We make sure everyone gets a chance

THE coaching sessions we run are all about getting them to do the basics between the age of five and eight. I was initially involved at another local club, Marple, where we introduced All Stars, and we saw straight away how much interest there was. We want them to become as good as they can be as quickly as they can and, most of all, enjoy it. In the old days, you would have a long queue of bowlers, everybody waiting. Kids lose interest and are not getting value themselves. We’re looking to keep them engaged and interested. The sessions are created for us and designed to be fun, around the theme of planets. It’s the same session for every club up and down the country on each week of the scheme. Some of them take time to grasp how to hit the ball and develop hand-eye coordination. Others are more confident. They see what the top players are doing and that becomes natural to them. The boy who reverse swept a shot in our practice game did it naturally. You see the influence that exciting players have on young players. In the batting sessions, everyone gets a chance and no one’s waiting around too long. The challenges are not the ones you would imagine. When they’re fielding, I’m trying to encourage them not to all chase the same ball but space out and wait for it to come to them. It’s surprising how long that takes! Older children, like Freya and James, become helpers. A young girl who initially doesn’t have much confidence is far more likely to develop it with Freya helping her than me.