Youth Coaching in Gwent

Overall responsibility for youth cricket in Wales rests with Cricket Wales, recently formed from the merger of the Cricket Board of Wales and the Welsh Cricket Association, in partnership with Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Sports Council Wales (SCW). It is now the single governing body for the junior and senior recreational game in Wales.

The overall development of youth cricket is overseen by the Director of Cricket, Peter Hybart, and administered by nine regional committees. The committee relevant to our part of Wales covers the unitary authorities of Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen. It is responsible for drawing up a programme of coaching, coach education and competition opportunities (ie leagues, cups, county fixtures) and seeking grant-aid funding and sponsorship to help support these activities and ensuring they are run successfully.

This role is carried out by the Gwent Association of Cricket Coaches (GACC) which consists of a number of qualified coaches who devote much of their leisure time to the development of our young cricketers. Gwent Young Cricketers is the name under which our county teams play and our competitions are organised. The officers of the GACC are: Graham Burgess (Chairman), Andrew Van de Weyer (Secretary) and Ted Tipper (Treasurer). Ted also acts as the Coaching Organiser , League/Shield Organiser and Gwent Young Cricketers Fixture Secretary and Paul Morgan is the Child Welfare Officer. Steve Watkins is the Region’s Cricket Development Officer employed by the Cricket Wales.

Youth coaching in Gwent is organised by Gwent Young Cricketers.

Every August the youth organisers of clubs are asked to nominate players who will be interested in attending coaching sessions the following January-March. In 2011 we coached around 200 players in our winter coaching sessions.

The sessions are divided up into four age-group ‘main’ squads (Under 12,13,14,15) plus five ‘support’ squad sessions (at Under 12/13 and Under 14/15) at centres in Ebbw Vale, Newport and Caerleon. The four main squads consist of players who performed well the previous year but members of the support squads can be promoted at any time if they show the appropriate level of skill and commitment.

The Under 11’s are treated differently. All those who have played hardball cricket the previous summer are invited to one of three non-selective sessions; the selection of a main county squad is not made until Easter. The same happens with our Under 10’s although selection is made much harder as we haven’t had the opportunity to see them play outside. There are also sessions specifically for girls at Under 11,13 and 17.