YOU CAN DO SPORT
ACADEMY
ABOUT US
You Can Do Sport Ltd is a company devoted to developing potential. Our mission is to make further education in Sport accessible to all young people, regardless of background or starting point, so as to enrich their lives, contribute to their success and allow them to realise their potential.
We motivate and encourage others to achieve their own personal and professional fulfilment and enable them to make educated and informed decisions that are not limited by self-belief, opportunity, or circumstance. Together, we believe that the best in each of us enriches all of us.
The role of You Can Do Sport is to bring together, schools, colleges, sports clubs, elite sports professionals, and National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs) to forge partnerships, unblock barriers to participation and enhance the education pathways available to young people.
MEET OUR TEAM
You Can Do Sport represents a perfect platform from which to promote new male and female talent in sport. We believe that talent at all levels should be nurtured and that we should make concerted efforts to ensure students receive the recognition they deserve so that they may aspire to reach their goals. By delivering an engaging sports programme we can encourage students to push themselves to their full potential.
You Can Do Sport has been founded on the principle of learning by doing, with the belief that, to learn how to play a sport, players must do just that. Combining education, with a focus on the continuation of players’ personal development, using sport as a foundation, will create a positive physical environment for students to thrive, whilst promoting a healthy lifestyle.
For those with a love for the ‘game’, it will provide an outlet in which to develop their understanding and skill through enjoyment and achievement.
All YCDS coaches are enhanced DBS checked, safeguard trained and former elite athletes in their sport, with considerable youth coaching experience.
Natalia Postlethwaite
Director
I believe everyone deserves to benefit from a broad range of educational opportunities, regardless of their socio-economic background. With that in mind, I launched YCDS academy as a fully inclusive and accessible education pathway, for males & females from all ethnicities and backgrounds.
Creating an engaging educational programme that combines sport, education, employment & mental health, can have a profound and long-lasting, positive impact on the lives of young people and the health and social benefits associated with living a healthy and active lifestyle.
Working in partnership with schools and colleges, our collaborative venture gives young people from the area access to life-shaping opportunities where they can belong, contribute & more importantly, thrive, and provides aspiring athletes with a starting point.
Gary Charles
Head Football Coach
Former England international and Head Football Coach, Gary Charles career as a skilled right-back saw him playing at the highest level for clubs including Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Derby County and West Ham and alongside legends including Roy Keane, Harry Redknapp and Brian Clough.
Gary also has his own Sports Management Agency managing over 30 elite football players.
Gary is the founder of GCSportsCare which provides advice and support for sports people who are experiencing a wide range of problems.
Key experience includes:
UEFA A & B Licence
Called twice for England
Nuneaton Town FC 1st Team Manager
Director of Football University of Nottingham
Assistant Manager Lincoln City FC
Played for SL Benfica, in the Portuguese Premier League
Six years in player recruitment, at Burnley FC, Ipswich Town FC and Sunderland AFC
Andy Reid
Assistant Football Coach
A talented midfielder, Andy began
his career at the Nottingham Forest Academy before going on to play for Tottenham Hotspur, Charlton Athletic, Sunderland and Blackpool.
Andy returned to play for Nottingham Forest in 2011.
Andy is currently Nottingham Forest U23 Head Coach .
Key experience includes:
UEFA A & B & Pro Licence
Former Head Coach Ireland U18
Over 500 professional appearances
44 International Caps for Ireland
2 x Nottingham Forest Player of the Year
Key achievements:
Won Player of the Year at Nottingham Forest in 2003/04 and 2013/14
Part of the PFA Team of the Year in the seasons 2003/04 and 2013/14
Won the UEFA U16 Championship with the Republic of Ireland in 1998
Ian McParland
Assistant Football Coach
Ian has the UEFA A,B & Pro coaching licences meaning he is qualified to coach football at the highest levels of the game.
Currently Ian is an International Football Scout for Aston Villa FC and features as a pundit on weekly football talk show 'Team Talk' on Notts TV.
Key experience includes:
Played professionally as a striker with a number of teams including Notts County
Director of Nottingham Forest Academy
Coach to the Nottingham Forest 1st Team
Nottingham Forest Caretaker Manager
Manager of Notts County FC 1st Team
Assistant Manager to Roy Keane for Ipswich Town 1st Team, and later Caretaker Manager
Key achievements:
Named manager of the month for being the only unbeaten team whilst at Nottingham Forest
Scored 90 goals in 266 appearances during just over seven years at Meadow Lane.
Paul Hart
Mentor Football Coach
Paul has UEFA A,B & Pro coaching licences meaning he is qualified to coach football at the highest levels of the game.
Current First Team Coach, Luton Town FC
Key experience includes:
Assistant Coach at Stoke City FC
Playing career as a defender includes Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Notts County
Manager for teams including Nottingham Forest, Queens Park Rangers, Notts County and Swindon Town
Manager of Leeds United Academy Team winning the FA Youth Cup
Manager of Nottingham Forest Academy winning the U19s Title
Lee Esam
Assistant Football Coach
In the 90’s Lee worked as Lead Coach at Nottingham Forest in the Community where he took his coaching badges. Lee spent 4 and a half years at Carlton Town where he worked his way up to U21s & Academy Manager. Whilst in charge, the team finished runners up in his first season narrowly missing out to Ilkeston Town. The following season Lee became 1st Team Assistant Manager and was instrumental in the winning of the Senior County Cup beating Basford FC 4-1 in the final at Meadow Lane.
Additional experience includes:
Gedling Miners Welfare U19’s manager, helping them to their first ever league title.
1st team coach at Arnold Town for 1 season
Worked alongside Gary Charles at The University of Nottingham
Was appointed assistant manager of Newark town in the 20-21 season where they were on course for promotion until covid ended the season abruptly.
Cameron Dobson
Volunteer Football Coach
Former YCDS football academy student, Class of 2020, graduating with 3 Distinction*
Cameron has his FA L1 Coaching Badge which he achieved during his time as a YCDS student. Cameron has been volunteering alongside Gary Charles since graduating and is now a student at Lincoln University studying Sports Development and Coaching.
Connie Xavier
Head Netball Coach
Connie Xavier has represented Notts County Netball and East Midlands Netball at both U21 and senior level. She is Assistant Coach at Nottingham Trent University, Current Head Coach at Loughborough Lighting U15 Nottingham Hub and Former Head of Development Squad at Notts Academy Netball. She is also a former U15 Head Development Squad Coach and Lead Coach for Notts Sirens regional Netball Squad.
Carl Greaves
Head Boxing Coach
Professional boxing manager, promoter and trainer of champions, managing over 40 boxers nationwide. Carl Greaves had a stellar boxing career winning the WBF Super Featherweight World Champion title amongst many others.
Owner of Carl Greaves Boxing Academy and fitness Centre. Caters for professional boxers and base for Newark Amateur Boxing Academy affiliated to England Amateur Boxing Association.
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Calvin Beech
Head Rugby Coach
Calvin has 20 years coaching experience working in the independent schools sector, with Leicester Tigers’ Elite Player Development Group and more recently England Women.
Calvin has a 1st class honours degree in Human Biology, is a Sports Coaching Lecturer at Bishop Grosseteste University and is working towards his RFU Level 3 Award.
OUR PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS
YCDS Academy is proud to work alongside and in association with some of the most influential names and organisations from the national sporting industry and locally with schools, colleges and sports clubs from in and around Nottinghamshire.
Our close ties with this multi-layered network enables us to deliver an affiliated approach to further education that brings together the vast knowledge, experience and skills of all of those involved.
These collaborations place our students in the best hands whilst offering them an abundance of opportunity in which to achieve their goals and pursue their careers.
YCDS Academy is fortunate to count just some of the following organisations as its working and educational partners and supporters.
“Currys are extremely proud to be sponsoring and supporting YCDS in Newark. Sport is extremely important for the physical and mental well-being of young people and we are delighted to see the variety and strength of activities YCDS is offering locally to bring the potential out of our up and coming talent.”
Damian Rodgers, General Manager, Currys Newark
OUR SPORTS
We offer you the opportunity to study a 2-year, full-time education and sports development programme like no other!
You will benefit from 8-10hrs per week of training in your chosen sport. Our elite coaches and staff share your passion for Sport and have been involved in the game at some of the highest achievable levels.
