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Development Diaries 3 – Brian Allen

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The third in a fortnightly series of ‘Development Diaries’ which are focusing on the work being done across the country by the Cricket Ireland Development staff. The diaries are giving an insight into the work being done helping to develop the grass-roots of the sport. This week is written by the Cricket Ireland Regional Development Officer North West, Brian Allen.
Now that all the official cricket competitions in the North West are completed and the season has come to a close, it is now that cricket development in the North West moves into a different phase seeing the return of winter training and school visits. The school program in this phase has an underpinning emphasis on growing the game both locally and regionally. The schools currently targeted are schools that have already been identified by clubs as having strong potential to become feeder schools into club youth structures given their geographical location. These schools are all schools who did not partake in any cricket activity in the 2012 summer term and in many instances this is their first real exposure to cricket. The School program in North West schools commits to providing schools with a preliminary 4-6 week coaching block which is aimed at ‘teaching’ the game to both teachers and pupils so that when a kwik cricket set arrives at the school there won’t be a problem finding someone in the school who knows exactly what to do with it. This ‘Cricket Exposure’ school phase first and foremost is simply in place to provide the pupils and players with the tools to set up a cricket game/match without needing a formalised setting, umpires, scorers or facilities. Schools can receive a longer term of coaching depending on their level of commitment,for example schools who agree to competing in the Regional Kwik Cricket festivals, Join their local primary school hard ball league or are committed to ‘educating’ staff in delivering cricket to the school will be schools that can be offered extra hours.

Although at grass roots level, getting numbers playing the game is vitally important we are also heavily involved with planning what the next step each player takes to get them on the road to full time cricket participation. I am currently in talks with numerous secondary schools to introduce adaptive forms of the game (super 8’s) to bridge gaps in the ladies form of the game where no formal cricket exists from primary school until any girls ‘still playing’ make it onto the schools under 15 squad. We are hopeful that 2013 will see the beginnings of this format of the game for first to third year girls which can be played on any surface and in most kinds of weather. Although the boys game is presently better catered for we still are working closely with the schools who participate in the NW schools league competitions and exploring opportunities to up-skill schools who have been partaking in the North West Developing Schools cup. This particular cup is in its 6 year of operation and sees cricket played in areas such as Five Mile town, Omagh, Claudy and Enniskillen, many of these areas relatively new to cricket and opportunities are being explored to best support the development of cricket in these areas.

As this phase of the development calendar has much involvement with schools and grass roots participation, it is not solely based in the school setting. Since the close of the season I have been in close contact with many clubs in the North West and have hoped to pay visits to each club as and when it suits each particular club. Clubs are vitally important to the development and growth of cricket in Ireland as it provides the next step for all participants who partake in school cricket. Our plans are to ensure all clubs are ‘ready’ for youth to arrive and play for/at their club and can provide a structured youth development pathway to optimise the potential for each individual becoming lifelong participants and potentially the next club member to gain an Irish cap.

Monday

On Monday morning St Annes primary school received their first session of cricket in 3 years. This is an all-girl school based in Strabane who have expressed interest in partaking in the all-girl kwik cricket competition planned in Strabane in May 2013. With this being the school’s first cricket session in years, session 1 will attempt to get the girls actively involved straight away and get a chance to familiarise themselves with the bat and the ball. This is the first experience of cricket for the vast majority of the girls it is key that the session remains fun each girl has the opportunity to get involved as much as possible. This is the only week the participants will see me bowling as once the rules of the game are understood the basics of bowling has been introduced the girls will play the game entirely through their own skills.

The afternoon on a Monday provided a much needed opportunity to catch up with the Director of Development in the North West (Bobby Rao) to continue work on the draft development plans that will be introduced in the North West in the coming months. These plans are closely linked to Cricket Ireland and ensure that the North West is working towards developing the game locally whilst striving towards the strategic goals set by Cricket Ireland.

Wednesday

Continuing with the school delivery program, a Wednesday morning brings me to the Limavady area. First port of call is Roe Valley Integrated, where both their Primary 6 and 7 classes receive a cricket session each. Each class consists of 25 pupils in each with varying knowledge of the sport. As this school’s program has started a couple of weeks ago the group are getting to grips with the aspects of bowling. The Primary 6 group are first to come out for the session, directly followed by the Primary 7 Class who partakes in a carbon copy of the first session.
My next stop in the afternoon in the Limavady area I find myself in Ballykelly primary school where they too partake in back to back sessions with their Primary 6 and 7 classes. Presently this group have passed the progression of other schools in the program as they are now playing by full kwik cricket rules. This school has ample facilities that sees the playground split in 2 with 2 games taking place at the same time ensuring opportunities always exist for everyone to have an opportunity to try their skills at all aspects of the game.
The level of participation within the primary schools in the Limavady area is very encouraging, whereby our next step will hopefully see these numbers playing in schools reflected by numbers playing in local club cricket.

Thursday

The school delivery program on a Thursday brings me to the Derry/Londonderry area to again visit schools that again were not part of 2012’s school festival competitions and who are geographically located in areas that are cricket club hot spots in the North West. First thing in the Morning I take a double session with Ebrington Primary school to include both their Primary 6 classes. As luck with the weather plays its part in the winter program very often, Thursdays so far has been the only day that I have yet to have an outdoor session with any class. This has been Ebrington’s 3rd week, and continuing from their bowling week last week this week is concentrating on playing the game with 2 batters. To date we have been playing continuous cricket as it works well in an indoor setting. After these sessions AT Ebrington, weather permitting it would be a quick walk straight across Glendermott Cricket Clubs ground to the other side of their boundary fence where Oakgrove primary school is located and the venue for my next session. This is the schools first Cricket session for a few years but they have some cricketers in their ranks. This session again becomes a fun active session to sell the game and encourage interaction from all 30 pupils in their Primary 7 class.
In the afternoon it is also week 3 for St Colummba’s primary school in Newbuildings. This the first cricket program this school has partaken in and with the added opportunities that exist locally with the Newly formed Newbuildings CC coupled with the previously existing clubs there is ample opportunity for each participant in the school to get actively involved. St Columba’s is currently the smallest school on the program, with 60 pupils in total in the school I agreed with the principal that when I’m in I would provide a form of cricket for each class. As all classes are composite classes I begin my sessions in the school with the Primary 1 to 3 class who get a 20 minute session on general cricket skills. This week included balance and ball familiarity skills using beanbags and kwik cricket balls. The next 2 sessions are similarly developed as the primary 4-5 group and the Primary 6-7 groups are largely doing the same skills with minor adjustments. In these cases the both groups played their first Kwik Cricket game with the competition scoring system to grasp a better understanding of the game. It has been very encouraging to see the enthusiasm that the players in this school have shown to the game and further more on their interest to pursue it outside school with many questions coming from the kids looking to find out who their local clubs might be.

On Thursday night I then attended to AGM for the North West Cricket Union. I took this opportunity to do a quick presentation to clubs present as a method of letting all clubs know what is happening in their area and what assistance is available to them. In taking opportunities such as this to speak the meeting can be an effective method of keeping clubs updated on the plans that are afoot for the region whilst providing a subtle reminder of Cricket Irelands plans and how each Union is integral in making these plans a reality.

Friday

Fermanagh is the destination on Fridays where I will pay visits to 2 schools and take a total of 4 classes throughout the day. Firstly in the morning I start the day in Kesh Primary school, which is very fortunately situated directly opposite North Fermanagh cricket clubs ground. This first class is a Primary 6 group with 30 participants playing the game, the skill we are focusing on this week is the basics of batting starting with the general set up before splitting the class into 6 groups having 6 different players practice hitting the ball straight towards a set target. In this session everyone will play at least 20 teed-up shots whilst gradually shaping the shot into a straight drive. As usual ending each session with a game it is becoming increasingly easier for me to get involved in the session as a player as the group is getting to grips with the game and an extra fielder in a large playground never goes a miss. After this session the school breaks for 15 minutes giving the kids a chance to get their much anticipated bagels, an giving me the opportunity to clear my stuff as the playground will be filled with kids for the duration of break. On the ring of the bell round 2 starts, the Primary 5 group come in orderly fashion to the playground and we kick start another session hopefully creating cricketers for the future.
Once the Primary 5 session is complete I move onto my next stop in Irvinstown to Irvinstown controlled primary school. Again with this school I will stay and deliver sessions to 2 year groups (Primary 6 & 7). With this school having only time for 45 minute sessions and having 30 participants in each group we are recapping the basics of bowling as our previous week didn’t allow enough time to squeeze in time for each participant to get the opportunity to practice the skill in a competitive environment. Much of the learning in the session in this instance is game based learning, which is a great opportunity to see how the group has grasped the basics of both individual skills and general match play. The first group out if the Primary 6 group who are immediately followed by the primary 7 group, whereby on most occasions in an attempt to stretch time the primary 7’s will just catch the end of the primary 6’s session, giving them a clue as to what might be ahead of them in the upcoming session.
Not wanting to mention it (in case of Jinx), we have been lucky with the weather in Fermanagh where each session this year has been outside and dry, although in most occasions a sharp warm-up is required to get the bodies heated in days best described as ‘fresh’.

It is vital that efforts by Cricket Ireland to boost grass roots are not lost, which is why we have been actively communicating with clubs to make efforts to establish the best steps for each individual club, with visits to in previous weeks made to Crindle CC and Fox Lodge CC and a scheduled visit to Sion Mills CC for next week we hope to help each clubs with any area identified as an issue by each individual club. On the ground we are witnessing the massive potential that currently exists in the North West and we are keen to establish the best method for each club to tap into this potential making this region a fertile area for cricket to flourish. This school programme along sees 384 participants actively take part in Cricket on a weekly basis, each in an area located within 6 miles of their nearest cricket club.
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Brian Allen
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