An interesting initiative at our Club this year, in the form of a self-assessment form for all players – strengths, weaknesses, objectives and training needs.
I don’t know yet how many senior players have actually completed their forms, yet (two weeks into our 18 match League programmes) and I do wonder if there will be a need for the Captains to provide a little direction, but I can see a lot of (potential) positives.
In the absence of a Coach working with the senior Club, players will need to rely on self analysis and feedback from team mates. But I suspect that the main benefit of the exercise will be a better understanding of strengths and weaknesses.
It does not need to run to complex statistical analysis or psychological profiling; just a look at the stats on the Club website will show if you are bowled more often than caught, or if you really are LBW more often than anyone else in the Club. And from that can come at very least a resolution not to keep hitting the ball in the air.
This is definitely a project I would hope to be able to implement for the older Colts, maybe not now the season is under-way, but perhaps when we start winter nets, in October. A little self-awareness is probably a good thing for a young player, if it is supported by a well thought out training and development plan. More work for the coaches, to design group sessions that support multiple development needs (we won’t have the luxury of individual coaching), but a rewarding challenge, I hope, for coach and players.
