Children between the ages of 5 and 10 in the North East will have the opportunity to become the next Luke Littler or Chris Dobey through sessions with Wonderkid Darts.
Wonderkid Darts was founded by brothers Glenn and Chris Coyne, who have lived in South Shields all their lives, and offers children between the ages of 5-10 the chance to step up to the oche and enter the exciting world of darts.
Chris and Glenn, an accountant and lawyer respectively, founded Wonderkid Darts in 2024 with the mission of sharing their love for the game with the next generation. Glenn said: “Chris and I have been to the Premier League Darts many times and we always watch the Championships when it is on over Christmas and I think basically, like all of the country last year, we got caught up in the excitement around a 16, 17-year-old being this good at darts.
“And I think that is where Chris had the idea. If you look at the landscape of darts, people play in pubs where you have to be 18, or whatever age it is to get in a pub. Chris said what about going even younger and getting people involved in darts, so that is what we decided to do.”
The brothers did a dummy run in the summer with family and friends, who really enjoyed it, but also offered advice on what they could do differently.
Glenn said: “One of the main bits of feedback was ‘it is great playing darts, but why don’t you focus on maths because there is a real gap there?’ We took that on board, because it also gives us the opportunity to perhaps go into schools in the future, and worked on our session planning.”
Their weekly sessions, which take place at Harton Academy in South Shields and cost just £5, are already proving popular, with the brothers inundated with requests by parents for their children to go along.
Glenn said: “The first half-term of 2025 is actually sold out, so Chris and I are taking names of people who want to join, so we have a waiting list. We are talking about putting another class on in South Shields, with the view to potentially growing it as well.”
With darts in the spotlight thanks to local success on the global stage – Chris Dobey reached the semi-final of the World Championships and Callan Rydz reached the quarter-final – Wonderkid Darts offers the perfect introduction to the sport, helping young players develop coordination and sportsmanship in a safe space, whilst improving their maths skills along the way.
Chris, who is a Level One qualified coach with the Junior Darts Corporation, said: “Now is the perfect time for kids to pick up a dart and get involved. Whether your little one is a complete beginner or already showing an interest in the sport, Wonderkid Darts offers a fun and exciting way to learn new skills.”
The sessions, for children between the ages of 5 and 10, also help children with their maths
(Image: Wonderkid Darts)
And Glenn has not ruled out taking Wonderkids regionwide: “I certainly would not say no. I am not a parent but Chris is, and he has been to so many different classes over the years with his three kids, and he has seen them done really well and not so well.
“I think at this point, because it is so fresh and it is so new, we are really just perfecting the way it works, making sure everyone is enjoying it, everyone is sticking around, we are getting sign-ups. So that is the priority at the moment, and then if it keeps growing and we keep getting inundated with requests, then it is something we could grow beyond South Shields.”
And Glenn added he would love if either Chris Dobey, Callan Rydz or Ryan Joyce could make it along for a session: “We would love it if any of the three Geordie lads could come down. You never know with the Premier League coming to Newcastle, it could get on Chris Dobey’s radar and then that would be class.”
The classes have also been very inclusive according to Glenn. “It is a lot of girls, so every class we have run, over 50% have been girls, and also very inclusive. We are seeing kids from all different backgrounds. Yes their parents might play darts in a local league, some do not and some are just interested and have brought them along through word of mouth.”
The next block of sessions begin on Sunday, January 12 at Harton Academy, South Shields. Sessions take place at 1pm and are £5.
To find out more, visit: www.wonderkiddarts.com
Join our Things To Do community for all the latest news What’s On news sent direct to your phone.
To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click on the link and press ‘join community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN