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Meet the coaches and team!


 

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GRANT SHEPPARD: Founder, Director and Cricket Coach of Get Serious Cricket

More about Grant...

Grant has been coaching with GET Sported in schools and on sports camps since the beginning (2003).

He is a real allrounder when it comes to coaching and teaching PE, but specifically, Grant is a Level 3 cricket coach and has been coaching and developing players and teams at many different levels over the past 32 years including at County 2nd XI standard in South Africa and Premier League club cricket in the UK.

Grant also founded and directs the charity World Sport Ministries of which GET Sported is a part of.

 

I love Jesus, sport and people and try my best to combine all three most days of my life. I have a fabulous wife and daughter and also love sharks and custard!”

 


Favourite:

 

Sporting Heroes: Ian Botham, Elize Perry

 

Sporting Memory: The great Liverpool comeback to beat AC Milan in the Champions League Final in 2005 + Ben Stokes’ incredible innings enabling England to beat Australia in the Men’s Ashes at Headingley 2019.

 

Sports Film: ‘Woodlawn’

 

Sports Book: ’The Captain Class’

 

Favourite Sporting Occasion: Opening day of an Ashes Lords Test Match + the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne

 

 








 

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AKEEL YOUSAF: GET Sported Bristol Manager and Coach

More about Akeel...

Akeel was born in Pakistan and as a Pakistani, he is passionate about cricket. He has represented his country by playing U19. Akeel wears a number of hats within GETSported. In the Bristol area, he facilitates the coaches and schools, as well as organising and leading our holiday camps. His desire is to use sports and help young lives to build their character on moral attributes.

He has been working for over 18 years as a coach. He likes all sports and pretty much coaches most of them.

 

He is a fan of: The Australian Cricket Team and Chelsea FC

 

 

Favourite:

 

SPORTS: Cricket, Hockey & snooker

 

SPORTING HEROES:  Viv Richard , Jose Mourinho

 

SPORTING MEMORY: Chelsea winning the Champions league

 

SPORTS BOOKS: Biography of Hansie Cronje

 

SPORTS FILMS: Facing the Giants

 

 


 

 

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BYRON CULF: GET Sported Community Coach

More about Byron...

Byron works across a number of different elements of the organisation, from toddlers all the way through to secondary. Byron has worked in schools for over fourteen years and loves working with young people of all ages, helping them to progress in not only their sport but in their understanding of the love God has for them, seeing them grow in skill, self-worth and self-belief.

He likes all sports but his favourite is football.

He is a fan of: Tottenham Hotspur and being a dad.
 

Favourite:

SPORTS: Football, tennis, table tennis, athletics, and roller skating

SPORTING HEROES: Eric Liddell, Usain Bolt, Harry Kane

SPORTING MEMORY: Watching Usain Bolt live at the World Championships in 2017 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park stadium, where he ran his last race. And personally jumping over 4m on his skates (the length of two tall people lying down head to toe).

 

 



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DAMIAN HODGE

GET Sported Community Coach

More about Damian...

Damian has worked for World Sport Ministries since his return from coaching and playing in America in 2001. He has coached football and multi-sports in schools and on GETSported camps since then.  He enjoys developing the skills and abilities of the children but his real passion is for their character development and seeing that worked out in both sport and life in general. 

  

He also works for Bristol City Football Club helping to manage sports psychology and has done for 21 seasons!

 

 

Favourite:

 

SPORTS: Football, Rugby, Golf, Cricket, F1, Mountain biking 

 

SPORTING HEROES: Ali, Johnny Wilkinson

 

SPORTING MEMORY: 1990 Football World Cup – so, so near!

 

SPORTS BOOKS: Legacy

 

SPORTS FILMS: Chariots of Fire

 

SPORTING OCCASION: British Grand Prix

 

 




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KENNY JAMES

GET Sported Community Coach

More about Kenny...

Kenny is a passionate cricket coach and has been working locally in schools with us for more than 8 years. 

He has a real passion to teach children about cricket which is a game that has been a huge part of his life and loves seeing children progress as cricketers and as people.

 

Kenny is famous for occasionally singing whilst coaching and loves to support Arsenal FC!
 

 

Favourite:

 

Sporting Heroes:  Viv Richards , Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall, Richard Hadlee 

 

Sporting Memory: Playing for Dominica against Jamaica and playing at Lords for Bath

 

Sporting Film: ‘Any Given Sunday’

 

Sporting Book: ‘Beyond the Boundary' by C James

 

Sports Occasion: "You can’t beat the olympics for drama and dreams.”

 

 

 



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MATT THOMPSON

GET Sported Community Coach

More about Matt...

Matt has been working in some of the Bristol Primary schools running lunchtime clubs and PE lessons for Get Sported.  Matt is also the head coach at Knowle lawn Tennis club.

 

He is a fan of: Bristol Bears Rugby, Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcatraz
 

 

Favourite:

 

SPORTS: Tennis, Rugby,  

 

SPORTING HEROES: Pete Sampras , Andre Agassi,  Jason Robinson, Jonny Wilkinson,

 

SPORTING MEMORY: Jonny Wilkinson’s drop goal to win the 2003 Rugby World Cup

 

SPORTS BOOKS: Biographies on the greats – Open (Andre Agassi)

 

SPORTS FILMS: Mighty ducks, Invictus, cool runnings

 

SPORTING OCCASION: Rugby World Cup, Wimbledon and Davis cup matches

 

 



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DAVIS CHISHIMBA

GET Sported Community Coach

More about Davis...

Hailing from the distant land of Zambia, Davis Chishimba has been a coach for 8 years. He enjoys witnessing young kids recognize personal growth through hard work. He is driven by the results that come slower - character development and goal accomplishment. “The excitement and sense of wonder through accomplishment kids feels when they accomplish a set goal is contagious.”

Outside of coaching, Davis enjoys the thrills of Cycling, going for a run to drown out the daily noises and the stresses of life, a huge cricket enthusiast, a board game aficionado and considers himself a bit of a food connoisseur.

Words that inspire him:

You don’t have to be perfect to give a 100%

 



SCOTT JORDAN
 

SCOTT JORDAN

Youth Sport Leadership (YSL) Lead & Coach

More about Scott...

Scott lived in Poole for most of his life before moving to Bath at the start of 2023, when he first connected with World Sport Ministries. Passionate about the vision and how he could help contribute, he now facilitates the Bath Community Sports Team, co-leads the Youth Sport Leadership course and helps out coaching multi-sports on GETSported camps. He loves meeting and connecting with people and is passionate about sport, especially tennis where he represented Dorset and played at Wimbledon when he was younger.
 

Favourite:

Sports:  Tennis, water sports (especially surfing).

Sporting Heroes:  Roger Federer.

Sporting Memory:  Federer beating Nadal to win the 2017 Australian Open + Djokovic beating Federer to win Wimbledon in 2019.

Sports Films:  Woodlawn, Coach Carter.

 

 



JAMES CLARK
 

JAMES CLARK: GET Sported Community Coach

More about James...

James loves to coach as he enjoys watching the children grow in sporting ability as well as confidence and character. "It's so rewarding to see how they learn and adapt to any challenges that come their way and often can teach me a thing or two."
 

Favourite:

Sporting Occasion:  The Ashes.

Sporting Heroes:  Sam Warburton.

Sporting Memory:  The 2017 Lions tour of New Zealand.

Sports Films:  Remember The Titans.

 

 



MATTHEW GARDENER
 

MATTHEW GARDENER: GET Sported Community Coach

More about Matthew...

Matthew is in his final year at the uni of Bath studying sports management and coaching. He connected with WSM after his 1st year of uni helping at GET Sported summer camps. Matthew has since started his coaching journey with GET Sported and enjoys seeing children engage with a sport he loves as they learn more about themselves and God's love for them. Matthew is a BIG sports fan, especially niche ones but football is no.1 following Watford FC through thick or thin!
 

Favourite:

Sporting Occasion:  Rugby World Cup is great and I love a bit of Wimbledon.

Sporting Heroes:  Joe Root, Troy Deeny.

Sporting Memory:  Watch here! (Deeney scores winner after Knockaert misses 96th min penalty!)

Sports Films:  Goal or King Richard.

 

 



LIZZIE NOBLE
 

LIZZIE NOBLE: Youth Sport Leadership (YSL) Coach

More about Lizzie...

Lizzie is Irish but grew up in Uganda. She moved to Bath in 2022 and has been involved with GET Sported since January 2023, primarily supporting their Youth Sport Leadership course. Lizzie has worked part time with youth in schools and at camps over summers and is currently very involved within the youth group at her church. In September she will be starting her PGCE course, training to become a secondary school teacher. Lizzie has always been a fan of sports. Historically, her main sport has been volleyball, but she's also dabbled in swimming, football, squash and spikeball.
 

Favourite:

Sporting Occasion:  ISSEA (International Schools of South and East Africa) tournament

Sporting Hero:  My sister Kathleen Noble (first ever Ugandan rower to compete in the olympics)

Sporting Memory:  Watch here! (Deeney scores winner after Knockaert misses 96th min penalty!)

Sports Films:  Never Back Down

 

 



WILL LUXTON
 

WILL LUXTON: GET Sported Community Coach

More about Will...

Will has spent 20 years in Primary Education, including 7 years as a Deputy Headteacher. He was the PE Coordinator and sports coach at his last school for 13 years. Will enjoys watching and occasionally playing most sports.

He is a fan of: Liverpool, Bristol Bears and Somerset Cricket.

 

Favourite:

Sport:  Football, cricket, rugby and golf.

Sporting Occasion:  Any international cup final involving England or Cup final involving Liverpool.

Sporting Heroes:  Jan Molby, John Barnes, Steven Gerrard and Ian Botham.

Sporting Memory:  Liverpool winning the Champions League in 2005, after being 3-0 down at halftime against AC Milan.

Sports Books:  Any comedy cricket book

Sports Films:  Escape to Victory and Invictus

 

 








 

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Matthew Cullis - Local Sports Co-ordinator and Coach

More about Matthew...

Matthew has been involved in children’s and youth work since the young age of 14. He is South African born and moved to England with his wife, Helena and two children, Joel (15) and Ella (12) in 2023. He is especially passionate about people, sports and combining the two to see young lives transformed and helping them grow in all aspects of their lives. He was a pastor in Port Elizabeth, South Africa for 19 years and was very involved in coaching and schools work.

 

“Go Big or Go Home! Give your all everyday for Jesus and you can never go under for going over – Matthew 6:33”

 

 

Favourite:

 

SPORT: Rugby

 

SPORTING HEROES:  Eric Liddell and Siya Kolisi

 

SPORTING MEMORY: Finishing my first Comrades marathon in 2018, South Africa. It was a 3 year journey of training, setbacks and injury that finally, after 3 attempts, was completed.

 

SPORTS BOOKS: In Black and White by Jake White

 

SPORTS FILMS: Nacho Libre

 

 



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Georgia Van Tonder

GET Sported Administrator

More about Georgia...

Georgia joined GET Sported / World Sport Ministries in January 2022. She provides administrative support to every department of the charity including Coaches and Parents.

Georgia has always had a passion for working with children and in the past has taught creative dancing to young children. She and her husband continue to run a youth group from their home for the past 8 years.

Her favourite sport has become Rugby, as her teenage boys and husband are players and supporters of the Springboks.

 

Favourite:

Sporting Memory:  When South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and Nelson Mandela presented the William Webb Ellis Trophy to Francois Pienaar (the SA Captain at the time).

Sports Films: The Blind Side