The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Friday held a meeting to outline its academy programme activities with several coaches and administrators from across the country in attendance.
According to the Territorial Board, the programme is geared at engaging both boys and girls from the ages of seven to 17-years-old in cricket development activities and will simultaneously give support to applicable personal development aspects.
The programme is proposed to bowl off in early 2023 and will comprise 18 academy locations countrywide with seven in Essequibo, six in Berbice and five in Demerara, representing one in the associations and zones within the counties.
The meeting saw Territorial Development Officer, Colin Stuart, presenting an overview of the programme. There were also presentations from several experts.
Stuart made presentations on coaching standards, qualifications, lifestyles and people competences. He said that the GCB was seeking to utilize qualified coaches from within the academy locations.
Stuart pointed out that players and coaches must also be cognizant of their roles as ambassadors for their respective domestic teams, countries and/ or regional teams. He alluded to the fact that rules may change from club to club within a country and that laws may differ across countries.
St. John’s Association’s Thompson Akpotu, pressed the gathering on the need to be effective first aid respondents. He indicated that coaches should have the knowledge and ability to effectively attend to sudden instances that threaten the well-being and/or life of the players in their charge and to ensure that such individuals are kept as safe as possible until the relevant medical personnel arrive on the scene.
Justim Mounter, of the Childcare and Protection Agency, stressed the need for coaches to be able to recognize the signs of abuse and to appropriately report the instances of abuse. He pointed out that the coaches should readily have the Childcare and Protection’s 24-hour hotline numbers of 227-0779 and 914, the latter being a toll-free number so that immediate action can be taken.
Dawn Braithwaite, Director of Training for Camex Restaurants Inc., with responsibility for several food franchises, elaborated on the value of etiquette in sports by shifting minds away from the usual apparent thoughts of it being table manners protocol. She placed emphasis on players’ and coaches’ social interaction with their colleagues and opponents, stressing good presentation in dress and decorum, and the need to foster personal communication by developing relationships within and beyond working relations.
Journalist, Alexander Ross, addressed the gathering on the value of communication in sports. Ross commended the GCB for the initiative and indicated that there are benefits to be derived from incorporating personal communication as a component of cricket development.
Colin Alfred, a representative from the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council (GCUC), spoke to the importance of players and coaches being knowledgeable in the laws of the game as well as the playing conditions.
He indicated that the playing conditions are designed for specific Tournaments and supersede the laws for the respective Tournaments.
Dr. Owen Hughes presented the importance of mental toughness in sports and highlighted the value of a psychologist being added to the management staff of teams. He indicated that while it is necessary for players to develop technical skills and physical fitness, mental preparation and match application are crucial to the consistent success of the player. He alluded to the fact that a similar effort that is made by players to improve the technical aspect of the game must be made by players to prepare themselves mentally.
Assistant Development Officer, Anthony D’Andrade’s presentation was on the technical development and skill acquisition component of the programme.
D’Andrade highlighted areas of fitness assessment for players that are consistent with Cricket West Indies (CWI) fitness policy and standards.
GCB President, Bissoondyal Singh thanked the presenters and coaches for taking time out from their busy schedules to attend the important event, which the GCB outlined its academy programme.
“The GCB had outlined in its five-year strategic plan, the establishment of academies across the country. I am proud that today, Friday, November 4, 2022, we have taken another step in realizing the establishment of these academies,” he said.
