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Coaches are critical to the success of any cricket development programme and as a result the Leinster Cricket Union are currently running courses for new coaches to enter the coaching ladder at various levels.

17 trainee coaches have just completed a two-day ‘Introduction’ course, gaining valuable experience on how to introduce cricket to schoolchildren who may never have played the game before. All schools require coaching assistance during the last school term and these newly qualified coaches will assist teachers to further develop the game within schools in the Leinster area.

Additionally, the new coaches are now qualified to:
• Plan a safe and organised cricket session for young people
• Plan local cricket festivals/tournaments for 7/11 year olds
• Assist the cricket development programme in their own school
• Assist club coaches in the promotion of cricket in the local schools and area
• Umpire and score youth/school games

Those that attended the course run on Oct 31th and Nov 1st included:
Andrew Balbirnie (St Andrew’s), Adrian D’Arcy, Sean McAuley, Richard Forrest (Belvedere College), Peter Reddy, Brian O’Farrell, Keagan Clarke (CUS), Naomi Scott-Hayward, Melissa Scott-Hayward, Sean Harper, Natalya Coyle (King’s Hospital School), Laura O’Donovan (Our Lady’s, Terenure), Holly Furlong, Kate Oliver, Lauren Maxwell, Ian Fitzpatrick (Mount Temple) and Nichol Gray (Our Lady’s Grove).

Others to complete an ‘Introduction’ course held at Nemo Rangers GAA club in Cork in September include:
Patrick Byrne (Clonmel), Simon Beardsworth, Richard Gash & Kingsley Jones (Cork Harlequins), Kieran Doran, Toby Hodson  (Midleton), Jon Russell (Lismore) and Owen Kelly (West Cork Rebels).

In addition to the ‘Introduction’ course, another group of coaches are currently busy attempting the Level 1 course that is being run over four Saturdays in November and December:
David Russell (North County), Nicky Kenny (Merrion), David Winter, Graham Mooney, Morgan Sweeney (North Kildare), Glen Kirwan (Malahide), David Symmons (Knockharley), Dominic Ben Sisinni (Sandyford), Gary Cockcroft (Bagenalstown), John Hoey (CYM), Keegan Meth (Phoenix), Eksteen Maritz (The Hills), Adnan Ajmi (Old Belvedere) and Mark Raftery-Skehan (Trinity College).

Both James Doran and John Wills have been accepted onto the NCTC’s Tutor Training course being run over four weekends in Limerick in the coming months. As a result of having two more qualified tutors it is hoped further courses like the ones above can be held throughout the country in the years to come.