"I would like to thank all the coaches for their dedication, hard work and making my son's week fun and enjoyable! Thank you very much...10/10"
"It's such a relief to leave my son knowing that he is in a safe, fun environment. Thank you Sportstars!"
"The staff were extremely friendly and had a great rapport with the children."
"A really good week - excellent value, the girls were really happy, we knew they were safe and the performance was great! This is our second time and we'd definitely come again."
"I brought four children to the scheme, ranging from 5 to 10. They all loved coming and ran in every morning. Excellent...10/10"
"I was a bit concerned about leaving my son as he's only just four, but the coaches were so friendly and confident it put my mind at ease straight away. Thanks all. 10/10"
"The coaches have all been fantastic with the children - an excellent balance of fun, learning and discipline. They really manage to communicate with all the children regardless of their age or ability - very impressed indeed!"
"(Sportstars) supply extremely high quality planning, preparation and assessment cover and after school activities, all at a reasonable cost to already stretched school budgets".
"As a Headteacher I have been challenged by the latest educational reforms of providing good quality cover for staff while they have their 10% Planning Preparation and Assessment Time. I tried a range of providers before and themes for the pupils before employing the services of Sportstars... I have now decided to use Sportstars to cover all the schools PPA requirements for next year and have been very impressed with the company...the services they provide have been a real godsend to Headteachers and the quality of staff are of a high standard".
"Sportstars has been working in Kitchener Primary school for the past year. The enthusiastic and energetic coaches are well trained and motivate the children in a wide variety of sports during the year. Sportstars also provide end of year reports for the teachers with whom they have been working."
"Sportstars is very well organised, has excellent coaching personnel, offers a diversity of sports and is excellent value for money! Sportstars has addressed the Health and Safety issues and the coaches have a code of conduct - both of which are so important where the safety and security are concerned'.'The work being done by Sportstars in schools and in holiday clubs, will play a major role in the fight against obesity and also encourage children to take a more active role in sport".
"We are a small school and it's been fantastic to receive fresh new faces bringing in their expertise. Sportstars is a very dependable company and we have never been let down. We had been having great difficulty covering PPA in the past but now we have no worries."
"I have been extremely impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm of the staff of Sportstars. They enthuse and engage the pupils which will lead to them continuing to enjoy the benefits of sporting activities throughout their lives."
"We have been working with Sportstars since September 2006, when financial pressures meant we were unable to fund a qualified teacher to provide PPA cover. Coaches work closely within existing school policies and frameworks. They have proved extremely popular with our pupils and are highly respected by staff as they bring extra specialities into our school routines."
"The qualified coaches of Sportstars are making a significant contribution in our school, both through covering classes for PPA and also by raising standards of achievement across all year groups. With their detailed planning, accurate assessments and good class management, they have quickly won the respect of teachers and the trust of pupils. I recommend them highly."
"Sportstars is a well organised and very efficient service. They have excellent coaches who cover the full range of the PE curriculum. Detailed lesson planning is provided and is tailored to suit our school's individual needs."
SportStars entrepreneur an example to others, says mentor
19/12/07
Ms Tenison will be offering hands-on advice to 26-year-old James Taylor of Cardiff company SportStars.
Mr Taylor, who has recently won the Natwest Startups Business of the Year, impressed Ms Tenison with his entrepreneurial spirit and his determined drive to establish a community-focused but profitable business.
Ms Tenison, whose retail business is headquartered in Newport was a judge at this year's Startups Awards, supported by the Department of Trade and Industry. She said, "Budding entrepreneurs in Wales should look to James as their inspiration; he has shown that age and experience do not matter when setting up a business.
Determination, enthusiasm and hard work are the key factors."We definitely need more people like James and his dedicated team to create a more energetic enterprise culture within the business community and to confirm Wales as a major hotspot for entrepreneurship."
SportStars, a company that offers sports coaching for four to twelve year olds, was set up by Cardiff University child psychology graduate, James Taylor in September 2005, with £1,000 given to him by his parents for an around-the-world travel ticket.The company is forecasting a turnover of more than £1m this year, employs 35 people and up to 80 coaches during the school holidays.
As well as taking the overall title at the StartUps Awards, the company also won the Community Impact Award, which recognised its community values and strong belief in providing safe, affordable childcare and coaching to all children whatever their sporting ability.
Mr Taylor, who is managing director of SportStars, said, "We are honoured to be recognised as one of the UK's most promising young companies and gaining such a title has opened up many doors for us. It has put us in touch with people like Laura, who will be able to give us an invaluable insight into running a successful business."
Ms Tenison, whose company has opened 22 new stores in the past three years in addition to expanding her manufacturing and mail order business, will work with SportStars in the new year in giving them business advice and direction for the company's long term future.She said, "When I launched JoJo, fourteen years ago, I was not shy to ask for advice from more experienced companies. SportStars are a shining example of what entrepreneurship is all about.
"I am delighted to have this opportunity to mentor their business, but with the likes of James leading the way, I'm confident the future looks very bright for SportStars and they can probably teach me a thing or two as well."
Story taken from Western Mail, written by Sion Barry.