Lymm, England, United Kingdom
I work across sport as a coach developer, mentor and consultant, supporting coaches and athletes to operate with clarity, consistency and confidence in demanding environments. My consultancy work is delivered through Nathan Wood Consulting, which focuses on coach development and athlete mentoring within high-performance systems. Alongside this, I also run Cheshire Cricket Coaching (in-person coaching) and Cricket Mind Online (online performance and mindset coaching), which provide more delivery-focused support for players and coaches at different stages of their development. I have over 30 years’ experience in elite sport, including playing professionally, mentoring players and coaches, and serving as Head of Coach Development for England Cricket, where I was responsible for setting standards and frameworks to support coaching quality across the system. My work is grounded in how people think, decide and prepare in performance environments. I am particularly interested in the interaction between mindset, decision-making and preparation, and in the quality of practice and training environments that underpin sustainable performance. Across all areas of my work, the emphasis is on long-term development, ownership and sound judgement rather than short-term fixes.
Director of Nathan Wood Consulting — a sports consultancy which supports individuals and organisations with performance, leadership, and decision-making in high-pressure environments. The work draws on experience across elite sport and professional settings, with a focus on clarity, preparation, and sustainable performance rather than short-term interventions.
Founder of Cheshire Cricket Coaching — a professional, performance-led cricket coaching organisation based in Cheshire. Responsible for setting coaching standards, technical frameworks, and delivery across premium 1-to-1 coaching, group programmes, and the Cheshire Performance Academy.
Founder of Cricket Mind Online — an online coaching and mentoring service supporting cricketers and coaches with performance mindset, preparation, and decision-making under pressure.
Interim Head of Coach Development for England Cricket, with responsibility for shaping national coach development strategy, standards, and frameworks across the pathway. The role involved supporting coaches at all levels of the system, contributing to the design and delivery of education programmes, and working closely with professional and talent environments to improve coaching quality and long-term player development.
International & Specialist Coach Development role within England Cricket, with responsibility for leading the ECB Level 4 Coach Development Programme and contributing to the design and delivery of international coach development initiatives. The role involved working with senior coaches across professional and international environments, supporting advanced coach learning, and helping to maintain high standards of coaching practice within elite and specialist contexts.
Coach Mentor and Assessor for England Cricket, supporting the development and assessment of coaches across the pathway. The role involved mentoring coaches in practice environments, contributing to formal assessment processes, and helping to ensure coaching standards and consistency within ECB coach education programmes.