Andrew Beaven

A season with the Seniors — playing for the over 60s

I am just about to embark on my second season of Seniors (60+) cricket with Essex in the National 60+/70+ County Cricket Championship. We were winners of the 4th XI competition in 2021. Possibly stretching it a bit to claim we are “national champions”, as only 6 Counties field a 4th XI in the “national” …

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Q: What is “better coaching? A: It has to be more than new drills & games, more than techniques & affordances.

There have been some interesting conversations recently around the perceived weakness of the current player development pathway in England & Wales, whether looking at the excessive cost (to parents) of inclusion on a County pathway or the impact of the relative age effect on access to and inclusion in the pathway. The highly selective structure …

Continue reading “Q: What is “better coaching? A: It has to be more than new drills & games, more than techniques & affordances.”

Simple net game, revisited

I have been delivering an after-school club this term. As happened last year, we have been evicted from the newly built sports hall to accommodate exams. Unlike last time, we have been able to carry on with the weekly club, but in the much smaller and very crowded old sports hall. So small and crowded, …

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