The Teesra

Category: coaching

  • Can we play a game, now? #noIDEIR

    Fascinating picture, courtesy of theguardian.com, of what is claimed to be the world’s largest cricket lesson, taking place at the Sydney Cricket Ground last week.

    600 players, all lined up on their cones, ready to bowl the ball backwards and forwards with their partners.

    What’s not to like?

    Perhaps the number of players standing still?  And the time taken to set up the guide ropes, and the cones?

    Players who might prefer to be playing the game?  And coaches who could have been facilitating game-based learning?

    (more…)

  • Adapting jail-break cricket for YPA

    On Saturday I attended an ECB CPD workshop, Training & Interventions for Young People & Adults (YPA).

    As part of the workshop, we each had to devise a training intervention.  I came up with this – derived from the jail-break cricket game.

    For a group of U17s, moving from 20 over to 40 over (or longer) format; challenged by the need to bat for longer periods of time without sacrificing scoring opportunities.

    Batting in pairs, batters have a limited number of “lives”; lose them all, and the innings is over; gain more lives by hitting the ball to a designated target zone (analogous to the JBZ). (more…)

  • It ain’t what you say, it’s what gets understood.  Or “coaching lessons from three year olds”

    Fascinating little video clip from @CoachLisle, which beautifully illustrates the perils of (mis)communication for coaches.

    Top listening skills from the player, great learning opportunity for the coach!

    There is a lot to be said for all coaches spending time young players and beginners – to refine their communication skills, and the identify the core, non-negotiable elements of technical skills.

    If you were teaching a three year old to hit a ball, where would you start?  Grip, stance, back-swing?

    Or “look at the ball, swing the bat back and whack”? (more…)