Little Hero Sports, Carlisle, offers unique coaching to kids

Little Hero Sports (LHS) specialises in designing and delivering new and exciting approaches to sport and physical education for children aged three to five.

It was set up by Mark and Gemma Tolley when they returned to Carlisle to start a family, having met when coaching sports together in America. 

After getting married, having two children and contending with the coronavirus pandemic, Mark and Gemma are now fully focused on getting the most out of Little Hero Sports. 

In an interview with the News & Star, Gemma said: "We met in America coaching sports when we were younger, we both randomly ended up at the same company. We ended up staying out there for 12 years between us. We relocated back home in 2016 after making the decision to get married and have children. It was always our idea when we got back to stay with coaching, and with the experience that we both have, we set up Little Hero Sports."

When it comes to the world of sports coaching, LHS aims to be different. Mark and Gemma want to provide fresh opportunity and experience to their players, delivering new sports, embracing new engagement techniques and using an extensive range of fun resources that enhance learning & encourage progression.

Gemma added: "We both have administration and management experience from our time in America. We made a start in 2018, but we were also starting a family. Covid stopped everything and then our first little girl was born. Mark picked up the coaching side of things once things were safe to do so. Having two young children, I could see that the demand was there. There are lots of football, swimming and gymnastics classes, so the unique spin that we have is that we are able to do the different sports."

LHS offer football, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, tee-ball in their five and six-week sessions, which take part across Cumbria at Wetheral Community Hall, Scotby Village Hall and Denton Holme Community Centre amongst others.