There is a growing tumult around the datafication of cricket.
Oh, it’s coming, no doubt.
And the game will be different.
But will it be better?
Will it even be good cricket?
I don’t think so.
2020 Vision — new decade, new coaching opportunities
One clear theme is emerging in my coaching diary for the start of the year — in 2020 I will be doing much more to support cricket for girls.
The start of the year will see a focus on coaching in schools:
- three schools signed up through the Team Up programme, via Essex Cricket in the Community — upwards of 50 hours with yr7, 8 & 9 girls before Easter;
- one of the schools has asked if I can run an after-school club for the girls.
“Tipping the Balance” — when resources outweigh demands
Back in October I attended a fascinating event, hosted by LagomMind in partnership with OpeningUp Cricket, looking at Mental Health in Cricket.
The panel featured Fabian Cowdrey, Dr. Jamie Barker from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, and Mark Boyns from OpeningUp.
It was a thought-provoking evening, so much so that it has taken me a while to process everything (and to catch up on some follow-up reading).
My headline learnings on the evening time included:
- the dangers inherent in the modern belief that the only route to success is via obsession — “the harder I practice, the ‘luckier’ I get”…but finding a balance between obsessive practice and “civilian” life might seem the healthier option;
- the impact of irrational beliefs on mental well-being — Jamie told the story of a cricketer who fervently believed that he should score 100s whenever he batted, and became extremely upset when dismissed in the 90s;
- ultimately, the need to trust yourself, and find what works for you.
