Welcome

EDCC Coaches and Managers Guide | SSJCA - Basic Hints for Coaches | Scoring Tips | Harrys' Tips | Cricket Australia Resources | Cricket Coaching Books | Coaching Resources

EDCC Coaching Staff

Do you have any news?

An important part of a cricket club is sharing the achievements of our players with the wider community. If you have any news you would to share then fill in the Engadine News post.

This news will then be posted to the news section of this site.

This is particularly important to coaches and managers to share the achievements of their teams.



Separate to this is the fortnightly match reports. These need to be submitted by Sunday night to matchreports@engadinedragonscc.org.au.

You can email a word doc to this address, or use the below form to submit it.



Additionally, if you have a photo you would like added to your news item or to include on the site, please send it to edcc_photos@engadinedragonscc.org.au - if you can, try reducing the photo to under 200k in size.

One of the main contributors of a well-run and successful cricket club is the roll played by club coaches. Reflecting the importance of this, the club is fortunate to have a highly experienced and qualified club coaching co-ordinator, whose role it is to conduct specialised practice sessions and provide coaching advice to our other club coaches.

Engadine prides itself on the ability of their coaches to provide the best opportunity for all their junior players to develop their cricketing skills.

This season we are pleased to announce the appointment of Harry Robbins as the club coaching co-ordinator. With the aid of our other well credentialed coaches we are looking forward to another successful season.

Harry's coaching record, as a junior coach is unsurpassed. He has coached numerous SSJCA A-Grade premiership teams for Engadine.

2009/10 Coaching Roster

Coach's assigned jobs for this year include:

• 10A - Jim Lee
• 12A - Dennis Pendergast
• 14A - Matthew Sambuco
• 16A - Robbie Knight

If you are interested in coaching or managing a team this year, please email the Club Secretary - Craig Rice.

EDCC Coaches and Managers Guide

Coach

These notes are intended as an aid to new coaches and managers and as a reminder to others. As a coach it is your primary objective to maximise the enjoyment that all children under your control derive from playing cricket.

In order to achieve this please keep in mind the following:

• Ensure that all children participate fully
• Try to develop the abilities of all players, particularly those not as talented as others
• Try and develop a sense of team responsibility

Club Policy on Equal Opportunity

The saying, "if you can't play sport, be a sport" underpins our primary policy on playing. Win or lose - be a sport! The club expects parents to support this policy. The coach represents the club management and will exercise the policy that all team members get even handed treatment. No player is expected to stand down more than once in any season regardless of ability. However, attitude and behaviour at training are criteria a coach is entitled to use in determining team composition.

Upon a team qualifying to play in a final, the club policy is specific. The strongest available team must be nominated.

"A Grade" Teams (Junior Players) - The high degree of competitiveness at this level and its relativity to selection for representative cricket demands the general policy be modified to provide appropriate opportunities and at the same time remain competitive. Accordingly, the age group structure utilized by the SSJCA leads this club to give preference to "second year" players in favouring older and more experienced players when formulating team selections and batting and bowling orders.

Practice Sessions

All training days and venues are nominated by the coach and any change must be advised to the Club Secretary. The Club Secretary holds a training schedule for all teams.

• Arrange a session at the same time each week and ensure that you are always there on time
• Ensure that the training area to be used is fit and safe
• Plan the activities of your sessions in advance
• Try to vary the activities as much as possible. Use fielding drills, games to develop various batting and bowling techniques etc. - not just net practice
• For younger players incorporate running between the wickets practice. Beginners may find it difficult to judge a run. Develop the yes/no technique of calling
• Ensure that no child leaves the training venue during practice without prior approval of the coach
• Ensure that all children have been picked up at the conclusion of training. Under no circumstances leave a child unattended.
• In the interests of child safety it is essential that a responsible person be in attendance at all times

Training Ovals for Season 2008

• Anzac Oval, Engadine
• Heathcote Oval, Heathcote Note: shared with Bosco
• Kingswood Oval, Engadine
• Engadine West PS, Engadine Note: Suitable for U8's and U10's only

Common Fielding Positions

The fielding tactics adopted by the captain will vary depending on whether the fielding captain has chosen to adopt either defensive or attacking tactics.The tactics are decided after taking into account a number of variables. These will include whether or not the fielding team has already batted and if so, whether the total runs they made during their batting innings are decisive enough for the captain to decide the fielding team is in a winning position.

An attacking field would be set so as to force the batting side into making errors by adopting aggressive bowling tactics and placing fieldsmen in close to the batsman.

A defensive field setting would be set, in the event the fielding captain believes his team's previous batting total can be easily eclipsed. The fieldsmen would be placed in such a way, they would be able to save the majority of batting strokes from reaching the boundary for four or more runs.

If the fielding captain is able to force the batsmen into taking single runs, the likelihood of a forced error or dismissal is more than possible.

Print these common fielding positions (pdf) and distribute to your team.

Pre-Season Check List

• Diarise to attend the SSJCA compulsory coaches and manager's meeting for your type of cricket - Club Secretary will advise of dates
• Appoint scorer(s)
• Ensure that the club kit is in order, particularly as regards boundary markers, stumps and bails. Check that protective equipment is adequate. Make sure if you have left handed batsman, you have enough gloves etc. An itemised list is issued for each kit and please ensure that it is correct

Take to the Game Check List

• Cricket kit
• New balls (handed out at monthly club meetings)
• Chalk
• Broom (a spade/shovel can also be a useful item to have)
• Umpire's counter
• Tape measure
• First aid equipment
• Watch
• Score book, pencils and rubber
• SSJCA Playing Rules and Regulations
• Result Sheet
• Copy of the Draw

Match Check List

• Arrive at least 30 minutes before the starting time
• Check conditions of the pitch to ensure that the entire playing area is fit and safe, mark creases if necessary, sweep pitch if necessary.
• Place markers on boundaries in conjunction with the other coach/manager
• Place stumps in position
• Exchange team lists and toss no later than 15 minutes before the schedules start of play
• Agree on which umpire's watch is to be used as the official time piece
• Ensure drink breaks are kept to time
• At the end of play ensure both score books are correct and both sides to sign appropriate pages

Completion of Match

• Complete match result sheet and have opposition sign it as correct
• Record results on Cricket Online
• Result sheet to be delivered to 9 Dobell Road Engadine on Saturday afternoon after the completion of the game
• Write match report and send it to matchreports@engadinedragonscc.org.au by the Sunday night

Manager

The manager is the administrator of the team, with the following typical activities:

• Ensure that all players and parents have a copy of the draw and understand where and when they are playing
• Ensure that all players and parents are aware of when and where training is to be held
• Organise a "telephone tree" to simplify contacting team members in case of cancellation of a match or training sessions
• Handle the finances of the team - eg raffle money; photo money etc
• Organise a table for the club's annual trivia night fund raiser
• Look after the kit and ensure all gear is accounted for each week. Delegate to a team member the job of counting all the kit and putting it away. This teaches the players to have respect and responsibility
• Keep an eye on the team and ensure the team members don't stray from the immediate area. Don't let them fool around and look after their safety eg climbing trees, buildings etc. Maintain discipline and harmony within the team. Be aware of any medical/physical limitations affecting any team member.
• Attend monthly club meetings (with the coach) - usually first Wednesday of the month

Newsletters

• Pick up Club Newsletters the morning of the new match and issue a copy to each family - (28 Mountain Street Engadine)
• We recommend that you retain each copy for the duration of the season as it is the main means of communication, including social events, great performances and up to date competition table

Web Site

• Regularly review the club's web site at www.engadinedragonscc.org.au for the most up to date information on activities across the club.

SSJCA - Basic Hints for Coaches

Preparing before the first game

A little preparation allows game day to go much more smoothly. BEFORE Saturday:

• Go to the SSJCA on-line site and print your team list and season draw. Paste a copy in the front of the scorebook, hold one for your own use & give copies to all team members.
• Get parent support for scoring; stumps & boundary markers; batters padded up and warmed up; & rotating fielders
• Use training time to have players rehearse some game day warm-up routines
• Run your eye over the rules & regulations
• Fill in your team declaration sheet located in the back of the scorebook. [Remember you declare 12 players in A grade; all other grades 13; BUT max 11 bat/bowl in match]
• Place into your mobile phone: your club sec & pres mobile numbers; an experienced coach from your club; plus Tom Croucher, Comp Mgr (0402 412 061) & Andrew Mazurkiewicz, Sec SSJCA (0402 400 505) phone numbers. Tom is the main contact.

Take with you on game day:

As well as your cricket kit, scorebook & new balls, the following will help:

• SSJCA rules & regulations
• A broom
• Chalk
• Cricket counter
• Small pad & pen
• G1 key for toilets
• Band aids/first aid type stuff

When you arrive at the ground:

Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to start of play - but in week one, allow at least 45 minutes! Unlike many other sports, WE pitch in & help each other:

• Each team sets up the stumps/bails at one end of the pitch.
• Both teams sweep the pitch, mark the creases & clear ground of rubbish
• Each team sets out boundary markers for ½ the field. Many fields have natural boundaries that are easy to duplicate in week two. For large fields, we usually pace out the number of steps from the centre wicket or better still, use string. [Max boundaries for 8s -30m; 10s- 40m; 12s- 45m; 14s-55m; 16s-65m]
• Use the G1 key to open toilets
• Players warm up & routines
• Introduce yourself to the other coach
• Have people organised to score for the team (sitting with the other scorer in neutral territory);

At the toss:

(max 30 min 15 minutes before start of play)

• Swap team declaration sheets
• Check your watch agrees with the other umpire & agree on the time of the drinks break
• Agree on the signal given from square leg if a no-ball is bowled.

Taking the field:

• When fielding, the umpires should walk on together, a few minutes before start of play.
• Etiquette is the batters follow, then fielders.
• You should have: chalk; counter; small pad/pen; new ball if you're bowling.

During Play

• Be aware of the bowling restrictions for your age group: max overs in an innings, in a day & in a spell.
• At the start of each over, (for your team & the opposition) update your pad with the name of the bowler & the over number. You keep track; the scorers are back-up.
• Restricted bowlers - signal to scorers
• Advise the scorers of each bowling change
• Make sure the scorers acknowledge your signals
• Teach the players to pass the ball to the umpires at any fall of a wicket.
• Teach the players to signal the umpires when leaving or coming back onto the field.
• Usual practice is for umpires to signal each other when 2 balls remain to be bowled.
• 60 over games - 10 min break at 10.15am; 50 over game 5 min break at 9.30am; if hot HOT conditions, breaks can occur hourly (max) BUT on the field

End of the week/game

• At the end of each week, if you have any team discussion/awards, KEEP IT ALL POSITIVE.
• Both umpires sign the scorebooks.
• Shake the opposition coaches hand & have your players shake hands with the other team at game end

Official Umpires

• If a black & white arrives, we only need to do the square leg umpiring. (Fee is $75 each team for 60 over game; $65/team for 50 overs.)
• Pay him/her the match fee at the start of week 2.

Reminders to some Frequently Asked Questions

• Any ball off the pitch/on the edge, is a no-ball, not a wide. You can get stumped on a wide, not a no-ball.
• We try to make use of playing time, so:
  • If 'all out' - play must continue if at least 15 minutes batting time remains (i.e. when you add 10 minute change of innings, 25 minutes of time, in total, is available for play.)
  • If time remains, go into 2nd innings even if both teams think no outright result is possible.
• Max of 5 fielders allowed on the on-side; max 2 on-side behind popping crease
• Boundary is an imaginary STRAIGHT line between markers - it doesn't curve outwards
• No player fields inside 10 m of striker end batter without protection. (This doesn't apply to point, gully or slips.)
• Call is "no ball" if:
  • It bounces over head height of batter standing upright at the crease
  • It's a full toss by a medium pace or fast bowler that goes above the batter's waist height standing upright at the crease
  • A slow delivery that passes on the full above shoulder height with batter standing upright at the crease While it's the umpire at the non-strikers end who must signal, the square should be able to advise him/her - agree this at the time of the toss.
• Mankads (as they were previously referred to) don't exist and a batter cannot be given out in this manner. BUT don't teach your batters to leave the crease too early.
• All teams need to learn to finish play at the completion of the over at the scheduled time, to respect the playing time of teams that follow you. Teams with a 1.10 finish time need to be aware of Men's cricket starting at 1.15pm from late in November.
• Be VERY VERY cautious about giving LBW's. It needs to be:
  • Pitched in a straight line from wicket to wicket; and
  • The ball hits the batsman without hitting his bat; and
  • You have no doubt it would hit the stumps
• If the ball pitches outside of leg stump, the batter can NEVER be out LBW. If the batter moves forward out of his crease or it hits the top of his pads, an LBW is much less likely. IF IN ANY DOUBT, DON'T GIVE LBW.
• Hint: start by standing with your hands clasped behind your back. This makes it less likely that you'll instinctively raise a finger when there is an appeal.

Scoring Tips

St Patrick Sutherland Cricket Club has been gracious to allow us to link to their scoring tips for cricket. It is a great resource for scorers to gain a basic skill level. Thank you St Patricks Sutherland.

Harry's Corner

Harry Robbins, in his weekly blog, has provided valuable insights into coaching and playing at a junior level. From tips for players, through to preparing for the match, reading his blog is essential for any EDCC coach or manager.

Coaches Kit

Cricket NSW has introduced "The Coaches Kit" available exclusively through Kingsgrove Sports. Designed specifically for cricket there is a Silver Kit ($150) for coaches working with junior cricketers at all levels, that includes: A bag of marbles, set of plastic stumps, 2 batting tees, frisbee, skipping rope, reflex ball, 2 soft red/white balls, 6 multi coloured tennis balls, tennis racquet, catch master, 3 weighted tennis balls, 6 numbered markers.

For coaches working with players at higher levels, such as representative teams, The Gold Kit ($245) is also recommended. Each Kit has its own carry bag, and also comes with a "Users Guide".

Available at Kingsgrove Sports Centre, 179 Kingsgrove Rd, Kingsgrove or Menai, Shop 7, 814-822 Old Illawarra Rd, Menai.

Cricket Australia Coaching Resources

There are a number of coaching and umpiring resources available. Cricket Australia recommends the following:

• Orientation to Cricket Coaching [pdf]
• Bowling activity - Bowler Goaler [pdf]
• Bowling activity - Continuous Cricket [pdf]
• Bowling activity - Four Bowler Cricket [pdf]

Videos - Umpiring

• What's your decision? (Volume 2)
• The Art of Umpiring

Videos - Coaching/Education

• Bob Simpson Fielding Drills
• Wicket-keeping Skills and Drills
• Inverarity Batting Drills
• Thinking cricket - a club coaches program

To purchase any of these video resources, please contact your state association or territory.

Books

The textbook for the Level 1 Coaching course is Coaching Youth Cricket

This book replaces the previous book Successful Cricket Coaching the Aussie Way which is no longer published.

To obtain a copy of Coaching Youth Cricket, contact Human Kinetics Australia direct on:

Human Kinetics Australia
Ph: 08 8277 1555
Fax: 08 8277 1566

Cricket Coaching Books

• Coaching Youth Cricket
  by Australian Cricket Board (Corporate Author) "If you are like most new coaches, you have probably been recruited from the ranks of concerned parents, sport enthusiasts, or community volunteers..."
• Cricket for Dummies
  Whether you’re a weekend cricketer or aspiring armchair expert, Cricket For Dummies helps you make sense of this fascinating sport. Not just a jargon busting guide to cricket’s laws, techniques and tactics, it also contains advice on kitting yourself out and provides lessons on playing the game and improving your batting, bowling and fielding skills. For the budding fan, there’s a guide to the greatest players, the memorable matches, and a tour through the cricketing scene – both domestic and international – giving you the knowledge you need to fully appreciate this special game.
• Cricket Explained
  Cricket Explained offers the sports enthusiast a user-friendly introduction to baseball's British cousin, a game that shares with America's national pastime the common ancestor "rounders". This is the definitive beginner's guide to the game of cricket, written by a world authority on the sport, the co-inventor of the Coopers & Lybrand World Cricket Ratings System. Cricket Explained takes the reader from the game's fundamentals -- basic rules, terminology, equipment -- to the finer points of strategy, individual playing styles, and cricket lore.

Links to Coaching Resources

• Cricket Australia - Coaching Resource
• Cricket Australia - Code of Conduct for Coaches
• First Innings is an innovative, all-round cricket resource for junior coaches, teachers, and young players designed to develop both their cricket skills, and their enjoyment and understanding of the game. This online coaching manual was formulated by Queensland Cricket’s top coaches and development managers, and features a huge array of exercises and tips from XXXX GOLD Bulls and Konica Minolta Fire players.
• HarrowDrive Fielding Drills
• RCLA Batting Tips
• Peter Wellings Coaching Excellence - Tips
  Peter offers tips to common questions that arise during a cricket season.
• Coaching Tips - South African website - select Coaching Tips at base of screen