Class Commentary
Have a go, enjoy and be brilliant!
Imagine being able to inspire your school children using elite level sports people and broadcasters. To learn, create and build self-confidence.
At Class Commentary this is what we do. By using our combined experience of playing and broadcasting on elite level sport, we bring amazing stories to life. As well as offering your pupils the chance to become broadcasters, using our portable commentating booths and cameras.
How does Class Commentary™ work?
We offer structured days and bespoke packages. And we can even build the whole session around a specific theme if you would like us to. We provide engaging and inspiring talks from broadcasters and elite level athletes, as well as “have a go” sessions. Here, pupils can get behind the mic and interview our athletes. Thereby developing creativity, self-confidence and, most importantly, fun. We work with them to sharpen their performance throughout the day, in a positive and caring way. Our dream is to inspire them to become the broadcasters of the future and help them realise the opportunities around sport. Aside from just playing. We use a variety of scenarios to help adapt the day to the interests and knowledge base of the children we work with. Always ensuring complete inclusivity across the class.
Don't just take our word for it
We used Class Commentary to deliver an event to inspire us around the Commonwealth Games. It was great for the children to hear first hand about how important media is in sport and have real-life examples of commentating and interviewing athletes on a world stage. The children were then given the opportunity to commentate on specific pieces of action and interview an athlete mentor in a variety of different scenarios using recording equipment. They were given top tips and guidance to help them with the tasks. There were some great recordings and the children really enjoyed the day. They are listening out to hear Dan and Clare commentating at the Commonwealth Games this summer! Thanks for giving the children a different angle from which to experience sport. And literacy!
See how we do it
Watch some of the Class Commentary™ pupils in action
If you’d like to see what Class Commentary is all about, then you can watch some of our amazing pupils by clicking the link below.
Berkshire Inspire Academy Media leaders, a great example of Class Commentary in Action. Thanks to Get Berkshire Active (Berkshire School Games) for the photo/video usage.
Meet the Class Commentary™ Team
Our founders are deeply engrained within the world of sport. Between them they have 13 Olympics or Paralympics under their belts as Broadcasters or Athletes. As well as numerous other sporting accolades. They instinctively know how to engage and inspire children to be the very best they can be.
Dan Strange, Founder
Dan came up with the idea of Class Commentary to meet a challenge laid down to him by a client. It suited Dan well as it perfectly bridged the two sides of his career. Being an international sports broadcaster and running businesses in the school’s market.
Dan’s broadcast career has seen him commentate on elite sport globally. Including Olympics, Paralympics, World Cups, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He has worked for BT Sport, Channel 4, Star Sports India, IMG and BBC, to name a few. He has worked on leagues in hockey, basketball, badminton, rugby and many more. As a voice over artist he has worked for leading global brands. So, he knows a thing or two about presentation, preparation and delivery at the very highest level.
Apart from his work in broadcasting, Dan founded and runs Dan the Skipping Man®. A highly regarded and respected brand within the schools and lifestyles market. Dan brings to Class Commentary™ a great understanding of the solutions needed by the school’s market. Incredibly high delivery standards and companies that are always run with the very best people.
Clare Griffiths, Founder
Clare is a five-time Paralympian in Wheelchair Basketball. She made four World Cup appearances (1998-2014) and finished her career by retiring (on screen) on Channel 4 at the end of the Rio Games (in floods of proud tears) as Great Britain recorded a historic 4th place in her final Paralympic appearance. Clare is an exceptionally experienced and inspirational speaker, with vast knowledge of working in schools and with corporations to develop their management and employee mindsets.
In her playing days, Clare became the first ever British woman to play overseas in the top league in the world (Italy) for Sassari of Sardinia. She also fundraised tirelessly to help ensure that the developing Great Britain Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team could travel overseas. In order to train and continue to improve raising tens of thousands of pounds in the process.
Like Dan, Clare is a former Loughborough student and since her days on court she has moved into broadcasting too. She worked as Dan’s co-commentator at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. As well as the EuroCup Basketball. Clare’s experience of so many Paralympic Games is invaluable in building our inspiring concepts and formats for the schools and organisations we work with.
Tess Howard, Athlete
Tess Howard is one of the most exciting hockey talents in Great Britain. A Great Britain and England Hockey Player, she has World Cup experience but was cruelly denied an Olympic appearance at Tokyo due to a dreadful knee injury.
Through perseverance and diligence in rebuilding her playing career, Tess made it back to the International fold in 2022 (after being sidelined for more than a year). Scoring in multiple FIH Pro League matches, she bounced straight back into great form on the world stage.
Tess made her debut at 19 years old in 2018, when she also won England Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year after captaining the U21s. Having returned from 10 months of intensive rehab, Tess understands about patience and has amazing things to teach people about making the most of the toughest scenario. She has mental toughness and an ability to never say die. Having scored some stunning goals at the 2022 World Cup, Tess is building towards a delayed Olympic appearance in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Don't just take our word for it
We asked Class Commentary to deliver to our Media Leaders to develop secondary age, young people within our partnership, who were not particularly sporty. With the aim of inspiring them and boosting their self confidence, ready for them to report on our Berkshire School Games. What a success it was. Dan’s broadcasting talk was fascinating. Tess was inspiring and so relatable to. And the sessions practicing commentary and interviewing the athlete developed skills and belief in a way we couldn’t have imagined. It was well formatted, perfectly pitched to age level and great fun. When Dan returned for a follow up we noticed the huge development in the Media Leaders. And Dan sent them out to report with confidence and ready to do a great job for our pupil’s voice.
Let Class Commentary™ help create an exceptional experience for your pupils
We are available to talk about your school or organisation’s requirements. Drop us an email, pick up the phone, or complete the contact form to discuss your brief and what we offer. And we will send you a proposal, pricing and options.
- +44 (0) 7834 550552
- info@danstrange.tv