Lauren “Shovel” Ferrell, arguably one of the best players on the team, joined Soul in 2013. Having not played much basketball previously she started out as a beginner but has certainly earned her place on the Soul team – through sheer determination and commitment.
Lauren’s strengths are her speed, agility, and jumping ability. Though she is only 5’7″ this makes her a sure contender for one of the first women on the team to dunk! Playing with Lauren is always a joy. She isn’t afraid to take chances and continually tries new things; she reads the play well so is always in the right positions to support her teammates. Lauren’s main position is a forward, though her swift ball handling skills also make her adept at playing point guard. Being on court with this amazing woman brings so much confidence to the team and our play. Ever the hustler, Lauren is often found running fast breaks in games, impressing our supporters with excellent reverse lay-ups and finger-role finishes!
Despite all her talent, Lauren is the most humble of all, and never lets it go to her head. She continues to work hard to get even better and always encourages others to do the same. Away from basketball Lauren teaches design and technology in a London secondary school. Before studying for her PGCE at Goldsmith’s University she achieved a BA in the challenging undergraduate degree Architecture, from Brighton University. There is no doubt that Lauren will make the best teacher, as her patient and supportive nature shines through both on and off the court.
Lauren plays an active role in the club – promoting and organising events, such as the annual team awards, festive dinners and whole team outings. Not to mention her ongoing work on the club merchandise, leaflets and membership cards. It’s impressive how she manages to fit all this into her already busy lifestyle, but just goes to further illustrate the type of person Lauren Ferrell is.
Spending time off court with Lauren is the most fun. She’s got a bubbly personality, always making the team laugh and can easily cheer you up when you’re feeling down. Her beautiful smile becomes infectious and is enough to light up any room. She gets her nickname “Shovel” from her innocent nature that always ends up having her dig herself into deeper and deeper holes! “Keep digging Shovel” is a popular phrase among the club members!
So much can be said about Lauren, she’s such a remarkable person – but no words can really do her justice! Soul is truly blessed to have her around us and neither the team nor the club would ever be the same without her!