What’s Been Happening? at Proteus

Proteus Sports Group Q1 Update — A Powerful Start to 2026

The first quarter of 2026 has been one of the busiest and most exciting starts to a year in Proteus Sports Group history. With nearly 60 coaches actively delivering programmes across Christchurch, we have continued to strengthen relationships across schools, clubs, and community organisations while expanding the range of sports we support.

This level of activity simply wouldn’t be possible without the trust of our partners and the dedication of our coaching team. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved already this year and excited about the direction we are heading.

Strengthening Our Leadership Team

A major highlight of Q1 has been strengthening our internal operations and leadership structure, ensuring we continue to deliver quality at scale.

We are delighted to officially welcome Sarah Wojtas to the Proteus team as our HR Administrator. Sarah has already made a significant impact, particularly in streamlining and supporting our onboarding processes. With a growing coaching workforce, having strong HR support has been invaluable in ensuring our systems remain organised, professional, and efficient.

We would also like to acknowledge Patrick Rousse, who has stepped into the role of Operations Manager. Patrick has been working closely across all areas of the business, supporting delivery, logistics, and programme coordination. His leadership has played a critical role in maintaining the smooth operation of our expanding services.

In addition, Isaac Rockell has taken on a key leadership role in Basketball Recruitment, overseeing growth in sports outside of football. Isaac is now leading the recruitment and development of coaches supporting basketball and additional codes, helping Proteus expand into new sporting environments while maintaining our commitment to quality coaching.

Welcoming Our Coaches — The Backbone of Proteus

Our coaches remain the heart of Proteus Sports Group. Many returning faces have rejoined us for another year, alongside new additions who bring fresh energy and expertise to our programmes.

We are proud to recognise the following coaches who have supported our delivery throughout Term 1:

Patrick Rousse
Claudia Van de Ven
Alex Young
Joshua McTurk
Rebecca Hewitt
Tom Kean
Callum Bowman
Jacinta Bowden
Lily West
Matthew Jordan
Liam Kelk
Toby Jenkins
Isaac Rockell
Oliver Prince
Alex Redwood
Art Woodley
Finlay Baird
Harper Gatt
George Dalhousie
Lucy Greengrass
Max Webber
Solomon Seatter
Isaac Daly
Tim Davenport
Katie Kirsopp
Tayla Fleming
Luke Brinkhurst
Hugo Rowden
Olivia Harding
Alistair Clarkes
Ashton Thackel
Louis Marsden
Nathan Exley
Harrison Wills
Jesse Burge
Amelia Owen
Ben Campbell
Lucas Maguire
Dominic Valois

Their professionalism, enthusiasm, and commitment to athlete development are what allow Proteus to deliver consistent, high-quality coaching experiences across every programme.

Delivering Across Schools and Programmes

Throughout Q1, Proteus delivered coaching across a wide range of schools and educational environments, supporting athletes from early years through to senior performance teams.

Our programmes included team coaching, development pathways, and structured curriculum delivery across:

  • Secondary school football programmes

  • Prep and primary school development sessions

  • Hockey, futsal, and basketball coaching

  • Holiday programmes

  • Early childhood movement programmes

We are proud to support schools across Christchurch, delivering consistent coaching environments that help students develop skills, confidence, and enjoyment in sport.

Club Partnerships — Supporting Performance and Development

Our club partnerships continue to grow in both scale and responsibility.

Proteus coaches supported major roles within club environments, particularly through academy and performance-level programmes. This included technical coaching, performance analysis, strength and conditioning, and senior team leadership support.

These partnerships allow us to deliver not only grassroots development but also contribute to high-performance environments where athletes are challenged to grow.

Holiday Programmes — Continuing to Grow

Holiday programmes remain one of the fastest-growing areas of Proteus service delivery.

Throughout Q1, we successfully delivered structured holiday programmes across multiple locations, providing athletes with opportunities to train, develop skills, and stay active during school breaks.

Demand continues to increase, reinforcing the importance of accessible, well-structured holiday sport environments.

Supporting Individual Athlete Development

One-on-one coaching remains an important part of our athlete development pathway.

Across Term 1, we supported a growing group of athletes through personalised training sessions designed to meet individual development goals. These sessions allow athletes to focus on specific areas of improvement while building confidence and technical ability.

Individual athlete development continues to be an area of strong growth for Proteus, and we look forward to expanding this offering further.

Expanding Into New Sports

While football remains our core focus, Q1 has seen exciting growth into additional sporting codes.

Proteus is now actively supporting programmes across:

  • Football (Primary Focus)

  • Hockey

  • Futsal

  • Basketball

  • Touch Rugby

  • Cricket

This expansion reflects increasing demand from schools and clubs seeking reliable, professional coaching across multiple sports.

Under the leadership of Isaac Rockell, we are continuing to build recruitment pathways that support the growth of these sports while ensuring football remains the foundation of our identity.

Early Years Development — Building Strong Foundations

Our early childhood programmes continue to expand, delivering structured movement and sport-based sessions across multiple early learning centres.

These programmes focus on developing fundamental movement skills, coordination, and confidence—laying the groundwork for long-term participation in sport.

The early years remain a vital part of our long-term development philosophy.

A Record Quarter for Proteus

Q1 has represented one of the most active periods in Proteus history.

Across the first term of the year, we:

  • Delivered coaching across dozens of schools and clubs

  • Maintained nearly 50 active coaches

  • Expanded into multiple new sports

  • Strengthened internal operations and leadership

  • Supported hundreds of athletes weekly

  • Continued to grow community partnerships

This level of delivery reflects both the demand for quality coaching and the strength of the Proteus network.

Our Core Mission — Serving Football First

Football remains the heart of Proteus Performance.

While we continue to expand into additional sports, our primary mission remains unchanged—to provide high-quality football coaching environments that support athlete development at every level.

Our growth into other codes strengthens our service offering but will always complement, not replace, our commitment to football.

Looking Ahead to Q2

As we move into the next phase of the year, our focus remains on:

  • Continuing to strengthen our coaching team

  • Expanding multi-sport delivery responsibly

  • Supporting winter-season programmes

  • Enhancing internal operations and systems

  • Maintaining consistent, high-quality delivery

The momentum built in Q1 places us in a strong position heading into one of the busiest periods of the year.

Thank You to Our Community

We extend our sincere thanks to our schools, clubs, athletes, families, and coaches who continue to support the Proteus vision.

Most importantly, we thank our coaching team—whose commitment, professionalism, and energy make everything we do possible.

2026 is off to an outstanding start, and we are excited for what lies ahead.

Ollie Hawkins

Director