Nicole’s Story: From Being Held Back to Stepping Forward

Nicole had been labelled and limited from the start. But through the support of Coach Core, a tailored apprenticeship, and two organisations who did things differently, Nicole has not only succeeded, she has thrived.

“It wasn’t malicious. I was just in the wrong environment.”

Nicole was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia from a young age. Her education journey began with rejection: her mum had tried to enrol her in a mainstream school with a dyslexia unit, but they turned her away, saying her condition was “too severe.”

Instead, Nicole was sent to a SEND school. Although it was a caring place, it didn’t match her needs or intelligence.

“It was too basic for me. I often had to ask teachers for harder work, but it took until my last year for them to actually do that. The SEND school held me back academically and socially. It was small, controlled, insular. I couldn’t walk home with friends and missed out on a ‘normal’ childhood.”

Nicole left school with no GCSEs. Her education hadn’t prepared her for adult life—it had boxed her in.

“School made me feel like I wasn’t very capable. It wasn’t their fault. It wasn’t malicious. I was in the wrong environment that was tailored and specifically designed for very low-functioning children—which I wasn’t.”

“I wanted to get a job in sport, but without qualifications, how could I do that?”

Nicole had a passion for sport. She’d trained and competed in gymnastics for 15 years, five days a week, 20 hours a week. She later got into football and began thinking about coaching. But without qualifications or a way in, she was stuck.

After working in a farm café and McDonald’s, and spending time unemployed, she came across a Level 3 Community Sport & Health Officer apprenticeship via an ad on Indeed. It was the breakthrough she’d been waiting for.

“For someone like me who didn’t do well in education, the apprenticeship was perfect. It improved my skills on the job and I came out with an A-Level equivalent qualification.”

“Essex Cricket made my job amazing. I consider myself very lucky.”

Nicole joined Essex Cricket in the Community as an apprentice, even though she’d never played cricket before.

“They took a chance on me when I’d not had any cricket experience or even picked up a bat. They were looking for an apprentice who didn’t have experience but had spirit—and that was me.”

Line manager Pat and the team built trust and structure from day one, with written monthly plans, clear directions and letting her progress at her own pace: starting with observing, then shadowing, and eventually leading. They helped her gain confidence to travel alone, eventually planning her own routes to sessions across Essex—and even to Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, on her own. When shared office spaces became overwhelming, they allowed her to work from home to stay focused.

Nicole went on to coach in a wide range of environments:

• Super 1s cricket for 15–25 year-olds with SEND needs
• One-to-one support
• Mainstream high schools, delivering PE
• Preschools, delivering her own 6-week programme
• Community sports festivals

“The apprenticeship and my employer gave me independence and responsibility. I’ve never had someone out there trust in me to do adult things before.”

“Layla would say, ‘What do you need from me?’”

Education had always been a painful experience for Nicole—until she met her tutor, Layla from Lifetime Training.

“Education is never going to be my favourite part. Layla allowed me to control it. She would ask me to set targets and say what help I needed, rather than treat me like a child and tell me what I needed help with.”

Nicole struggled to concentrate and process written information. Layla’s approach was hands-on, respectful, and tailored. Nicole also received an additional tutor through Lifetime Training to support her with Functional Skills in English and maths.

“Because of my severe dyslexia, Layla would type into Google and I would look through the info. The majority I would write, but Layla supported with spelling.”

A Club That Invests in People

Essex Cricket in the Community joined the Coach Core programme in 2021. They saw how much support Coach Core could offer – recruitment, funding, training, mentoring – to help them build their organisation’s workforce whilst supporting someone who would benefit materially from the opportunity.

“We struggle to get coaches to deliver sessions to children aged 5 because it’s difficult to teach cricket at that age, but Nicole was happy to do it. She stepped in and took on that role in the primary school. The feedback was great.

We wanted to give someone who would grow significantly from the apprenticeship a chance, and we wanted to help someone grow as a person.”

They’ve now had multiple apprentices, including Nicole, and want to continue. Some have gone into permanent roles, others into teaching or other career paths. They also learned from Nicole and began applying her support strategies (like monthly timetables) to permanent staff.

“I want to allow myself to just be.”

Nicole has now graduated with a distinction and is preparing to spend nine weeks at Camp America, coaching and gaining new life experience. When she returns, she’s hoping to take on hours with Essex Cricket, but also wants to see what opportunities come next.

“I want to allow myself to be, enjoy time in America, and then come back and see what door opens for me.”

The Bottom Line

Nicole’s story is not just about individual success—it’s about what happens when the system finally works.

• A young person labelled “too severe” is now leading coaching sessions.
• Someone held back in school is now supporting children across Essex.
• An employer, a tutor, and a programme took the time to understand, adapt, and believe.

This is what Coach Core stands for: a second chance for those who never got a fair first one.

“I was in the wrong environment for so long. But this apprenticeship let me grow—and showed me I was capable all along.”