Australia’s coaches to study in the US

Four of Australia’s leading female coaches will head to the United States later this month for a study tour aimed at developing their credentials and learning that it takes to create a culture of excellent.

Former Southern Stars players Lisa Keightley, Shelley Nitschke, Leah Poulton and Julia Price will begin their trip in Detroit, with the tour giving the group the chance to experience a variety of elite sports, colleges and media institutions, including the San Francisco Giants and Facebook.

The quartet all currently hold coaching roles with state associations or Rebel Women's Big Bash clubs, with Price in charge of Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes, Keightley head coach of Perth Scorchers, Nitschke in charge of SACA pathways and Poulton an assistant at Sydney Thunder.

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The tour will have an emphasis on creating sustainable success through quality coaching and effective practice, with guest speakers including Professor Wade Gilbert from California State University, Professor Dan McAdams from Northwestern University, author and journalist David Epstein, successful College head coaches and Major League team performance staff and coaching panels.

It follows a similar tour undertaken by male coaches - including Southern Stars head coach Matthew Mott – last June.

"We’re really excited to have four high calibre coaches involved in the first study tour of its kind," Cricket Australia’s Female High Performance Manager Shawn Flegler said.

"This program will give them the opportunity to experience a variety of high performance programs and get a sense of best practice across a number of elite sports.

"We want our coaches creating cultures of excellence and it’s vital that we continue to develop and invest in both our elite and emerging coaches.  

"All four women have been touted as future national program coaches and play key roles in Australian Cricket."