Our Ambassadors

Matthew Lord

Matthew Lord, Director Let Me Play Ltd. & Former Professional Basketball Player

“I am so pleased about the launch of this new pathway within the specialist area of YOUTH Strength and Conditioning.  Children and young people need to be trained very carefully and according to their stage of physical development, whilst taking into account their individual training goals and aspirations. It also needs to be fun and enjoyable. Strength & Conditioning Education have done an excellent job in putting together a series of Awards and Qualifications to ensure Sports Coaches, Fitness Trainers and PE Teachers alike have the confidence and skills to implement the correct S&C coaching into their programmes for children and young people. I will certainly be implementing the Youth Strength and Conditioning courses into what we offer at Let Me Play”.

‘I am really excited to involve myself and my colleagues in the YSCA coaching pathway helping with the continued development of physical and mental attributes of the young players we coach. I wholeheartedly believe we, as coaches have a responsibility to coach with an interconnected, interdisciplinary and transformational approach to youth sports. Getting involved in this pathway will help you approach sports coaching with this in mind, putting children first. Equipping them with the ability to not only maintain their health into adulthood as well reducing their risk to injury but also help work towards their goals, whatever level they perform at. The process of professional development throughout the course of our working lives is something I am extremely committed to, the chance to be involved in this process with Ben and Brendan was easy to say ‘yes’ to.’

Biography

Matthew Lord has extensive experience within sports and education programmes, from beginner level all the way through to elite athlete. An alumnus of Loughborough University, Matthew went on to have a 9-year professional basketball career which included playing for Crailsheim Merlins in Germany and BS Weert in The Netherlands. After retiring from professional basketball at age 31, Matthew went on to play for the Wales National Team at age 37.  For the last 13 years, Matthew has run his company, Let Me Play Ltd., which is an organisation that inspires ambition and widens horizons for young people through sports, education and positive activities. Let Me Play run some of the largest residential sports camps in the UK which take place every summer at Loughborough University. Further to this, Let Me Play Ltd. is training provider that engages thousands of young people every month through many of the different programmes they offer: Apprenticeships, Schools, CPD Training, Alternative Education. For more information about Let Me Play and LMP Education, please visit www.letmeplay.co.uk and www.lmpeducation.org.

Ben Edwards

“I passionately believe in the importance of physical competency and strength and conditioning in developing young people’s athleticism and helping them realise their potential. I am delighted to endorse the YSCA Strength and Conditioning Coaching pathway and would recommend it to all coaches working at all levels with young people. The nurtured athletic development of our young athletes is vital so as to enable their talent to develop and for them to become robust enough to meet the demands of their programmes’

Ben has taught at Reed’s school for the past 18 years. Ben is currently Director of Sport and Head of PE and has a wealth of experience in coaching and education in a number of sports. Outside of his school role he works as a coach educator or England hockey and has been involved in their talent programme for the last few years. He is currently the Assistant coach of the England Girls U16 side.

Ben Edwards Director of Sport Reed’s School, England Hockey Girls U16 Assistant Coach, England Hockey Coach Educator

Peter Short

‘I am really excited to involve myself and my colleagues in the YSCA coaching pathway helping with the continued development of physical and mental attributes of the young players we coach. I wholeheartedly believe we, as coaches have a responsibility to coach with an interconnected, interdisciplinary and transformational approach to youth sports. Getting involved in this pathway will help you approach sports coaching with this in mind, putting children first. Equipping them with the ability to not only maintain their health into adulthood as well reducing their risk to injury but also help work towards their goals, whatever level they perform at. The process of professional development throughout the course of our working lives is something I am extremely committed to, the chance to be involved in this process with Ben and Brendan was easy to say ‘yes’ to.’

Biography

After leaving School I went on to play for Moseley Colts as well as enrolling at UWIC (now Cardiff Met). A year later I had progressed to the Moseley Senior Squad and made the hop over to Loughborough to study PE, Sports Science and management1999 saw me join Leicester Tigers where I was fortunate enough to be part of a highly talented squad filled with internationals, the chance to play and train with some giants of the game was a steep learning curve and to play a small part in the clubs most successful period was a real thrill. In 2003 I moved across the channel to join Racing Club Narbonne Mediteranee in what was then the French Top 16 during my spell here I managed 1 appearance for the Barbarians.2005 and another move, this time to Bath where I spent 6 seasons in the English premiership winning the Challenge cup along the way and making 3 appearances for England Saxons.My final move was to Exeter Chiefs, for their 2nd season in the premiership the experience was fairly short lived as a I broke my ankle late September 2011 and retired from playing but a valuable experience being exposed to a different coaching environment.

Brett Garrard

‘ I am looking forward to broadening my coaching skill set into some applied strength and conditioning and I think the YSCA pathway is very thorough and accessible. As a former Olympian and elite coach I understand the pathway from youth through to senior and having the right Strength and Conditioning support available is critical for young players and the coaches working with them.’

Brett Garrard is an Elite Hockey coach and former double Olympian. Brett competed as a player for Great Britain in the 2000 Summer Olympics and in the 2004 Summer Olympics. Brett remains England and GB’s most capped player (236 caps). Brett also played in the Common Wealth Games: 1998 (bronze medal) 2002, 2006, World Cups: 1998, 2002, 2006 European Cup: 1999 (bronze), 2003 (bronze), 2005, 2007 and Captained both GB and England at major tournaments.

Brett announced his retirement from international hockey in April 2008. After a distinguished playing career with Surbiton, interrupted by a year’s stay in Holland with Klein Zwitzerland, Brett became Surbiton Hockey Club’s Director of Hockey in 2008. Brett has led Surbiton Ladies Team to the last three Premiership National titles and is also currently Hockey Professional at Reed’s School.

Professor Chris Bentley

Chris qualified as a doctor working in London Teaching Hospitals. However, his interest and expertise focussed on public health during 8 years working in Somalia in refugee and community based health programmes (with Save the Children Fund and UNICEF). On return to the UK he became Director of Public Health in Sussex, and subsequently Sheffield and South Yorkshire. In 2006 Chris was appointed Head of the Health Inequalities National Support Team, which worked with the 70 most deprived areas of England with the poorest health (Spearhead areas), and based on this work provided ongoing policy advice to Department of Health on population health issues. He now works independently, with recent contracts at local, regional and national level, and through WHO in Europe. The focus of his contracts is on addressing inequalities in health and wellbeing; prevention and the burden of disease. He is a non-executive of Derbyshire Community Healthcare NHS Trust, and is a visiting Professor at Sheffield Hallam University.

‘Looking to the future, reducing the burden of disease on individuals, families and society is going to be critical. Markers such as the epidemic of obesity affecting young people and adults shows there is much work to do. Helping children across society to develop physically and psychologically into becoming healthy adults has to be one of the most important public health challenges we face. On a personal level I know how much my early involvement in rugby, squash and running added to my own health and happiness. I am delighted to support the YSCA in providing an excellent coaching framework and pathway to help develop and cascade the expertise of Youth Strength and Conditioning coaches and fitness specialists across the UK.’

Sarah Rock

Sarah studied law at Nottingham University.  She was a highly successful lawyer in the City with one of the world’s leading international law firms, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where she specialised as an employee benefits lawyer for nearly 20 years before making a career change.

As a parent of two teenage boys, Sarah has had to deal with her fair share of sporting injuries.  This inspired her to train as a sports therapist.  She will shortly complete a diploma in sports therapy with the Society of Sports Therapists.  Sarah has also completed a sports trauma management course with Lubas Medical Training.

“As a mother of a tennis scholar who sustained a broken femur, I know from personal experience how essential strength and conditioning was in helping my son to recover from his accident; to re-establish his muscle strength and movement skill”.

Sarah is currently working as a matron at Reeds School, Cobham.