Testimonials

"I worked with Simon as a batting coach for my entire career pretty much and no doubt he is one of the better coaches in the country. A coach’s job is to help you become a better player quicker than if you were on your own. Simon does exactly that."

"I had the pleasure of being coached by Simon throughout my professional career. His knowledge of batting and wicket keeping is outstanding. His coaching sessions were always well thought out and challenging. Working with Simon helped me to fulfil my ambition of becoming an international cricketer and I have no doubt the influence Simon’s coaching had in helping me get to that level."

"I have known Simon for over 20 years now, and he was instrumental in my professional cricketing career. Upon joining Kent County Cricket Club in 1999, he helped me develop my skills as swing bowler for the first-class game, which enabled me to fulfill my goal of playing Test cricket for England. His 1:1 work with myself on my batting technique also allowed me to become an accomplished lower order batsman doing the job as nightwatchman throughout my career. The knowledge he has, in all aspects of the game will be passed on to allow any cricketer to show their full potential."

"Congratulations to Simon for the launch of Fledglings Cricket. I learned a lot during my time at Kent County Cricket Club under Simon’s guidance and became a better cricketer because of it. Budding cricketers can benefit from his wealth of experience and knowledge about the game."

"When I arrived in Kent in 2003 I had little or no idea what it took to be a professional cricketer, Simon Willis or Wilco as he will always be to me mentored and help develop me into the player, I turned out to be. Hard work, discipline and playing with a smile on my face were some of the attributes my new coach instilled in me. Simon was very good at readings players and people and that is a skill not many coaches can master but Wilco saw the person not just the player which was important to me as I had moved away from home. Technically I was blessed to have someone who could help my keeping on a day-to-day basis and drill the basics into my game with those fundamentals on my side I was able to forge a long and enjoyable career. All in all, I feel I was lucky to have such a talented and dedicated person not just coach in my early days and have remained friends with Wilco to this very day. In a nutshell I would be thrilled to see any cricketer young or old working with Simon as I feel he can develop a youngster as well as work with the cream of the crop. A TOP COACH."

"Simon is easily one of the most hard-working individuals I have had the privilege to work with. His astute knowledge in cricket and skills development is second to none. His easy-going nature and amicable attitude make it all the easier to endure the hard yards he puts one through. It isn’t every day that you come across personalities with a diverse sporting background and thorough understanding of the human anatomy, especially when it comes to high performance and skill development. Simon is one such talent. I look forward to seeing him continue to produce ace athletes in the years to come."

"I owe a lot to Simon over the years, he has had a great impact on my career. From a technical point of view, he really helped me drill the basics of batting and wicket keeping which even now I hold as extremely important. The ways in which he constantly challenged these helped me improve as a player greatly. The biggest impact I think Simon has had on me was from a self-awareness and mental standpoint. Self-awareness of you as a person, what your strengths are, and awareness of weaknesses are what help you continually progress as a player and as a person."

"I worked with Simon from the age of 13-18 where some of this time was on the Academy at Kent when he was Academy Director and batting coach. They were the years in my career where in my opinion I improved the most and was a big part in why I turned into a professional cricketer. The Academy experience was a great environment for learning and improving, Simon especially had a great eye for technique and knew my game very well, he was a big part of why I improved during that time."

"Simon was one of my first ever coaches to work with on a 1:1 basis. One of his best qualities was understanding what worked for me and areas that would improve my game that may not have necessarily worked for others. That is in my opinion one of the most important qualities within a coach and that’s why I have always used Simon throughout my career if something doesn’t quite feel right and I know he has many players that would do the same. He certainly has the eye for spotting talent and giving individuals a real chance to step up to the next level which is why he was a massive part of Kent Cricket and the development of so many of the home-grown talent that is still on show today."

"I moved to Kent in 2005 and straight away I formed an invaluable relationship with Simon. His skill set and knowledge of the game across the board is second to none. Whatever stage I have been at with my game over the last 15 years, he has had the ability to help me progress. In 2019, I was told I was at the end of my career. I knew I needed to focus on my batting and after a few sessions with Simon, I went on to achieve my highest score to date and another contract! As a batsman, we all need a coach/mentor and Simon has been that person for me over the years."

"I was lucky to have started my career with Simon as my coach. He guided me through the tough moments and made me a better player. He is a modern forward-thinking coach who gets the best out of the attributes you have. The sessions are always enjoyable and one of his great traits is making you feel extremely confident about your game. Simon has worked with some of the best players in the world and undoubtedly improved every single one of them."

"I have known Simon for nearly 15 years. While being the coach during my early professional years and more recently my batting consultant/coach I can say he is an incredibly supportive and extremely knowledgeable coach who I would recommend others to use. Any youth or adult cricketers looking to develop their game would undoubtedly benefit from working with Simon."

"In 2005 I had the privilege of being appointed Head Coach at Kent County Cricket Club. A role I thoroughly enjoyed for 5 years. During this period, I was extremely fortunate to have Simon Willis as my assistant coach. His support, work rate and immense cricketing knowledge had an incredibly positive impact on the team’s performances during that period. There were many highly successful days during those 5 seasons and Simon’s work certainly played a big part in assisting players to perform at their maximum. In 2016 and 2017 I again worked with Simon. I was the Sri Lankan Head Coach relying a great deal on Simon’s good work as Head of the Sri Lanka Cricket High Performance Centre. Simon has vast technical and tactical knowledge and a brilliant understanding of the mental side of the game. These qualities together with his many years of experience in the game, make him an excellent candidate for any important coaching role. Simon is an excellent option for any cricketer who has ambitions of making the most of their cricketing talent."

"I have known Simon for over 25 years, during which time I have also worked alongside him in various high-performance coaching environments. With 20 years’ experience coaching at every level in the performance pathway, and a deep passion for the game and those who play it, Simon is well placed to help any player/coach seeking to improve his/her performance and I have no hesitation recommending him."

"I had the pleasure of working with Simon in his role as the High-Performance Manager at Sri Lanka Cricket. Simon transformed an environment which was treading water into a highly organised and professional system through his immense knowledge, experience, passion, and energy for the game. His leadership and management of all people involved from the very top of the National Team to the very bottom of the system was extremely skillful and paramount as a catalyst to the programme being revolutionised in a very short period of time. There is no doubt in my mind that during the period we worked together, as I moved into various roles and witnessed Simon’s work through new channels, that the success of the National Team during his tenure was due to the environment which Simon created. He is a fantastic person to work with, having a thorough understanding of leading a program. His patience with players and staffs at all levels is something that has been greatly appreciated. I would have no hesitation in endorsing Simon as a leader of any programme, his knowledge, application and manner are elite and would be effective in any environment, not only in the world of cricket."

"I have always known Simon to be very hardworking, honest, kind and a wonderful human being. He was easy to work with as he always shared his knowledge with everyone and most importantly trusted and listened to other opinions/suggestions, while making sure the right decisions were made for the team and organisation."

"Having known Simon for a number of years, firstly domestically as a player, manager and coach for Kent, and latterly internationally for both Sri Lanka and England, you cannot fail to be impressed by his many talents. In my humble opinion when I look at a coach there are several features that I look for, and Simon has them all. A natural enthusiasm for the game, which is easily transmitted to his pupils, a knowledge of the game, which is both extensive and relevant, the ability to seek out and embrace new ideas, keeping the messages to players clear and simple, placing more emphasis on a player`s strengths rather than their weaknesses thus making sessions a much more enjoyable experience, great organisational skills and a full understanding of a safe environment which will be a comfort for player and parent alike. Over the last couple years, I have the pleasure to work in the same team as Simon which has been brilliant. Sadly, this has come to end which undoubtedly is ECB`s loss but the beneficiaries will be those players or teams who sign up for Simon`s new project which will be high quality coaching, whatever the age and level of ability, in a fun and safe environment."

"Simon’s greatest asset is the breadth of his relevant experience, which means his expertise and insight covers a broad range of areas. He has demonstrated the capability to lead high performance strategy and systems, manage elite programmes and effectively coach both individuals and teams. Simon’s work ethic and professionalism, as well as his ability to align to a collective purpose, have made him easy to trust, which is critical under pressure. The perspective that he can bring to a scenario spans across domestic and international domains, as well as overseas cultures. With that in mind, he’s a great resource and definitely a person you can rely on!."

"I have worked with Simon for over 5 years now. During this time, he has certainly helped me understand what makes me tick and what my strengths and habits are to consistently perform. He has all the tools to improve any athlete or individual. Knowing myself better I have found has helped me in pressure situations, simplifying my job, bringing me out of slumps quicker, focusing on what I need to do to become successful in my career and enjoying life more."