The Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) 2014 Grassroots Program has been developed through an initiative undertaken by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The general goal of the Grassroots Program is to streamline a reservoir of talented players for upward mobility as it relates to national and regional players’ commitment and requirements at both the youth and senior levels.

This goal is expected to be realized through an objective pathway that is structured and systematic. A coaching education approach that targets individuals, (males and females) 11 to 17 years of age, from a wide cross section of Guyana who are interested in the game of cricket; which takes the targeted players through a set of disciplinary, dietary, psychological (mental), technical and physical fitness activities that are geared towards enhancing their technical skills levels and upon improving their abilities and capacities to appropriately and effectively apply themselves under various match situations regarding tactics, strategy, game pressure and general game context requirements.

To put it more simply, the information below shall provide the reader with a conceptualized position of the GCB’s Grassroots Program for 2014.

What is the Grassroots Cricket Program?

The Grassroots Cricket Program is a structured players’ development activity which comprises of two general focus areas, which are:

1. It is a novice or beginners program which targets individuals (ages 11-17) of both sexes who have limited or no cricketing experience.
2. It provides a continuous growth and development pathway for those players (ages 11-17) of both sexes who have been earlier exposed to the game.

These two focus areas shall provide a reservoir or pool of players for upward mobility – a pathway to Association, County, national and regional player responsibility and obligations.

It must be noted, that this cricket development initiative, targets individuals ages 11 to 17 of both sexes, across a wide cross section of Guyana. These locations include regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10 and have been demarcated into districts and zones under the established GTU area distribution format (See table below).

The GCB/WICB Grassroots Program intends to focus on those of the targeted age group, who have an interest in cricket but currently possess limited or no cricketing experience, as well as to provide a continuous pathway for those with earlier exposure to cricket. In so doing, the Grassroots Program aims to expose these players with cricketing interest, to cricketing knowledge and methodologies that can be utilized to develop a high level of professionalism.
Further, it must be noted that this goal of professionalism does not only relate to cricket, since the demands and commitment that are required from players are very likely to impact other areas of their lives, be it to their responsibilities and duties to their homes, school work, career goals, and general positive approaches to life.

In addition, it must be recognized, that the GCB aims to achieve their program goals through the utilization of a number of coaches assigned to a number of community locations (i.e with the use of the GTU format).

In so doing, the GCB aims to:

• Stimulate and keep the interest of cricket in the hearts of the targeted youths.
• To create a continuous pathway of cricketing development from Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket upwards.
• Identify and nurture talent at an early stage, through coaching education and competition activities.
• Direct such identified talent to appropriate clubs.
• Within targeted communities, utilize the school structure and interest to create an environment of discipline, goal oriented individuals, individuals with high levels commitment and competitiveness.
• Within targeted communities, utilize the School and Club structure to create a professional pathway for individual and national achievement and excellence.
• Channel such identified talent along a progressive and structured pathway towards Association, County, national and international recognition and achievement.

Table: Targeted Areas & Assigned Coaches.

Territorial Development Officer (TDO) – Colin Stuart

Jan – Mar, 2014

Assessment Phase – this phase shall involve the employed coaches intervening into the cricketing lives of individuals between the ages of 11-17 who are new or relatively new to cricket.

This first coaching intervention is geared at assessment of:

* The Natural Cricketing talents of players through observation

* The players’ knowledge of the game through use of short and purposefully structured questions, whether written or oral.
April – Jun, 2014

Assessment Phase continues where applicable.

Transition Phase – this period of coaching intervention shall involve the coaches imparting information to players concerning the recommended methods in effectively executing the various skills related to cricket. This shall obviously be done with the recognition of individuality.

This period of coaching shall mainly focus on the Technical aspect and Physical Fitness of the players. In this regard, the coaches shall be instructed to utilize both their “What and How to Coach Skills,” in order to make ‘the player transition period’ meaningful and effective.
Jul – Sept, 2014

Transition Phase continues where applicable.

Evaluation Phase – This phase of coaching shall involve the coaches evaluating the players. However, it should be acknowledged that evaluation begins very early in ‘The Player-Coach’ intervention. Here, it must be recognized that there is a need for coaches’ observation without analysis from time to time during the coaching process. However, throughout the coaching intervention activity, coaches must be able to continually assess, their players. As a consequence, it must be noted that evaluation is not left only for the termination stage.

This program evaluation shall have a dual purpose.

• Growth Level – Evaluating player from first coaching intervention to given period, such as to the termination stage of year program.

• Vertical Step – Evaluating the players’ ability to progress – upward mobility.