FAYE ORTON
The brains and experience behind SSNY, Faye has played Netball all her life both home and abroad and is an active member of York Puma's where she plays goal defence. Faye has played since she was little and Netball runs in her family, as Faye learned how to play playing with her mum on the same team!
Faye loves to teach Netball to her class and in her recent role as Head of School, she got the opportunity to bring her favourite game to pupils right throughout her primary school, which helped Faye recognise an opportunity to give back to the sport she loves on a wider level and paved the way to SSNY being born!
Faye brings a wealth of experience and leadership to our coaching team and we are delighted to have her on board with us!
BEN ORTON
Ben began to learn Tennis at the age of 3 and played competitively across the country from the age of 5. Meanwhile, he attended a local primary and secondary school in the city of York and struggled balancing the needs of education and the demands of competitive sport.
As a result of experiencing some of the highest highs felt when winning and the lowest lows from defeats, Ben developed not only a real thirst for competitive sport, but the understanding that ultimately, we beat ourselves more often than others beat us!
Through this experience, Ben began taking a real interest in how being honest with ourselves and humble in our approach to learning; being aware of our shortcomings and focusing on our limitations, leads to more rapid growth in not only our sporting lives, but also our everyday lives. The theory that when you look in the mirror everyday, you know who is looking back at you and you feel ok with this person and understand them drives Ben to this day and helps him to improve as a person on and off the field/court.
Ben describes how he uses his degree in Behavioural Psychology (obtained at Loughborough University in 2006), every day with his clients in his day job as the lead tennis professional in two local clubs, having previously been York University's Tennis Coach and a David Lloyd York Tennis Coach and having worked abroad as resident Tennis Professional in a 5* Hotel in Limassol, Cyprus in 2019/2020. He asks pupils to consider these quotes when formulating their own strategies for success:
“Wisdom tends to grow in proportion to one’s awareness of one’s ignorance.”– Anthony de Mello
“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.” – Billie Jean King
“Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.” – Lawrence Bossidy
"It always seems impossible, until it is done." - Nelson Mandela
"There is no failure, except in no longer trying." - Elbert Hubbard
In recent years, Ben has formed and grown a regional multi-sports primary school business, which provides both extra-curricular and curriculum time coaching to hundreds of children per week with his team of specialist, expert coaches.
As Faye's husband, Ben has worked alongside Faye using his experience to tailor make a program which will both enrich and hopefully inspire young children in our city to become the best versions of themselves, whilst promoting both physical and mental fitness and well-being.
Ben brings experience, energy, enthusiasm and healthy competitive spirit and your children will be able to learn from someone who started as a complete beginner and continues in the pursuit of perfecting his art as an active tennis player and professional coach today.