Services
Athletic Development
If you want to improve your speed, agility, power or strength to help you reach the next level in your sport, then you are in the right place.
Wherever you are on your journey, we can help you. If you are under 16, we recommend you join our club (children learn best with others).
If you are 16+, then James is happy to coach you 1:1.
Contact James for your free phone consultation on 07976 306494.
FAQs.
- What is Athletic Development?
It is a concept that applies to all children and to many adults who want to improve their sports performance.
"Athletic Development is a combination of planned, unplanned, organised and chaotic events that lead to an improvement in a person's overall physical and mental abilities."
Why do I need athletic development?
In order to play sport, people need the physical competency to perform technical skills.
Unfortunately, the lack of free play and the decline of physical education in schools has meant that many modern-day children are physically illiterate. They are often thrown into the competitive cauldron of sport underprepared. No wonder 50% of children have dropped out of sport by the age of 13!
The good news is this can be changed! By creating a rich, varied and fun environment of training and playing, young people (and old) can develop their physical competency and fitness. This then allows them to thrive in sports sessions and gives them a more enjoyable experience.
What would I actually do in training?
The ability to throw, catch, evade, slide, dodge, skip, run, jump, climb, duck, hop, roll and balance is often summarised with the term ‘physical literacy’.
By combining these movements with strength, speed and power exercises, we develop athleticism.
Many training programmes focus on a few strength exercises in the gym that are derived from bodybuilding. This is good for increasing your muscle size, but there is minimal transfer to sport.
Our only focus is to make you a better athlete so you can perform better at your chosen sport.
If you become a better athlete, you will reduce your injury risk.
Read our free white paper on Athletic Development Excelsior white paper
Weightlifting and Athletics Club
James set up Excelsior Athletic Development Club in 2014 to give local people the benefit of his expertise. We have helped hundreds of young people since then.
Excelsior ADC is a Community Interest Company (CIC) led by a board of directors including a safeguarding officer. We have several volunteers helping run the club.
Weightlifting
We are a licensed British Weightlifting Club and regularly take our members to competitions, including the British Age-Group and Masters Championships (Timetable and prices below).
All our sessions are planned and coached: there is NO open gym. We encourage technical efficiency of the snatch and clean and jerk before heavy loading. We work on strength all the time with easier movements such as pulls, presses and squats.
We welcome anyone who wants to learn, try hard and feel part of a team.
"My daughter has competed in several weightlifting competitions with James always making time to coach her at the events - we are incredibly grateful to James for this. His primary concern has always been safety and proper form - ensuring every lift is executed correctly before increasing the weight. My daughter has not only avoided injury, but she has also developed confidence in her strength and seen remarkable progress in her lifts this year. The best part though is that her training buddies support her and are always the first to encourage and congratulate her."
Liz Ranson
Athletics
In the spring and summer, we coach athletics in Cullompton, focusing on sprints, hurdles, long jump and hurdle jump. Our athletes compete in the Devon Open meets and two have competed in the South West Championships.
In the winter, we focus on strength and co-ordination, which helps prepare for most sports, as well as athletics.
"It was so much fun and I’ve already made two friends!" Zara, age 9.
(Timetable and prices below).
Our current timetable is here:
Club schedule August & September
We run an online booking system via Spond. You can sign up here. Annual club membership is £10 for juniors, £20 for seniors. Weightlifting sessions are £10 for juniors, £12 for seniors.Our athletics/S&C sessions are £6.60 (all booked monthly in advance).
Our safeguarding officer is Nick Keen. If you have any concerns about the welfare or protection of our members, then you can contact him by email.
Nick Keen, Club Welfare Officer
Our safeguarding policy can be read Excelsior Child Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy June2025
Sports Injury Rehabilitation
If you have suffered a serious sports injury and want to return to play, James can help. The programme treats you as a whole person, focusing on what you can do rather than what you can't.
James's background — coaching gymnastics, athletics, weightlifting and sports psychology — means he can keep you developing as an athlete while the injury heals. The work starts where your physio finishes and ends with you back on the pitch.
Footballers, rugby players and other field-sport athletes returning from ACL reconstruction or other major lower-limb injuries have a structured three-tier programme to choose from — single assessment, phase block, or the full six-month Return to Play.
If you have a knee operation scheduled, the work can also start pre-op: surgical outcomes are materially better when you go in stronger.
Read the full Return to Play page →
"I would wholeheartedly — and already have — recommend anyone who has been unfortunate to have an ACL injury or something similar to rehabilitate with James, if you're serious about wanting to return to your sport in the best possible shape. His drive, enthusiasm and knowledge rubs off on you to want to get back to where you were, and if you're willing to put the effort in, James will get you there." — Scott Rogers, Manager, Weston-super-Mare AFC
Coach Mentoring and Education
James works with national governing bodies, clubs, and coach education organisations to design and deliver CPD for coaches, PE teachers, and physiotherapists working with young and developing athletes. His approach is built on 30 years of practical coaching experience — turning research and theory into something coaches can actually use on a Tuesday evening with a group of teenagers.
He is the coach education lead for GAIN Swim, directed by Chris Webb, where he curates a monthly "theme of the month" learning programme for coaches — a seminar, slides, an article, an infographic and further reading, finishing with a quiz to check understanding.
He also delivers ongoing coach education work with a badminton coaching cluster in Germany, and a series of goalkeeping-specific CPD workshops..
Recent workshops include:
- Speed Training for Team Sports.
- Why Physical Education is the bedrock of Athletic Development.
- Developing your coaching eye.
- Ground-based agility and conditioning for rugby contact.
- How Laban's movement framework can help your athletes.
“Partnering with James Marshall and Excelsior has been a game-changer for GAINswim. James brings sharp insight, clear strategy, and a no-nonsense approach that makes the complex feel simple and actionable. He’s been a true partner in every sense—committed, reliable, and innovative. I couldn’t recommend him more highly.”
—Chris Webb
Director, GAINswim
"James combines a generalist view on movement with real depth of expertise — helping us see the fundamentals behind every skill, not just isolated technique. He cuts through complexity and brings the focus back to what really matters. We'd recommend him to any environment serious about developing coaches and athletes."
— Christian Stern, Head Coach, National Youth Centre Kaiserslautern (German Badminton Federation)
If you're a coach, PE teacher, physio, or CPD coordinator looking for a workshop, an ongoing coach education programme, or consultancy support, get in touch directly — this is separate from club enquiries. Tell me a bit about your group and what you're trying to achieve, and I'll come back to you personally.
Email: excelsiorathletic@gmail.com
