BCB Coaches to publish historic manual for youth cricketers

…sponsorship already secured

The vibrant Berbice Cricket Board, under the leadership of the dynamic Hilbert Foster, will be creating local history when it publishes its own junior cricketers Coaching Manual.
The manual is being prepared by a high-powered team of coaches and administrators, and will be published by the end of July for free distribution to every youth cricketer in the Ancient County.
Foster has said the idea of the manual came to him after he realised the BCB would be unable to host its regular in-person coaching sessions because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
For the last two years, the BCB had been able to organise sessions under very strict guidelines for more than 500 youths, but had plans to host many more. The BCB would restart its coaching programmes shortly, with the hosting of four mini cricket academies in the West Berbice, Upper Corentyne, Lower Corentyne and New Amsterdam/Canje sub-associations. A total of 40 youths would be accommodated at each academy, which would be conducted by a battery of coaches, including Winston Smith, Julian Moore, Balram Samaroo, Delbert Hicks, Travis Hardcourt, Leslie Rahaman and Ameer Rahaman.
Foster has already hosted a special meeting with the coaches, and it has been decided that the manual would focus on batting, bowling, fielding, wicket-keeping and physical fitness. Among the topics to be covered would be batting stance, bat grip, running between the wicket, bowlers’ run-up, how to play the different batting shots, how to stay physically fit, wicket-keeping stance and movement, and long barrier fielding.
Preparation of the booklet started last Sunday with a two-hour photo shoot conducted by cameraman Brandon Corlette at the Albion Community Centre, involving the coaches and eight youth players.
Foster disclosed that the coaches decided it would be better for local cricketers to demonstrate the different positions than to use images from the internet, as Berbice players would be able to identify with the coaches.
The booklet would be named the BCB Youth Coaching Manual- Preserving the legacy from John Trim to Shimron Hetmyer.
Berbice has produced a total of 19 Test cricketers since Trim made his Test debut in 1948. The booklet, which has already attracted full sponsorship, would also have features of the 19 Test players, and also fielding positions, tips for captains, an article on mental health, and a brief history of Berbice Cricket.
Publication of this booklet would represent an historic moment for the BCB, as it would be the first time that a local board would be publishing such a coaching manual, and Foster has disclosed that a coaching video would also be produced by the end of the year, as the board seeks to make sure that every talent in the county is fulfilled.
Work on the video would start in early August. These special projects would allow players from the under-11 to under-19 levels to work on their game by themselves in the comfort of their homes during the pandemic.