Winter 'fast track' training
Dinger Bell's report from Millom illustrates how youth coaching has been revolutionised over the last few years.
Coaching at Millom in the now well recognised "Fast Track" course started with trials held on Sunday 11th, Sunday 18th, and Sunday 25th October 2009 at U.11, U.12 and U.13 age groups to select ten U.11's, fourteen U.12's and fourteen U.13's to split into 2 groups for attendance at back-to-back coaching courses in late October 2009/early November and on through the winter months. Prior to the course each participant had to return substantial child protection documentation. On arrival at each session the parents were asked to sign a "Duty of Care" document and were then read an extensive Risk Assessment.
The Content of the Course
It was identified that many young cricketers lacked the necessary fitness levels required for County Cricket and with this in mind, every session started with a rigorous and demanding warm-up. After the first 20 minutes of each session we then concentrated on cricket skills comprising basic but precise fielding exercises (e.g. one-handed pick up and underarm return to the Wicket Keeper, long barrier and overarm return to the keeper, and attacking the fast moving ball and getting it in to the keeper as quickly as possible). Next we moved on to batting and first checked all participants' grip, stance and backswing. We then did an exercise on the straight drive (session 1), the back foot attack (session 2), the pull to leg (session 3) and finally finished off with the sweep to leg in the final session. The players were required to hit several tennis balls either dropped or fed under-arm depending on the shot. The final 20 minutes of the first three morning sessions was spent grooving some rusty bowling actions in the "nets". Lunch followed and the afternoon sessions started at 1-00 p.m. with a quick warm-up and then net sessions and a 1:1 batting session using the "Lobster" which projects tennis bowls at varying speeds allowing a high degree of consistent feeds that aids good grooving. The shot that had been group coached in the morning was the selected shot against the "Lobster". Each player had approximately 5 minutes in each of the three nets (seam, spin and "Lobster") in order to see how they coped with different situations. Cameras were used in the afternoon "Lobster Session".
A New Concept:
Having organised and coached on many courses over the last 30 years I have always tried to make the courses novel and fun and with this in mind and also the fact that everybody has a PC and an e-mail address I attempted to make this course interactive. Individual DVD's were made of every player on the course at each session and mailed out by no later than Wednesday. Initially I e-mailed all participants with a description of what the coaches had asked the participants to do. Underneath I observed what I had seen (both good and bad). I asked the boys/girls to watch their DVD's and respond by asking them to e-mail me back an attached Self Assessment form. This met with limited early success but after further explanation the Self Assessment forms were filled in much better as the course proceeded.
Learning from experience:
There is a substantial amount of camera work involved and as I, was at the start of the course, the only person to have used this equipment, I felt it was necessary to provide "on course training" in the setting up and utilisation of this system in order to proliferate expertise and widen the skill base of the course coaches. Abby Richardson and Graeme Bickerstaffe were given lessons on the use of the equipment and quickly picked up all aspects of the use, such that they could fully cover for my absence.
Review:
This has been an excellent winter's coaching and the effort and commitment the boys have put in has been a sheer joy to watch. I must also compliment all the coaches that have attended not only for their commitment but also their ability to coach to such a high standard week after week. Without them this course would not take place.
