What is in a name ?
All players are emerging but some
are emerging more than others.
The programme devised by the England and Wales Cricket Board in
each of the 38 Counties is overseen by two Regional performance
officers.
David Young with responsibility for half the Country - which includes
our Region and Stephen Seligman - who oversees the Midlands and
North Regions.
The emerging player group sits above County but below Academy
status. It can be seen as a sub-academy.
Each County has an Emerging Player Programme Head Coach.
In Sussex Andy Cornford has been appointed to this role.
In some ways the terms in Sussex are confusing.
There are now
ACADEMY / EMERGING PLAYER PROGRAMME/
ELITE/COUNTY/HALF COUNTY/AREA/FOCUS CLUB/CLUB and SCHOOL
It becomes confusing as one moves up the pyramid to Half County.
This was term used last year to select the County squad. Games
were played at Half County level and players selected as a result
to represent the County at each age group.
In 2007-2008 this has been fine tuned for the winter programme
to select boys from the Area indoor programme to attend centrally
coached nets called Half County. However
in 2008 they will then NOT play Half County matches but will be
selected directly to play for the COUNTY.
Next group going upwards are the ELITE
- another term which perhaps once was accurate but now 3rd in
line in the hierarchy cannot be elite.
These players are grouped together as a result of last year's
coaches assessing them to be better than others in the County
squads.
The distinction between County and Elite seems to be so fine that such grouping may well not be necessary.
The Emerging players appear to be
the best County players up to the age of 15.
Obeservation of this group suggests that the players selected
may well be better than the Elite group.
One would expect players from this group to be close to nomination
for ECB Regional cricket.
The layers need reducing and simplifying.
AREAS - Players coached in the 4 Areas
AREA SELECT - players chosen for the centrally coached winter programme- players may be selected for COUNTY summer programme or return to the AREA to play in AREA MATCHES in the summer.
COUNTY - County winter and summer programme.
If it is considered essential to coach the better County players then create a group called COUNTY SELECT - observation this week suggests the refinement to be too unwieldy and debatable as to the value.
EMERGING PLAYER
ACADEMY
The views expressed are personal to web site master who has seen a semblance of improvement in the programme being delivered.
For the programme to work successfully there must be in place at the base of the pyramid.
1. Quality coaching in the four Areas - moderated centrally
2. Quality selection for Area select groups and above
3. Movement of players upward or downward at any point during the summer and winter programme.
PS There were times whilst watching
that one felt a need for quality GROUP COACHING.
Constant grooming of specific points appear to be the essential
answer to players -whether batting, keeping or bowling.
Will consideration be given to skill set coaching rathen than
age group coaching?
Perhaps this year's arrangements should be bedded in before further
tinkering takes place.