If you think “super powers” sounds like something you get in a video game, you’re right. But it’s also a tool to help cricketers both enjoy the game more and improve their skills. Developed by Amy Price in football as part of a “video game approach” to coaching sport, super powers can also be applied to cricket practice. They also are a way to “constrain to afford” if you are using the constraints-led approach.  The magic in super powers is they provide challenges in two ways: Players have to work out how to earn super powers in the game. Players have to work out how to overcome the p ..read more

I recently had a little discussion on Twitter about whether you can coach without an underpinning theory of learning. I thought you had to nail your colours to the wall. Lee Conroy respectfully disagreed. We didn’t get too deep into the debate, but it did get me thinking about my own position so I thought I would make it clear here. The quick summary is this: You should flip between methods. You can flip between approaches but eventually you need to land on an underpinning theory of coaching. What do I mean by this? There’s are broadly three levels to coaching: The methods we use (what we do ..read more

Don’t tell the county fans, but I enjoyed the spectacle of The Hundred - The English 100 ball “countdown cricket” competition - and so have many of the kids I coach. So we decided to test out The Hundred as a coaching tool. In the summer I ran a coaching week for 20 kids aged 7-12 where we played a modified version of countdown cricket as a basis of developing cricket skills and having a good time. While I didn’t conduct a scientific analysis of motivation, satisfaction, inspiration and skill acquisition; I can anecdotally say we had a lot of fun, engagement levels were through the roof and pl ..read more

Most coaches now know the power of “soft skills” and finding connections with players. I’ve just read Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best, which argues that connections are crucial to dealing with the extreme emotions we feel in sport. No matter why you are a coach, you almost certainly want players who are motivated, resilient to setbacks, improving their skills and working as a team.  But more than the game itself, genuine connections with and between players creates an intrinsic enjoyment that we all need as humans. This is enormously satisfying regardless of game performance. Whatever ..read more

Teaching cricket batting technique using representative design can be tricky: We don’t have a template or an exemplar because ideal technique from a template is not representative. Yet we also know the more you practice something the better you get. So to keep the practice as much like the game as possible while also “getting in reps” we can apply constraints instead. Here’s an example. This game can be played in nets, in a middle practice or - as shown in the picture - in a sports hall with a windball. The feed can be anything from underarms to bowlers, depending on how representative you wan ..read more

Have you ever finished a coaching instruction to players with “Okay?” Maybe you say “understand?”, “got it?” Or “does that make sense?” I have many times, and I’m sure I will again.  But saying OK is unhelpful to coaches. Worse, it could be undermining your aims to help your players. I’m trying to stop saying it.  Here’s why. OK adds nothing Think back to the last time you were talking with a group of players. You make an excellent point then you say “okay?” at the end.  When was the last time a player replied that it was not OK? How often - despite them agreeing it’s OK - do th ..read more

If you are taking ecological theory to cricket coaching by using the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA) you might wonder about reviews. In traditional circles, a review has a certain look. You are probably picturing kids standing listening to a lecture from coach about how to do something, or what they are doing wrong. Naturally, this doesn’t fit CLA with it’s focus on self-organising through constrained activities. However, reviews still have a place in CLA cricket coaching. The principles of CLA still apply, most notably the intention must be clear and agreed with players. The review in CLA acts ..read more

Here’s an opinion that is widely held: “if you’re not preparing your players for hardball cricket, you’re letting them down, frankly. You’re condemning them to never being able to play in a proper game.” Today, I want to challenge this view. Soft ball cricket isn’t soft. Soft ball cricket isn’t just for kids. Soft ball cricket isn’t improper cricket. Soft ball cricket doesn’t stop players developing. Yet, every summer I hear the cry from kids - aged somewhere between 9 and 13 - “can we play hard ball?”. Playing soft ball is a terrible fate to these boys. So, why don’t we just give them their w ..read more

What is the constraints-led approach (CLA) to coaching and how can you you use it to develop cricketers? This is a guide for cricket coaches at every level to using the CLA: Why you would want to, and how you apply it when it is often so different to traditional coaching approaches. Why listen to me? I am a cricket coach with over 25 years experience at all levels. I am no expert on CLA, nor am I a researcher, but I do have varied experience in applying the approach. This guide is not a set of dogmatic rules. It is a personal account for cricket coaches who have heard a bit about CLA and want ..read more

Repetitions are important: The more you practice a skill, the better you get. However, not all reps are equal. In cricket, a vertical bat drive practice “rep” might be hitting a ball off a tee, facing a bowling machine, facing a bowler in a net or facing a bowler in a middle. Every one you hit the ball, but they are not the same either. Total beginners will benefit from a reduction in difficulty that hitting from a tee brings. You can can also hit a lot of balls in 15 minutes off a tee. A lot more than in a middle practice. However, hitting from a tee means you lose key elements of the game. T ..read more