to pick up a win in their debut campaign, but more than held their own in a number of competitive fixtures as they look to push on in year two.

For Douglas, that aim mirrors the one held by the Rockets as they gear up for the new season. He said: "Our main hope is to be as competitive as possible in each game that we play.

"Our main players now have U18 Jnr. NBL and the Senior Women in the WNBL Division Two as additional outlets. But the programme is more than our club, it's an opportunity for girls in our region to be able to perform at the highest level for their age group and we can finally provide the same opportunities for them as we do with the boys in the EABL.

"So we want to be as competitive as we can in every game. As we move forward, we want to recruit the best girls in the region so we can show how much talent there is here in the West Midlands on a national scale.

"Then the long term goal would be to be a regular fixture in the post-season playoffs."  

BMET have enlisted to experienced and well-respected coach Peter Mintoft to lead the programme (Lee Champman)

Starting from scratch

Getting to this point hasn't been easy for Douglas and the Rockets.

Putting a team on the floor is something that has eluded other WEABL new starters in recent years, and launching an elite Academy side isn't a simple proposition.

Still, Douglas felt the female players at the club were owed that opportunity, provided they could commit to it.

"The main driver for entering a WEABL team was to provide a more complete player pathway programme for the female side of the Rockets' WNBL programme," explained Douglas.

"We always wanted to do this but the difficulty was convincing our girls that they could carry on their basketball and educational development here instead of seeking it elsewhere.

"The main issue we had to overcome was getting the commitment from the girls as we are a new programme with no history behind us but now that we have a core group of girls with us, our foundation is being set for the future."

Part of that core includes Bethany Parnell-Lee (feature image) - she will be turning out alongside fellow guards Tia May, Emmanuela Otisi, Lia Kessel-Diaz, Krystal Onyeachie and Nilasha Kanna, plus forwards Izzy Fayose, Aida Badiane and Faith Omorowa.

The Rockets have also made moves off the court to strengthen their opening move into the WEABL, enlisting well-respected and highly-experienced coach Peter Mintoft to lead the Rockets this year.

"Our coaching team comprises of staff with decades of national and international experience, including ex-professional players and national teams staff," said Douglas, who himself is more than well-versed in all levels of the game.

"This structure is designed to ensure that the girls have access to all the knowledge from the staff at any time.

"Pete has been working with the female side since we took over the programme three years ago and has been instrumental in securing our WEABL status.

"His extensive knowledge of player development and commitment to improving the girls’ performance will be beneficial in the long term.

"We are fortunate to have him at the helm for this season and I do not underestimate his contributions."

BMET City of Birmingham Rockets begin their WEABL journey with a tough trip to 2018/19 champs Charnwood College Riders.

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