Meet our Coaches
CHESTER & SURROUNDING AREAS
Gary Yates
Born: Rainham, Kent
Started at A-Star: April 2015
Gary manages and delivers classes at Waverton, Broughton, Hope Farm (Thursdays) and manages Tarporley and Hope Farm (Saturdays) classes. Plus weekly sessions at Best Friends Day Nursery, Newton Park Preschool and Mickle Trafford Preschool. Gary also manages the A-Star Sports holiday club held at Cheshire County Sports Club.
Proudest moment: Delivering my daughter on our living room floor after she decided there was no time to get to the hospital or wait for the ambulance. Very scary but amazing experience.
Favourite sport: Rugby
Favourite sport to coach: Rugby and Dodgeball
Favourite A-Star Sports game: Pirates and Cannons
Memorable personal sporting moment: Playing alongside my Dad and Brother for Sittingbourne Rugby Club
Memorable famous sporting moment: Jonny Wilkinson’s winning drop goal in the Rugby World Cup final in 2003. Unbelievable player! Closely followed by 2nd Test of 2005 Ashes Cricket. England winning a nail-biter by 2 runs and the sportsmanship between Andrew Flintoff and Brett Lee.
If you didn’t work at A-Star Sports, what would you like to do: Post man, lots of fresh air and plenty of exercise.
Best thing about working at A-Star Sports: Watching children enjoy sport and develop their skills and confidence while having lots of fun.
If you were an animal, what would you be: A Wolf
What was your favourite toy as a child: Thomas the Tank Engine
Favourite film: Rocky
Guilty pleasure song: So many to choose from! You’ve lost that loving feeling – Righteous Brothers
Mark Roberts
Born: Wrexham
Started at A-Star: December 2008
Mark is the longest serving member of our team. He manages and delivers classes at Upton (Mondays & Wednesdays), Thornton Hough, Sychdyn, Hoole and manages Upton (Fridays). Plus sessions at Headstart Nursery, Headstart on the Hill Nursery and Bunnies Day Nursery.
Proudest moment: Becoming a Dad
Favourite sport: Golf
Favourite sport to coach: Basketball
Favourite A-Star Sports game: Toilet Tag
Memorable personal sporting moment: Holing a 25ft putt on the 2nd playoff hole in my college match play final to win a spot at tour finals in Portugal.
Memorable famous sporting moment: Manchester United winning the treble in 1999 and the miracle of Medinah when Europe produced one of the greatest sporting comebacks to win the Ryder cup. Both on par with each other.
If you didn’t work at A-Star Sports, what would you like to do: To play golf on the tour
Best thing about working at A-Star Sports: That every day brings different challenges, no day is the same. Also seeing the progression of the children over the years of coaching them.
If you were an animal, what would you be: A Jaguar, my favourite animal.
What was your favourite toy as a child: Not a toy as such but what I played on the most was my bike. I was never off it, BMX and mountain biking, living on the mountain it was the perfect place for building jumps and making tracks.
Favourite film: Toy Story 1, 2, 3. No explanation needed
Guilty pleasure song: “Do you hear the people sing” from Les Miserables. Or anything from the Les Mis soundtrack. It was the only cd I had in my car so I know the majority of lyrics to the songs. One week a child in one of my reception classes came in singing the songs, We had a little duet in the drinks break.
Alastair Ross
Born: Chester
Started at A-Star: February 2014
When not playing Golf, Alastair delivers classes at Tarporley, Upton (Fridays) and Hope Farm (Saturdays). Plus sessions at Cilcain Primary School, Overton Primary School and Sunray Day Care Nursery.
Favourite sport: Golf
Favourite sport to coach: Tennis or Rugby
Favourite A-Star Sports game: Treasure Stealing game… The kids love it!
Memorable personal sporting moment: Shooting the course record at my golf club and winning the Inter-Counties with Flintshire in 2015
Memorable famous sporting moment: Tiger Woods chipping in at the 2005 Masters… gives me goosebumps every time I watch
If you didn’t work at A-Star Sports, what would you like to do: An RAF fast-jet pilot
Best thing about working at A-Star Sports: Seeing children that are initially very shy come out of their shells and gain confidence with every week!
If you were an animal, what would you be: A T-Rex… Best animal that’s ever existed bar none!
What was your favourite toy as a child: Curly the snail. Tatty, battered and a bit smelly but didn’t go anywhere without him. Even did Camp America with me!
Favourite film: Adult, Shawshank Redemption- Child, Toy Story 1, 2 & 3!
Guilty pleasure song: Hall & Oates- You Make My Dreams. Such a happy, catchy tune!
Visit the Chester & surrounding areas page to find out about all our activities!
Callum Pettigrew – East & West Dunbartonshire and surrounding areas
Callum has been coaching children with A-Star Sports’ co-founder Kevin Key for many years and is passionate about children’s development through sport. It’s from this experience that Callum decided to take the next step to become a franchise owner himself and manage a team of his own.
Callum explains: “I’ve been involved in children’s sports coaching from a very young age and have additional experience within the private sector as a personal trainer. It’s always been an ambition of mine to run my own business and having watched A-Star Sports develop and been an integral part of its growth locally, I feel that I’m in a fantastic position to get the most out of the children I coach, develop the business to its full potential and really enjoy doing it.”
Visit the East & West Dunbartonshire and surrounding areas page
Adrian Herring – Central Lancashire: Chorley & South Ribble
Adrian worked as a Chartered Accountant for 20 years and was made redundant in November 2012. He decided on a complete career change to take up the fun and very rewarding sports coaching for children. Drawing on his experiences as a coach with a local junior football team for 12 years together with voluntary work teaching children in Africa , Adrian is passionate about providing children with a positive and fun introduction to sport.
He explains: “I believe that A-Star Sports provides an ideal opportunity for children to get involved in sport, to help set them on their way to a healthy and active life.”
Latest Testimonials
Mark was brilliant in running our 5 year olds class party! The kids loved the games and my daughter was so happy with all the […]
Mark ran a joint party for my 5 year old, her friend and their class mates (30 children). It was fantastic - all the […]
A massive thank you to Alistair for providing a high energy, fun, funny, engaging session with superhero theme for our recent party. 33 pre schoolers […]