Development Officers to help enhance coaching at all levels
Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket and Digicel Grassroots Cricket to benefit
Bridgetown, Barbados – The level of cricket coaching in the West Indies is set to take further steps forward as several Territorial Development Officers and coaches from across the region are now better equipped to conduct developmental and educational programmes and coaching courses.
The West Indies Cricket Board, through its Cricket Operations Department, hosted a three-day seminar for Territorial Development Officers, Development Officers and Level 2 Coaches from around the region, enabling them to enhance and build technical capacity in carrying out Coaching Education Programmes for coaches and persons interested in becoming coaches.
The Tutor Training Course is part of the WICB’s drive to upskill the level of coaching and sports management across the West Indies. It was held at the Sagicor High Performance Centre at the Cave Hill Campus, University of the West Indies from Friday to Sunday.
Instrumental in the development and realization of the three day initiative, New appointed Manager of WICB Development Programmes Mr. Anthony Howard said, "The WICB is extremely pleased to have hosted and completed this initiative successfully, as we moves toward strength the coaching programmes and increase the numbers of certified and practicing coaches in the region. This is paramount to meet our development goals and needs, as the WICB has revamped and expanded the Kiddy Cricket, Grassroots and other developmental cricket programmes across the region."
Among the attendees were former West Indies players Sherwin Campbell and Deighton Butler, as well as former first-class cricketers Irvin Warrican and Junie Mitchum.
"Coaching is very important at all levels and the WICB is committed to the continued development of its coaches as we seek to improve the game at all levels in the region. Part of our mandate is to grow the game and we see the education of coaches and others responsible for the development of the game as the ideal place to start," said K.J. Singh, the WICB’s Project Officer with responsibility for the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket programme.
The main objectives of the seminar were to expose the participants in the latest training methods as well as to assist the coaches in the delivery techniques and methods with the emphasis on high quality, consistency and accuracy.
As part of the programme the WICB partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund to host a training course on Child Protection. UNICEF has developed a specific Child Protection Practices for Cricket Coaches Document for the WICB to use in all its training of coaches and officers who are directly involved in the junior cricket programmes.
Mr Singh added: "As we seek to grow the game we want to ensure that we provide a safe environment and enjoyable experience environment for the budding cricketers all over the region. During the seminar the coaches gained a lot of information and are now better equipped to transfers that knowledge to the other committed coaches and enthusiastic children in their territories."
Fawwaz Baksh, the WICB’s Project Officer with responsibility for the Digicel Grassroots programme noted: "One of the most important things coming out of the the Tutor Training Course was the fact that our coaches can now train other coaches in their respective regions with a view to ensuring consistency of training standards throughout the region."
"This is sure to be of great benefit everywhere the game is played in the Caribbean. We must make sure that the information is communicated to everyone at all levels from the grassroots all the way up for the betterment of West Indies cricket," Baksh added.
Technical Module training and presentations were delivered by Hulbert Blackett (UNICEF Representative), Mrs. Lisa McClean Trotman (UNICEF Communication for Development Specialist), Mr. Ottis Gibson (Head Coach of the West Indies Team), Mr. Wendell Coppin (Regional Development Officer of the Americas), Dr. June Caddle (Sport Physiologist) and Mr. Henderson Springer (Director of Coaching – Barbados Cricket Association).
Moving to the next phase of the development plan, the WICB and Local Territorial Cricket Associations across the region will be collaborating to host a series of Level One (1) Coaching Courses in the upcoming year to kick off their coaching education development strategy in the region.