2023 has been a year of anniversaries — 50 years since my first organised game of cricket; 40 years since I bought my bat.
And this September marked 10 years since I left the 9-to-5 of office work and set out on a new “career” as a cricket coach.
Not surprisingly, things didn’t turn out as I had expected…
Departure
Back in September 2013, I left a nearly 30-year career in publishing.
Formally, I left by “mutual agreement” — my employer transferred my job function (but not me) to their offices in Boston, MA…and I agreed that my job had been transferred to the States.
I’d had a taste of life outside the commercial, office world during the London 2012 Paralympics, where my wife and I both volunteered, and the idea of finding a new marketing position, with the same old, same old rules and targets, did not appeal.
So, with the help of an outplacement consultant (my employer persisted with the myth that I had left by “mutual agreement”, but treated me as if I had been made redundant), the germ of an idea that became “Better Cricket” emerged — cricket coaching, self-employed, working with clubs and individuals.
Better Cricket
Better Cricket — the concept
With a marketing background, it made sense to me to define “Better Cricket” as something more than a business. My coaching philosophy (still evolving), centred on the growth mindset and the possibility of improvement — “better” is not only the ambition, but it is always possible.
From this, a “coaching charter” (perhaps more of a mission statement) was written. I’d stand by most of this today, but with additions to emphasise the importance of ecological dynamics and non-linear pedagogy in learning (coach as environmental designer, not all-knowing guru) and of the rights of the child.
I had custom coaching kit, invoice templates, a website. Even, for a couple of years, an accountant!
Better Cricket — the “business model”
Better Cricket was going to be a vehicle for self employment. I had worked out that I could earn a decent amount by coaching 15-20 hours a week, avoiding the 5-day week of commuting (and the expense of a season ticket) although I had no idea where those hours might have been found.
I already coached with one Club, but they were relatively small and would never run to funding a “Director of Cricket” role — a couple of hours a week in summer, maybe a little longer during pre-season, but no more.
Another, more senior, Club proposed a new development role, to satisfy the ECB’s requirements for “Premier” clubs. But then withdrew the offer, a couple of weeks before it was due to begin, and relied on the compliance of League officials to retain their Premier status for another year or two.
Coaching in schools was another opportunity, although the attitude of the local County board was unhelpful (to put it mildly). To work on the Chance to Shine programmes in the mid-2010s, a coach needed a level 2 qualification ☑️ and both the ECB approved “Coaching in Primary Schools” and “Disability & Inclusion Training”. The former, the County delivered to the wrong curriculum, making it impossible to complete the compulsory online elements. The latter, they refused to schedule at all. I eventually took the course with another County board, who needed an extra sign-up to make the course viable for their in-house team.
Being a self-employed coach was clearly going to take a lot more than having some kit!
A lucky break
After 6 months of doing very little, I saw an ad for coaches to work at a prestigious north London venue. They offered regular work (close to my target of 15 hours a week, if I wanted it), and the cachet of their name on my coaching CV.
Save for a 2 year hiatus around the COVID lockdowns, I am still there — just 2 evenings a week, now, but still enjoying the variety, from 4 year olds through to to aspiring County pathway players.
Local County board
Partly on the back of that CV upgrade, I started to pick up work with my local County board — Chance to Shine for a couple of local schools; Team Up in girls’ Secondary — even started an after-school club…in February 2020…; supporting schools’ competition (local borough & County); even delivering taster sessions & school assemblies for All Stars when it launched; and a little coaching 1-to-1 at the Indoor Centre on the County Ground.
The coaching in the Indoor Centre came to an end as the CAG, ability and WAG squads proliferated, and all of the “community” coaching passed to directly employed County Board coaches after the COVID break. I do still deliver Activator training for the National Programmes (as of 2023), but that is my only link, now, with the County.
Other coaching
I did continue with some club coaching, juniors and University, and a long running 1-to-1 with a (senior) club player who liked to hit lots of balls from a bowling machine.
I’ll help out at my old Club when they are short of coaches for the juniors, but that’s all, now.
Better Cricket — the reality
Better Cricket, as a business, never really existed.
Almost all of my coaching was under “casual” or zero hours contracts. At one venue, they even included me in their staff pension scheme!
The Better Cricket website, which generated not a single lead, has been relegated to an “appendix” on this blog. The bettercricket domain has long been surrendered. (The .com is currently for sale at £3k, the price perhaps inflated by my earlier use of .co.uk…I’d go with .sport, today).
The accountant went, as it became apparent that I was paying more to them than to HMRC!
The kit still gets worn, occasionally, but I wear the “corporate” shirt for most assignments.
I am coaching less often, and beginning to wind down. Roll on that State Pension date!
Better Cricket — still getting better
In spite of the failure of the Better Cricket coaching business, I still hold to the aspirations of the founding coaching charter.
That better cricket — more successful, more enjoyable, more engaging, more equitable — is always possible.
The Teesra 
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