Over the last few months, I have been working my way through the new ECB CPD courses for level 2 coaches.
The new courses are presented in two distinct streams – Coaching children and Coaching Young People & Adults (YPA).
Interesting, though, in the light of my experiences this year coaching players aged 3 and 63, that the “Coaching children” workshops all look to be just as important for the YPA environment (13 and older) as for children.
2014 has been a year of cricketing extremes, with coaching sessions with both the youngest and oldest players I have ever worked with.
At one end of the age range, I have enjoyed coaching several “Little Legends” groups this year – 3-4 year olds. I have also delivered 1-2-1 sessions for club and social players, the oldest of whom is over 60 and still playing on most weekends in the summer.
Very different players, but all with one thing in common – they wanted to enjoy themselves, playing cricket.
Very different challenges for the coach…and surprising similarities.
Don’t forget to stand still, or you will never make a player. It is a good plan for a young player to have his right leg pegged down if he cannot naturally stand still.
Here’s one I can’t agree with. Head still, eyes level, perhaps, but I don’t think we can be so dogmatic, anymore. A consistent trigger movement is fine, so long as the batsman can watch the ball at release and is able to make appropriate movements to play the ball.
As to the “good plan”…
Of course, back play was not encouraged back in the day! And I have, on occasion, resorted to placing a space-marker (cone) behind a batsman’s back foot, as a physical reminder to the player not to move that foot away to the leg side. But pegging the leg down seems extreme!
The Teesra 