Retaining Young Cricketers: Create Positive Match Experiences
This is the third in the series of articles from Darren Talbot of Darren Talbot Cricket Coaching and Head of Coach Mentoring at Surrey County Cricket Club. Click here for part one, click here for part 2.
You have identified that a young player is ready to play senior cricket. What else do you have to consider?
Up to this stage of their cricketing development, chances are they’ve only played matches with:
- players of their own age
- their mates
So it's important to think about the attraction of playing in a match with older guys who potentially they don’t know at all.
This is daunting for some young cricketers.
A better approach than throwing them in the deep end of a league match with older players they don’t know if to use the Sunday or midweek friendly team as a breeding ground.
Bring in two or even three players at a time so they have people in the team they can relate to. Get them to play at this level regularly for maybe a season or even more so they can build friendships with some of the more senior players and vice versa.
Under 21 teams or Development teams are starting to become very popular too. These are a great starting point for young players.
Match day
Now you've got them in the team, playing with some of their mates, what are they going to do?
It is often forgotten with young cricketers that they already have a role in their junior teams and they could quite reasonably expect to be doing similar in the senior teams. Too frequently young players are brought in, bat at 11 and then only get a bowl if the game is dead and buried. It is important to make sure that they are treated fairly, otherwise you run the risk of putting them off playing senior cricket for life.
Clearly if they are an opening batsman you are not going to open with them, but at least put them somewhere in the top half. If they are a bowler you need to anticipate using them as such at some stage. A "fresh air" game is going to happen form time to time but there needs to be an expectation that they are in the team for what they can do not just as a young pair of legs to do all the running.
We know that the external influence of exam pressures and the challenges of being a teenager is always going to make it difficult for retention levels to be really high. At least if you can put some of these ideas into practice you give your club half a chance of retaining some of your future players and keeping your club alive and vibrant for many years to come.
For more advice on improving your club player retention, download a copy of Darren Talbot's eBook, Better Senior Net Sessions
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Comments
I'd have to disgree with the statement that "Clearly if they are an opening batsman you are not going to open with them".
I think you need to play this more according to the batsman's (an your team's) strengths. If they are confident, and you aren't sticking them in against _really_ quick bowling, I don't see why you wouldn't want them to open.
Often it can be the best place for them, so that they can build an innings without having to worry about their scoring rate.
Of course, if they aren't confident opening, or they struggle against a new ball, then by all means look fora better spot for them, but I don' think you should throw the idea of them opening out straightaway.
Agree with DaveH, likewise for bowlers, if someone is a natural stike bowler then giving them a couple of overs in the middle of the innings and asking them to keep it tight is probably not going to end well. A couple of options I have seen used in the scenario:
* give the young bowler their head and say 'go for it' first up and allow them a brief opening spell, often not as dangerous as it seems as batters can be a little cautious early on. I would say this does need the support of the other players/fielders to help the new bowler out.
* create a opening scenario at some other point in the game, say just after drinks and use it as an opportunity to try and take the initiative, attacking from one end and keeping it bottled up at the other
I do agree with the main thrust of the article though and in particular trying to get two or three players in together to help each other settle in. This can also be used in a positive way to show you know the strengths of each player, for example I have a couple of young bowlers, both of whom will get a spell during a game but depending on the match situation and how they have bowled will determine which of them gets another later in the innings, they are very different bowlers and it tends to be whether I am looking for wickets or economy as to who gets the nod. Either way, they both can see that opportunities are there for younger players to come in and make a contribution to the team on the day.