Christmas comes early!!

In the run up to Christmas, the cricket club received the welcome news that John Colley and Tony Hus have both successfully completed their level 2 coaching badges. They are the first two coaches at the club to achieve this, which outlines the progress the club is making. In their practical assessment last Sunday, John and Tony both delivered a 15 minute session to a group of young cricketers on ‘the pull shot’ and ’1 and 2 handed intercept and throw’ respectively. They were both given very positive responses from their assessors.

With their heavy involvement in youth cricket, both will be hoping to use this new qualification to good effect with pre-season nets fast approaching in February. John became the clubs ‘Head Coach’, a position that the ECB want clubs to appoint, and is hoping to use this qualification when planning the net sessions for the year ahead.

The news is also very good for the clubs ambitions going forward. As discussed by Ed Hollinghurst at the AGM, with John and Tony passing, the club is now almost ready for its Clubmark assessment, which if passed would allow us to apply for grants to go towards a new 2 bay lane net and future projects. It also means that we have coaches to put to our Chance to Shine programme which we will be starting next year, in association with local schools to get boys and girls playing cricket.

Hopefully they will be followed by Hitesh Shah and Richie Wilson in 2010, who have taken the course and will be waiting for a date to get assessed and then put their skills to coaching!!