Where Their Sporting Journey Begins.

Bourne Sports was founded in 2023 with a simple belief: every child deserves a positive first experience of sport.

Founded by qualified PE teacher and sports coach Liam Dowd, Bourne Sports began as a small local coaching programme with a focus on making sport fun, engaging and accessible for young children. Since then, we have grown considerably — developing a team of coaches and building trusted relationships with nurseries, schools and families across Croydon, Surrey and the surrounding areas.

Today, Bourne Sports delivers across 15 different provisions, supporting children every week through our Early Years and education programmes, extracurricular activities and community sessions. Alongside our work within educational settings, we also run our own Bourne Ballers football programme and deliver Bourne Sports Birthday Parties for families within our local community.

While Bourne Sports has grown, the principle behind what we do has remained exactly the same.

We want children to love being active.

We understand how influential a child’s earliest experiences of sport can be. A positive experience can build confidence, curiosity and a willingness to participate; a poor one can leave a child feeling that sport simply isn’t for them. That’s why our sessions aren’t built around finding the best athlete in the group. They’re designed to give every child an opportunity to participate, develop and succeed at their own level.

Our coaching combines sport, games, movement, imagination and age-appropriate challenges to help children develop fundamental skills while having fun. Whether we’re introducing a toddler to structured physical activity for the very first time, supporting a preschool child developing their confidence or helping an older child take the next steps in their sporting journey, we meet children at their stage of development and build from there.

As Bourne Sports continues to grow, our ambition is to become a trusted part of children’s sporting journeys across our local community — working alongside educational settings and families to create the kind of early experiences that can lead to a lifelong positive relationship with sport and physical activity.

A Child Centred Approach

Every group of children is different, which is why we believe great coaching starts with understanding the children in front of us.

Our sessions aren’t built around a rigid, one-size-fits-all programme. Our coaches adapt activities, equipment, communication and levels of challenge to suit the age, stage and confidence of each group, creating sessions that are both achievable and exciting.

This is particularly important during the Early Years, where even relatively small differences in age can mean significant differences in physical, social and emotional development. We aim to provide the right environment for every child — from those experiencing structured sport for the very first time to children ready for greater independence and challenge.

We also understand that participation can look different for every child. Some children will throw themselves straight into a new activity, while others may prefer to watch, explore and gradually build the confidence to join in.

Our coaches are there to recognise those differences, adapt where needed and make sure every child feels included, supported and valued within their session.

Because the best coaching isn’t about asking every child to do the same thing — it’s about helping every child take their next step.

Trusted to Deliver

  • 15 Provisions

    Delivering across our growing network of local settings.

  • DBS-Checked Coaches

    Creating safe and positive environments for children.

  • Fully Insured

    Professional provision settings and families can trust.

  • Early Years Specialists

    Coaching designed around children’s age and stage of development.

  • ⭐ 5 / 5

    Rated 5 Stars by our Bourne Sports Families.

Meet the Team.

The people behind Bourne Sports.

Behind every Bourne Sports session is a team of passionate coaches who share the same goal — creating positive sporting experiences that children look forward to each week.

Our coaches bring different sporting backgrounds, experience and personalities, while sharing the same child-centred approach that runs throughout everything we do.

Meet the coaches helping children across our community take their first steps into sport.

Meet the Team!