Dear Parents/Guardians,
I thought it would be worth setting out the plans for Junior Practice this summer, so that everyone is aware of what is happening.
We try to cater for children of ages 6-14 at our weekly practices, with a mix of ECB Qualified Coaches, Coach Support Workers and parent volunteers. The main aims of each session are to try and develop basic cricketing skills in a fun format, appropriate for each individual player.
This summer, the club will operate an U11 and U13 team in the FG Watts Northampton & District Youth League. The U13 team has been resurrected this season due to the high number of players now progressing from the U11s and we want to ensure they all continue to play some form of competitive cricket.
There may also be opportunities for the club to enter U9 Kwik cricket competitions depending on availability and sufficient numbers.
Like any activity, children develop at different rates. We try to make the activities appropriate for the level of aptitude rather than by age. I know this can be confusing for some children who see peers practicing with older children [and vice versa], however there are a few factors we have to consider:-
- Safety – the number one priority. The children have to have a general awareness of the rules, player safety [their own and others] and be able to concentrate in cricket, possibly more than most sports. As they progress to wooden bats and leather balls, it can hurt!
- Coordination – the hit and run cricket we play on Fridays allow us to assess coordination. The children need to have the basic ability to hit the ball when batting, stop the ball when fielding and bowl it safely and reasonably consistently from 20 yards;
- Concentration – Cricket can be slow! The nature of the game means there are periods where the children are not 100% involved. As a minimum we need to be reasonably confident they are watching and can protect themselves if needed;
As you can appreciate, for a child to be selected to represent the club in matches, they need to meet the three factors above plus we want to make sure they won’t be scared of the ball. Once the coaches assess this, the children will be considered for the representative games. The long term goal is that all children meet their cricketing potential, whether that is a bit of fun through Kwik Cricket, or go on to senior cricket [which we hope more of our juniors do], hopefully with our two Senior Sides or with the midweek friendly team.
Like all sports, the more you practice the better you get, so we encourage them all to practice away from the club during the week. One Sports Scientist estimated that professional sports people require approx 10,000 hours of practice in their sport before the age of 18. Assuming the child starts at 6yrs old, they would need to practice 16 hours a week to reach that level!
If any parent would like to discuss additional activities to practice themselves with their child, or would like to volunteer to support the coaches, either at practice or on match days, please contact one of the coaches who will be pleased to offer advice. The weekly session at the club can be supplemented by practice in the garden, park etc as it all helps!
From Friday 29th April, training will start at Cogenhoe Cricket Club [Compton Park, behind Cogenhoe Utd FC], please check social media [details below] for updates throughout the summer. Training begins at 6.30pm promptly [please try to arrive 5-10mins early] and should finish by 7.30pm. The cost this year will be £2 per session with no annual subscription. This compares very favourably with other clubs in the area.
We will also look to host another Family Fun Day later in the summer, as a result of the success of last year’s end of season party. If there is sufficient interest, we will consider a Parents v Juniors Handicap Match at some point too.
Above all, enjoy your cricket and good luck to all for the new season.
Regards,
Matt Morrissey
07789 716890
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