Passion for sport
and coaching
In 2005 Chris and Annie Ellison founded “Performance Cricket” – a specialist cricket coaching provider based in Berkshire and South Oxfordshire. Chris is an ECB Level 4 qualified coach. Also on his cricket and coaching CV is 4 years as the inaugural ECB Physical Disability National Coach, work with the ECB as a Coach Mentor, delivery with the European Cricket Council and a spell as a playing professional with Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Chris also represented Berkshire CCC 1st XI in the Minor Counties Championship and One Day Cups. Performance Cricket was established with the aim of improving the quality and opportunity of cricket coaching in the community. The coaching company has now developed a wide range of programmes from Little Crickets (3-6 year olds) through to Schools, Clubs and University including private one to one sessions, holidays and cricket parties.
Following tremendous success in local Primary Schools and driven by feedback from Head Teachers and PE Co-ordinators The Performance Sports Group was launched in 2017. The vision being to expand high quality sports coaching delivery for children and teachers across the Primary School network in activities such as tag rugby, hockey, netball, football, athletics, basketball, tennis and early years provision through multi skill programmes.
Performance Sports Group is a company dedicated to inspiring children and young people to lead a to healthy and active lifestyle.
Our Programmes
A key area of focus is through our grass roots ‘Sports Festival Programme’ within the Reading & Henley area. This programme provides primary school children an opportunity to engage in organised, competitive and fun sports festivals. Our festivals are currently sponsored & endorsed by the University of Reading.
Sports festivals include a morning of skill based coaching carousels followed by an afternoon of organised small sided tournaments. Our sports festivals are clustered to specific regions which helps schools to locally network and significantly reduces travel costs and planning logistics for school staff.
Working with local clubs
Another important area of work is our ‘Clubs in the Community’ programme which helps to signpost young people from a school environment into main stream clubs. The Henley Hawks Player Reach Out Programme (PROP) is an excellent example of our work. Our coaching team delivered a 12-week programme of tag rugby coaching for Year 1 and Year 2 children in Henley primary schools. The culmination of which was a tag rugby festival hosted at Henley RFC.
The festival resulted in many children joining the junior ranks at Henley Hawks to keep their rugby going. Our partnership programme has been nominated for 2018 Oxfordshire Sports Awards under the category of ‘Sports Development Project of the Year’
Read More: Henley Rugby Club – Newsletter Article
“I wanted to let you know how much we at Shiplake have enjoyed the rugby coaching since September. Andy has been fantastic, the children have thoroughly benefited by having him coming in each week and I believe it has resulted in a good few of our children going along to Henley Hawks. He had a lovely, gentle way of talking to and encouraging them all and I am sure they will miss him in January. Please tell him how grateful we are to have been involved in his sessions. We really hope we will have a chance to repeat the experience next September to December.”
Helen Boucher – Shiplake Primary
National mental health partnerships
Performance Sports have been working with the ECB, NHS Foundation Trusts and National Mental health charity Sport in Mind for the past 10 years. Our work promotes the positivity of playing cricket with aiding the recovery of severe and enduring mental health conditions. So far over 1,000 people with conditions including schizophrenia, bi-polar and severe depression & anxiety have attended our cricket tournaments in a variety of settings including Lords, Edgbaston & Windsor CC.
“We are thrilled at the success of the tournament yet again this year and we’d like to thank Performance Sports & everyone who took part as they were the ones that made the day so special. The event has helped us to raise awareness of mental health and has been a fantastic example of how sport can have a positive impact on the lives of people experiencing mental health conditions”
Neil Harris – Sport In Mind
Our Vision
The Performance Sports Group is Berkshire & South Oxfordshire’s leading, independent and family run sports coaching company. At the heart of everything we do is our child & player-centred approach.
Our diverse coaching programmes focuses on creating memorable sporting experiences and a positive, lasting relationship with sport & physical activity.
Newsletter
Subscribe now to get the latest news & information
