We have had some positive feedback on one of our Saturday courses this term. Whilst it is gratifying to be told that we are doing something right, it is also slightly worrying as to what might have been going on previously.
As far as I can tell, we have been doing nothing exceptional with the group — some skills, plenty of games, not too much standing around — but we are being told that this is a huge improvement on earlier in the year.
What has been going on?
(more…)With apologies to any fans of ITV’s, now abandoned, On the Ball football highlights programme, what follows is a consideration of the ideal cricket ball.
The post comprises a series of thought experiments, with little (no) actual research or science to support them…but there might be some hypotheses that could be worth further investigation.
(more…)Interesting conversation on Xtter last week on talent development in English football, and the next generation of superstars.
So Callum Murray’s Something in the Water: The Story of England’s Football Talent Hotbeds provided some very timely background reading, with a case-study of the emergence of south London as a hotbed of soccer talent development,
Murray identifies some of the factors common across old and new hotbeds — working class communities with strong community support for children and their aspirations, space (and time) to play — but goes on to address some of the reasons why south London is now outperforming areas in the north of England that have traditionally produced disproportionate numbers of top footballers.
And there could, perhaps, be cross-over for cricket, and other sports, looking for new talent.
(more…)
The Teesra 