21 Sep 2009 / JUNIOR CHAIR'S REPORT 2009

JUNIOR CHAIR'S 2009 END OF SEASON REPORT 

Well, the end of the 2009 season - and surely the most successful one in the history of junior cricket at ROTCC!

The bare facts are these:

Nottingham Youth Cricket League (NYCL) unless marked otherwise:

U10 Hawks                                3rd

U10 Eagles                               4th

U11 Cobras                               4th

U11 Vipers                                5th

U11 (Newark League)                 Winners

U12 pairs.                                 Winners

U12 ‘11' a side.                          Runners-up

U13                                          Winners

U13 (Newark League)                 3rd

U14                                          Winners

U15                                          Runners-up

U15 (Newark League)                 Winners

 

NYCL Cup Competitions:

U11 Cup                                    Winners

U12 Cup                                    Winners

U13 National Cup                       County Winners, Regional finalists.

U13 Cup (Newark League) Winners 

U14 Cup                                    Semi-finalists

 

This level of success does not happen by accident, but is testament to the hard work and dedication of our players, our coaches, our administrative support and our ground staff.  The facility we have at ROTCC is second to none, and I am very grateful to the army of volunteers who work tirelessly to produce good surfaces on which we can play.

Taking, if I may, each squad in turn:

Barry Trussler has been most successful in encouraging our beginners this season.  We entered Kwik Cricket teams into all of the local competitions and performed well.  Such is the enthusiasm within this group that Barry has been taking additional sessions with these players on Saturday mornings.

Pete Playle and James Pavis - both new to management with the club this year - have achieved respectability with their sides at U10.  We expect great things from these players in the future as they begin their hardball careers.

Dan Sutton's U11s won the NYCL cup.  Dan also entered two sides of equal merit at U11 in the league, and achieved fourth and fifth place.  It is a fact that had he played all of his most able players in one side, then we would have walked away as easy winners of this league.  Contrary to perceptions from outside of the club, we consider it appropriate in some circumstances to eschew trophies in pursuit of development.  This has been achieved.

Although fewer players in number at U12 - we have only one side - we should have gone through the season without losing a game; calls for the manager to resign have been ignored!  One bad day at the office against Bridgfordians cost us the 11-a-side league: we finished equal top with Bridgfordians, but losing to them denied us the top prize. The pair's league and the U12 cup have, however, been added to our bulging trophy cabinet.

U13 is the youngest age group at which clubs can compete for National Honours. Tim Heath achieved great things this season with a very able side.  The Nottingham Youth League and the County Cup were both givens at the start of the season.  However, to reach the regional finals of the national cup is demonstrative of a great deal of hard work and effort over three years.  Third place in the Newark league for this age group is further evidence of our pursuit of development opportunities for all, rather than to win at all costs.

Nick Mills, (U14) - an old hand at this caper now - has walked away with the league championship, but lost in the semi-final of the cup to Gedling.  This has been an excellent season for the U14s who are able players but short of numbers.

Steve Harbottle has a similar conundrum with his U15 side, constantly having to draw upon younger players in order to field a team.  Second in the Nottingham League and Champions in the Newark league are real achievements for this side.  Now that Steve has come to the end of junior cricket with this cohort of players, we are hopeful he will take on another group next season.

Unfortunately, this level of success does, on occasion, attract ill-informed criticism from around the circuit.   Amongst others, this season I have heard comments that `we are lucky because we are a big club';  that `We are elitist'; and, perhaps the funniest of them all, that ‘we are posh'!

I would refute all of these remarks.  We are a big club because of our success, not the other way round.  We are not elitist, but we do produce elite players.  We welcome anyone as a member, regardless of status.

The little boys and girls who join this club at the age of eight are like any other children across the county who join other cricket clubs. Some are very able, some less so.  Some are outwardly confident, others shy and reserved.  None of them arrive being able to play cricket properly.  The coaching programme we run at Radcliffe teaches them to play.  Our approach is relatively simple and straightforward; learn the basics first and be patient; development is not linear, but has peaks and troughs - players of true quality have a sound technique on which to base their game.  Having fun is, of course, important, but real success and real achievement only come through regular practice and hard work.

There is another school of thought: namely, that young players should be encouraged to express themselves, to have fun, experiment, and technique can come later.  I think this is a lazy approach; we might enjoy ourselves in the short term, but I don't think we would learn very much, though, as players or as coaches. If that sounds terribly old-fashioned, then so be it.

I will admit to one advantage we do have at ROTCC, of which other clubs may be rightly envious; the quality of our coaching staff.  All work tirelessly to ensure our young cricketers are given the opportunity to develop into the best players they possibly can be.  As I am sure you are aware, a significant number of these coaches are teachers/educators by profession, as indeed are a number of our administrative support staff.  It is their expertise; professional knowledge and kindly advice which I believe make the difference and, with that, make ROTCC juniors the envy of the county.

Complementary to the coaching staff is the level of parental support our juniors are given.  As we visit other clubs, I am struck by how well supported we are.  I would like to thank each and every one of you for ensuring your child receives the appropriate encouragement to play.  Friday night club night remains as popular as ever and I am grateful for that.  We must not, however, rest on our laurels.  I would welcome any suggestions on how we might improve club night for the benefit of our juniors.  Even better, I would welcome new volunteers to actually commit - in however small a way - to ensure continued success on and off the field in future years.

No end of season round-up could be considered complete without mention of my cricket mentor, John Birch.  Many of our juniors have experienced The Birch Effect and are much the better players for it.  Some of you are lined up to meet him for the first time over the winter.  It was John who taught me how and what to coach young cricketers: I have never encountered anyone with the same ability as John to engage with young players and to draw from them a desire to improve.  His influence at the club has been significant over a number of years now.  The Saturday 1^st XI promotion this season is, in part, attributable to players coached by John: Rob Sutton, Chris Holden, Frankie Brown and Michael Bratt immediately spring to mind.  With a generous donation from Molecular Profiles, the club will again be in a position to engage John during the winter months.

Finally, the results at the end of this season are demonstrative of the combined efforts of many. If children don't play cricket, in twenty years' time, nobody will be playing.  It is the young players themselves who must take the lion's share of the credit.  I never cease to be astounded by their levels of skill, flair and dedication.  It makes all the effort worthwhile.

 

Bill

21.09.09