Last weekend, 25 members of the Middlesex Coaches Association (MCoA) attended an exciting coach development event on wicketkeeping at the Middlesex Indoor Cricket School.
The aim of the event was to help those coaching wicketkeeping in clubs, schools and community environments to develop their wicketkeeping coaching skills. The session was delivered by four wicketkeepers from the Middlesex Men’s Professional Squad: John Simpson, Robbie White, Joe Cracknell, and Daniel O’Driscoll.
We split the attendees into three groups and rotated them through three groups run by John, Robbie, Joe and Daniel, covering different aspects of wicketkeeping. Such was the level of interest that it was hard to tear members away from each section as questions and discussion flowed. We ended the event with a plenary session at which the four professionals answered members’ questions on a range of cricket and wicketkeeping topics.
The professionals connected brilliantly with the MCoA members, and it was not just that they put over the coaching points in such an easy and straightforward manner, but they delivered with good humour and answered the flood of questions patiently. The MCoA is very grateful to John, Robbie, Joe and Daniel for giving up their time to deliver this special event, and for explaining so simply and clearly wicketkeeping skills and practices coaches can incorporate into their training practices and matchday activities to make a real difference to the wicketkeepers they coach.
This was a brilliant event - there was a terrific attendance, the messages from the presenters were clear and simple, the questions from the coaches attending were excellent, and the passion for wicketkeeping from all those taking part was fabulous.
We closed the event by wishing the four county keepers every success in the season ahead, and for John Simpson we hope everyone will support the programme of events in his benefit year.
