CIA Basketball coach Tony Brown believes the likes of Michale Brown demonstrate why the club will never play in the national leagues again.

Michale, 16, came to the club's rescue this season when a spate of injuries looked to be condemning the Mitcham-based side to relegation from the London Metropolitan Premier League.

He has risen through the ranks - along with fellow newcomer Delon Sharpe - to establish himself in a senior first team set to finish comfortably in midtable after a difficult second season in the top tier.

Player coach Brown, a former professional, has taken CIA into the national leagues before but withdrew the team due to the mounting costs.

And the 42-year-old says the club's mentoring and junior section, which now boasts more than 300 children, is more important to him than success on the court.

"It costs £7,000 to £14,000 each year to compete in the national leagues," he said.

"We can't afford that sort of money and, if we could, I would prefer to spend it on our coaching programme "For me, a win is preventing someone from getting mixed up with knife crime, gangs and drugs, and getting them involved in the sport and helping it to grow.

"Someone like Michale is a great example of what we can achieve.

"We can see our approach is working and we are getting more street programmes on estates in Sutton and Merton this summer.

"We were in the national leagues before, but it was diverting funds away from those projects.

"If players want to play at the top level then we won't stop them.

"But we are finding the players do come back because of the mentoring approach we have."

CIA lost 68-64 to Met Police on Saturday at Canons Leisure Centre but Brown, whose squad has been boosted by British basketball legends Jamie Whittaker and Mark Burton, is confident they will not be in a relegation dogfight.

"There are seven games left and we need to win three to finish comfortably in mid-table," he added.

"Reserve team players like Delon and Michale have really stepped up for us this season and I think that will stand us in good stead for next season."

CIA face Wandsworth in their next home game in March 8.