Our Story
xara jetly pointing at camera wellington blaze
xara jetly professionally batting
xara jetly cinematic shot of her jersey back
xara jetly pointing at camera wellington blaze
Xara started Jetly Cricket Academy because she wants young cricketers to develop their voice and mental strength through the game of cricket.
She grew up playing cricket in Wellington, and like a lot of thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds, she found the mental side of the game hard and kept most of that to herself.
It took her a long while to learn that talking about the mental side of the game is the most important thing you can do as a player — and she still follows that lesson today, now as a current Wellington Blaze player.
The academy exists so the next generation learns to talk about the mental side of the game earlier, kindly, and from someone who has needed that herself.
Two Coaches, One Belief
"Dave and I are similar people in the sense that we want to bring light and joy to young people. We believe that facilitating an environment where you are pushing boundaries, learning and becoming strong helps the minds of young people beyond the cricket scene. We both believe that cricket is merely just a vehicle to build confidence all round in life."
— Xara Jetly
What We Believe
The player leads
A coach helps, guides and facilitates. The player takes charge of her own limits, process and plan.
Cricket as the vehicle
We're here to build strong, robust young people. Cricket is how we do it, not why.
No fear of failure
Players can try things and get them wrong without it costing them anything.
The mind comes first
Composure and confidence are taught alongside technique, not after it.
Gentle standards
High expectations, delivered kindly. Serious about the cricket, kind about the person.
mission
We believe in player-led sessions where cricket becomes the vehicle that can propel you as a player to the next level, beyond just the game.
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Every session works to make you stronger — composure under pressure, confidence in your own decisions and the discipline to keep going when it doesn't go your way.​
Building strong, robust young people, through cricket.
Our Vision
We will produce future White Ferns players. That's the standard we build every session toward.
Our Coaches
Xara Jetly
Wellington Blaze
NZ A's
Xara plays for the Wellington Blaze and has represented New Zealand A. She was signed to the Blaze at seventeen and is in her sixth season, which means when she talks about handling pressure, she is talking about last Saturday, not ten years ago.
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She works on the mental side of her own game with a sports psychologist, and she teaches what she uses. She is twenty-four, and she would rather you asked questions than nodded along.
Favourite quote
Certifications:
Level 2 Development Coach. New Zealand Cricket.
Dave Simpkins
ECB Level 3
Lead Technical Coach
Dave is the technical guy. He is ECB Level 3, the highest coaching qualification going. He played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire and worked with their academy for ten years, and players who came through it have gone on to play for England.
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He currently coaches the 1st XI at St Patrick's College. His coaching starts from no fear of failure — players should be able to try things and get them wrong without it costing them anything.
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His aim and ambitions are to produce strong, resilient and consistent people through the way he coaches.
Favourite quote
"Good people do good things "
Certifications:
ECB Level 3 Coaching Qualification
