Coaching Support
Teach those who teach
Why Coach?
There is a high demand for more coaches in every sport from grassroots through to the elite. Cricket coaches play a vital role in providing athletes with the skills and knowledge needed to develop, improve and succeed.
It is essential that coaches provide people of all ages the best possible sporting experience, which will maximize their enjoyment and ensure their continued participation and development.
A wealth of materials are available to assist coaches in delivering comprehensive and worthwhile skills based training sessions. Some are official programs offered through Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW, whereas other have been developed by SSJCA club stawarts.
Coaching Support
Club Developed Resources
Harry Robbins, life member of Engadine Dragons Cricket Club, and coach for 30+ years has prepared the following resources for the Dragons Website:
Coaching Support
Basic Hints for Coaches
Preparing before the first game
A little preparation allows game day to go much more smoothly. BEFORE Saturday:
- Go to the SSJCA on-line site and print your team list and season draw. Paste a copy in the front of the scorebook, hold one for your own use & give copies to all team members.
- Get parent support for scoring; stumps & boundary markers; batters padded up and warmed up; & rotating fielders
- Use training time to have players rehearse some game day warm-up routines
- Run your eye over the rules & regulations
- Fill in your team declaration sheet located in the back of the scorebook. [Remember you declare 12 players in A grade; all other grades 13; BUT max 11 bat/bowl in match]
- Place into your mobile phone: your club sec & pres mobile numbers; an experienced coach from your club; plus Tom Croucher, Comp Mgr (0402 412 061) & John Chesher, Sec SSJCA (0417 068 220) phone numbers. Tom is the main contact.
Take with you on game day:
As well as your cricket kit, scorebook & new balls, the following will help:
- SSJCA rules & regulations
- A broom
- Chalk
- Cricket counter
- Small pad & pen
- G1 key for toilets
- Band aids/first aid type stuff
When you arrive at the ground:
Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to start of play - but in week one, allow at least 45 minutes!
Unlike many other sports, WE pitch in & help each other:
- Each team sets up the stumps/bails at one end of the pitch.
- Both teams sweep the pitch, mark the creases & clear ground of rubbish
- Each team sets out boundary markers for ½ the field. Many fields have natural boundaries that are easy to duplicate in week two. For large fields, we usually pace out the number of steps from the centre wicket or better still, use string. [Max boundaries for 8s -30m; 10s- 40m; 12s- 45m; 14s-55m; 16s-65m]
- Use the G1 key to open toilets
- Players warm up & routines
- Introduce yourself to the other coach
- Have people organised to score for the team (sitting with the other scorer in neutral territory);
At the toss:
(max 30 min 15 minutes before start of play)
- Swap team declaration sheets
- Check your watch agrees with the other umpire & agree on the time of the drinks break
- Agree on the signal given from square leg if a no-ball is bowled.
Taking the field:
- When fielding, the umpires should walk on together, a few minutes before start of play.
- Etiquette is the batters follow, then fielders.
- You should have: chalk; counter; small pad/pen; new ball if you're bowling.
During Play
- Be aware of the bowling restrictions for your age group: max overs in an innings, in a day & in a spell.
- At the start of each over, (for your team & the opposition) update your pad with the name of the bowler & the over number. You keep track; the scorers are back-up.
- Restricted bowlers - signal to scorers
- Advise the scorers of each bowling change
- Make sure the scorers acknowledge your signals
- Teach the players to pass the ball to the umpires at any fall of a wicket.
- Teach the players to signal the umpires when leaving or coming back onto the field.
- Usual practice is for umpires to signal each other when 2 balls remain to be bowled.
- 60 over games - 10 min break at 10.15am; 50 over game 5 min break at 9.30am; if hot HOT conditions, breaks can occur hourly (max) BUT on the field
End of the week/game
- At the end of each week, if you have any team discussion/awards, KEEP IT ALL POSITIVE.
- Both umpires sign the scorebooks.
- Shake the opposition coaches hand & have your players shake hands with the other team at game end
Official Umpires
- If a black & white arrives, we only need to do the square leg umpiring. (Fee is $70 each team for 60 over game; $60/team for 50 overs.)
- Pay him/her the match fee at the start of week 2.
Reminders to some Frequently Asked Questions
- Any ball off the pitch/on the edge, is a no-ball, not a wide. You can get stumped on a wide, not a no-ball.
- We try to make use of playing time, so:
- If 'all out' - play must continue if at least 15 minutes batting time remains (i.e. when you add 10 minute change of innings, 25 minutes of time, in total, is available for play.)
- If time remains, go into 2nd innings even if both teams think no outright result is possible.
- Max of 5 fielders allowed on the on-side; max 2 on-side behind popping crease
- Boundary is an imaginary STRAIGHT line between markers - it doesn't curve outwards
- No player fields inside 10 m of striker end batter without protection. (This doesn't apply to point, gully or slips.)
- Call is "no ball" if:
- It bounces over head height of batter standing upright at the crease
- It's a full toss by a medium pace or fast bowler that goes above the batter's waist height standing upright at the crease
- A slow delivery that passes on the full above shoulder height with batter standing upright at the crease While it's the umpire at the non-strikers end who must signal, the square should be able to advise him/her - agree this at the time of the toss.
- Mankads (as they were previously referred to) don't exist and a batter cannot be given out in this manner. BUT don't teach your batters to leave the crease too early.
- All teams need to learn to finish play at the completion of the over at the scheduled time, to respect the playing time of teams that follow you. Teams with a 1.10 finish time need to be aware of Men's cricket starting at 1.15pm from late in November.
- Be VERY VERY cautious about giving LBW's. It needs to be:
- Pitched in a straight line from wicket to wicket; and
- The ball hits the batsman without hitting his bat; and
- You have no doubt it would hit the stumps
- If the ball pitches outside of leg stump, the batter can NEVER be out LBW. If the batter moves forward out of his crease or it hits the top of his pads, an LBW is much less likely. IF IN ANY DOUBT, DON'T GIVE LBW.
- Hint: start by standing with your hands clasped behind your back. This makes it less likely that you'll instinctively raise a finger when there is an appeal.
Coaching Support
Level One (Development) Coaching Course
Are you, your Club or anyone that you know of within cricket circles interested in completing your Level 1 coaching certificate for the 2008/09 season? If so then please read on for more information about the course and how to go about registering your interest, or that of your Club, in the near future!
Cricket Australia's Level 1 Coaching Course is a comprehensive program that is directed towards coaches at under-age and community cricket level. By completing this course you will broaden the knowledge you have of the technical skills of the game, understand appropriate and effective ways to conduct sessions and improve your skills as a coach.
The Level 1 Cricket Coaching Course is recommended to:
- all volunteers involved in coaching junior club, school and community cricket teams.
- talented youth cricketers who are keen to be involved in coaching junior teams.
- players considering playing overseas during the off-season
- Physical Education and trainee Physical Education teachers
The course provides technical skills, game understanding, teaching techniques, effective ways to conduct training sessions and awareness of the factors motivating young people to play and enjoy cricket.
The Level 1 Course consists of:
- completing the Cricket Australia Introduction to Cricket Course on-line (covering all the theoretical components of Level 1): then
- registering to attend an 8 hour face to face practical component conducted by Cricket NSW over one full day or 2-3 evenings.
If you are a part of a SSJCA Cricket Club, we recommend you register through your Club Secretary.
To participate in a Level 1 Cricket Coaching Course, please follow these steps:-
- Go to the Cricket NSW Coaching website at http://www.cricketnsw.com.au/coaching/
- Undertake the Introduction to Cricket Course on-line by clicking on the Accreditation Courses menu item, then Introduction to Cricket and registering to do the course. This is a free course.
- The Introduction to Cricket Online Course can be completed in one sitting or over a number of sessions, whichever is more convenient to the candidate.
- Upon completing the Introduction to Cricket Course, print the Introduction to Cricket Certificate.
- To register to attend the 8 hour practical component (involving batting, bowling, fielding, wicketkeeping, modified games and candidate assessment), go to the ‘Accreditation Courses’ then ‘Level 1’ menu item. Scroll down to the Level 1 Coaching Courses to find the next course in your area. Click on the Metropolitan Sydney Booking Form, complete the details with payment and return to Donna Little at Cricket NSW (Donna’s contact details are on booking form & website). Please
- note each course is limited to 20 candidates.
- Upon receipt of your booking form with full payment, Donna will send you an e-mail confirming your acceptance (including relevant information) for the practical component.
- Provide a copy of your Introduction to Cricket Course Certificate to the course presenter.
- Complete and sign the Prohibited Employment Declaration form at the practical component.Candidates that successfully meet all the assessment criteria, will be presented with their Level 1 Certificate at the conclusion of the practical component.
Course Cost - The Level 1 Course Fee is $120 ($100 for Teachers & Students).
Age – Minimum candidate age is 16 years.
Dress - Candidates should wear comfortable clothing (trackie, joggers etc) to the practical sessions.
Resources - Candidates will receive quality resources including:-
- Cricket Australia Coaching Guide CD-Rom
- Australian Cricket Coaching Manual
- Cricket Activities Booklet
- CCA Cap
- Cricket NSW Skills, Drills & Games DVD
- Successful candidates will also receive:-
- Membership of Cricket Coaches Australia (CCA)
- Coaching Card & Level 1 Certificate
- Invitations to attend coach seminars & presentations
Practical Component Information – Miranda
Days/Dates: Wednesdays 2nd and 9th September, 2009
Time: 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Venue: Seymour Shaw Oval, Miranda
Days/Dates: Wednesdays 16th and 23rd September, 2009
Time: 6.30pm to 10.30pm
Venue: Seymour Shaw Oval, Miranda
More information can be found at:
Cricket NSW - Level 1 Information
Coaching Support
ASC - Coaching Course
)
Over 11,000 Australian coaches have enrolled in the free online Beginning Coaching General Principles course developed by the Australian Sports Commission.
The course, released in January 2007, has been developed to assist coaches to learn the basic skills of coaching. It is especially aimed at those coaching children. A major benefit of the online course is that coaches can complete it in their own time, from the comfort of their home. It is particularly useful for coaches in regional areas who may have difficulty accessing coach education programs, as well as busy volunteer 'mum and dad' coaches.
The course contains five modules which cover a range of topics, including the role and responsibilities of the coach, planning, safety, working with parents, communication, group management and inclusive coaching practices. The course takes approximately six hours to complete.
The course can provide the first step for coaches towards accreditation in the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme.
The online course is available from the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) online learning portal at https://learning.ausport.gov.au
Coaching Support
Cricket Coaching Books
- Coaching Youth Cricket
by Australian Cricket Board (Corporate Author) "If you are like most new coaches, you have probably been recruited from the ranks of concerned parents, sport enthusiasts, or community volunteers..." - Cricket for Dummies
Whether you’re a weekend cricketer or aspiring armchair expert, Cricket For Dummies helps you make sense of this fascinating sport. Not just a jargon busting guide to cricket’s laws, techniques and tactics, it also contains advice on kitting yourself out and provides lessons on playing the game and improving your batting, bowling and fielding skills. For the budding fan, there’s a guide to the greatest players, the memorable matches, and a tour through the cricketing scene - both domestic and international - giving you the knowledge you need to fully appreciate this special game. - Cricket Explained
Cricket Explained offers the sports enthusiast a user-friendly introduction to baseball's British cousin, a game that shares with America's national pastime the common ancestor "rounders". This is the definitive beginner's guide to the game of cricket, written by a world authority on the sport, the co-inventor of the Coopers & Lybrand World Cricket Ratings System. Cricket Explained takes the reader from the game's fundamentals -- basic rules, terminology, equipment -- to the finer points of strategy, individual playing styles, and cricket lore.
Coaching Support
Cricket Australia Coaching Resources
Cricket Australia produces a range of quality coaching and educational resources. These resources provide further education opportunities and allow accredited coaches to remain up to date with the latest coaching methodology.
Accredited coaches through their Cricket Coaches Australia (CCA) membership are entitled to discounts on coaching resources.