The Teesra

Author: Andrew Beaven

  • My 2019 highlight? Not what you might think.

    It has been an incredible summer of international cricket.

    England ODI World Champions; Super Over finish; heroics from Ben Stokes.

    An enthralling, fluctuating Ashes series. Steve Smith (boo…oh, but he is incredible); Stokes’ batting (again). Jofra Archer’s pace. Amazing, impossible catching.

    But what makes a “great” moment truly “great”?

    For me, as a spectator (and coach), greatness is demonstrated in the player’s commitment to perform at their absolute best, all of the time.

    It doesn’t matter the level of competition, or the venue — cricket is a game played best when it is played “properly”, whatever the context.

    It can seem like a cliche, but playing every game, every moment, as if it could be your last on the playing field.

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  • Festival nights — reflections on the MiniMatchplay festival at the CloudFM Essex County Ground, Chelmsford

    I enjoyed two evenings this week at the County Ground, Chelmsford, officiating in the annual MiniMatchplay festivals hosted by Essex Cricket in the Community.

    The MiniMatchplay is a participation event, for teams of under 11s from clubs around the County.

    What a great opportunity for the young cricketers to play on a first class ground, under floodlights. Certainly trumps my only appearance (to date) at the County Ground as a player.

    https://twitter.com/theteesra/status/1163423742204289024?s=21
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  • Peer-to-peer mentoring: the future of coach development?

    “we need to develop world class coaches for beginners”

    Frank Dick

    A couple of weeks ago, I posted on the challenge of developing coaches to work with beginners — children, or adults, new to a sport or to sports in general.

    When I wrote that post, I asked what was being done to deliver on the ambition espoused by Frank Dick, and supported by many others.

    I received some feedback that recognised the issue, but no suggestions of what could be done about it.

    Since then, I have completed a quietly inspirational online course, Coaching Others to Coach.

    And I might have seen the future of coach development in England.

    Just maybe, it looks a bit like you, or me.

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