A vacancy has arisen for a suitable person to manage the Kent Cricket Board’s Girls Under 11 squad.  This is an important area of girl’s cricket development as it is the first rung of the performance ladder towards senior county, regional and national representation.  Several girls who are currently in the full England and England Development squads started in the Kent Under 11 girls squad.

Role:
To support an experienced cricket coach in managing the Kent Under 11 Girls Cricket squad, which consists of approximately 20 primary aged girls, and help in preparing them for training sessions and cricket matches during and outside the cricket season.

The position is primarily a voluntary role with the provision  of a small honorarium to cover time and transport costs.

The role will involve working and supporting young girls in a sporting environment and therefore the position would be suited to an adult female, who must have Enhanced CRB Disclosure.

Approximate time commitment:

• 2 hours a week for 8-10 weekends in the spring and pre-season;
• Up to 10 half days on Saturdays from June to September.
• Chaperone for three nights at Festivals and adventure weekends.
• Up to a maximum of one hour a fortnight for clerical and email administration.

Useful skills:

• Good verbal and written communication
• Good organiser and forward planner
• Punctuality and Reliability
• Friendly and approachable
• Comfortable in the company of young people and adults
• Competent with IT and email
• An interest in sport (Note: Knowledge of cricket is not essential)

Tasks:

• To work with the squad coach, and other assisting coaches
• To communicate relevant information with the players and their parents
• To gather player availability
• To ensure players arrival at grounds
• To communicate with umpires
• To coordinate teas (if required)
• Assist with the organisation of an adventure day at Swattenden Centre, Cranbrook
• To help ensure the well being of all players at training and matches

If you are interested in the position, or for more information, please contact David Sear (KYC Girls U11 Coach) by the 18th March 2010 on email sear758@btinternet.com or mobile 07710 742439 

Kent and England’s Lydia Greenway proved to be a huge success when she dropped in to the Kent Under 11 Girls winter training to give them some top batting tips before jetting off to India with England for their month long tour of the sub-continent.

The England middle order batsman, who is also part of the Kent senior women’s coaching team with England captain Charlotte Edwards and former New Zealand captain Emily Drumm, showed Kent’s youngest county girls’ squad how she prepares for batting by getting them all padding up together with her.

Lydia then ‘wowed’ the girls (and their parents) by demonstrating her batting prowess in the nets, facing bowling from Lizzie Neal, Izzy Cloke, Rochelle Beeson and Charlotte Henderson who had been specially selected to bowl from the whole squad.

Izzy Cloke said, “thank you for choosing me to bowl at LYDIA GREENWAY!  It was a dream come true and it really made my day.  It was something that I will never forget for as long as I live!!!”

The batting master class theme was ‘playing straight’ and Lydia showed the girls how she practises using ‘throw downs’.   Then the girls broke into groups of three to have half an hour of ‘throw downs’, with Lydia moving from group to group so that everyone received coaching and throws from her.

Catherine Heasman said, “Lydia said to me that I was holding the bat too hard with my bottom hand.  I enjoyed the day with Lydia, thank you.”

The session ended with two five a side games in wide nets where the aim was to hit the ball straight past the bowler and rotate the strike.

David Sear, Kent Under 11 coach and organiser of the batting master class said, “Lydia was brilliant with the girls.  They hung on to every word she said about batting, including little things like how to tie your hair so that it stays out of your eyes and your helmet fits comfortably!  It’s not every day you get to meet, bowl at, or be coached by an England player, but today the girls experienced all of that.  Lydia was an inspiration and, of course, the whole squad now wants to play for Kent and England!”