Coaches are key to cricket's growth, says ECB Community Cricket Education Manager Tim Lumb.
Coaches key to growth of the game, says Lumb
Attracting creative, committed coaches in ever-growing numbers is the key to helping English cricket go from strength-to-strength.
So says Tim Lumb, the ECB's Community Cricket Education Manager, in the week that
new figures reveal a groundswell in coach participation within the sport.
Some 11,000 newly-qualified coaches graduated from the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme this year, bringing the grand total since the scheme was launched in 2006 to 45,846.
The initiative aims to attract and train coaches at all levels of cricket and - crucially, according to Lumb - has the full backing of England Team Director Andy Flower.
"Andy has been massively supportive, ensuring that there is a real connection through the scheme from playground to Test arena," says Lumb. "That fits in with our vision; everyone who plays in Andy's team should come from the community game.
Community
"We've successfully grown the game at community level by providing a product that a wide range of people, including young leaders and teachers, can engage with.
"We've trained over 300 secondary and 1,500 primary school teachers this year, which means they can respond in the right way when kids want to get involved in the game. So it's great news all round.
"There are obvious differences between coaching the England Test team and coaching some nine-year-olds in a playground but the basics of batting, bowling and fielding are true to both.
"We want people to love the game through playing it but also to be inspired by what they see the England team doing."
Enthusiasm
As important as it is to promote cricket within schools, Lumb insists it is often only the first step in attracting a new generation to the game.
"People don't play sport for life in school, but in many instances they do get their first experience of it there," he said.
"The focus is about giving as many kids as possible that experience, so as to ignite their enthusiasm and passion for the game but then make sure there are clubs nearby where they can enjoy cricket for life - whether it be as a player, official or coach.
"The profile of the game and the popularity of the courses has proved infectious and, as the figures show, it has spread across the community game."
Support
The challenge now is to turn that enthusiasm into ever higher standards and greater achievements.
"This isn't about training just anyone, it's about training those people who put their hands up and want to make a difference," says Lumb.
"If we get the right coaches in, we'll have a great chance not only to sustain what we've got but to build on what we've achieved so far. We have no intention of standing still; we are developing new courses and resources all the time.
"A coach's job is to help people of all ages and abilities to be the best they can be. If we can give coaches the support they need to play that role, it can only be good for the game."
To find out more on the Sky Sports ECB Coach Education Programme, please
click here or visit
the ECB's website.
