For ambitious young cricketers
Cheshire Performance Academy
Performance-led cricket coaching for players aged 12–16 who are ready for a more focused development environment
Training with purpose
The Cheshire Performance Academy gives committed young cricketers the opportunity to train in a more professional, performance-led environment.
Designed for players aged 12–16, the Academy brings together purposeful coaching, high expectations and experienced coaches who understand what it takes to help players progress.
Sessions are carefully planned and delivered by coaches with experience across professional cricket, pathway programmes and high-performance player development.
The aim is to help players improve their skills, train with greater intent and develop the habits, confidence and understanding needed to keep moving their game forward.
For players ready to take the next step
The Cheshire Performance Academy is for players aged 12–16 who are motivated to improve and ready to train in a more focused environment.
It is best suited to young cricketers who are already playing regular cricket and want to take the next step in their development.
Players do not need to be the finished article. The Academy is for players who show commitment, listen well, respond to coaching and want to keep improving.
It is particularly suitable for players who are:
- Playing regular school or club cricket
- Looking to progress towards pathway, county or representative cricket
- Ready for higher expectations around effort, preparation and attitude
- Keen to develop their skills, confidence and match understanding
- Open to feedback and willing to practise between sessions
The aim is not to create pressure. It is to place players in an environment where they can be stretched, supported and helped to move their game forward.
Coaching expertise
The Cheshire Performance Academy is led by Nathan Wood, ECB Level 4 Master Coach, ex Lancashire professional, and former Head of Coach Development for England Cricket.
Academy delivery is supported by experienced coaches who understand how to help young players improve in a focused, performance-led environment.
Across the programme, players benefit from high-quality coaching, clear communication and a joined-up approach to player development.
The aim is to give players access to the kind of coaching insight, organisation and standards usually associated with higher-level cricket environments.
Built for long-term progress
The Cheshire Performance Academy runs in focused coaching blocks at selected points during the year.
Each block is planned with a clear purpose, helping players develop their skills, improve their decision-making and build better training habits over time.
Sessions are designed to feel purposeful, challenging and well organised. Players are expected to arrive ready to train, listen well, respond to feedback and apply themselves properly.
Group sizes are managed carefully so coaching quality stays high and players receive meaningful support.
When Academy places are available, details are shared with players and parents who have registered interest or made an enquiry.
Register interest in the Academy
If you would like to explore whether the Cheshire Performance Academy may be suitable for your child, please register your interest using the short form.
We’ll ask for a few details about the player, including their age, cricket experience, current level and what they would like to improve.
This helps us understand whether the Academy is the right environment for them, or whether another coaching option may be more suitable at this stage.
If applications are not currently open, we’ll contact you when the next Academy opportunity becomes available.
Personalised 1-to-1 coaching
Alongside the Cheshire Performance Academy, we also offer personalised 1-to-1 coaching for players who want individual support with their game.
1-to-1 coaching gives players focused time with an experienced coach, helping them work on specific areas such as batting, bowling, wicket-keeping, confidence, decision-making or match performance.
It can be suitable for players at different stages — from juniors building strong foundations to committed players preparing for higher levels of cricket.
For some players, 1-to-1 coaching works well alongside Academy training. For others, it may be the most suitable coaching route on its own.
If you are unsure which option is best, we can help you decide.
