This is the first in a series of Blogs by Greg Chappell Head Coach of the Cricket Australia Centre of Excellence during the scholars' residency in 2010.
Chappell's AIS Accounts
We’re now counting down the days here at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane until the 2010 batch of AIS Scholars arrive on our doorstep and run us ragged over the coming months.
I went through it for the first time last year and by the end of it I certainly had a few more grey hairs, if that was even possible?
In 2010, I think we’re a lot better prepared. Last year we introduced a lot of game-based training into the program and although it all went well, I think we’re in a much better position this year and I’m very confident that the scholars will get a lot out of the next couple of months.
We’ve worked closely on the 2010 program with Damien Farrow (the Australian Institute of Sport skill acquisition specialist) and Ian Renshaw (from Queensland University of Technology’s Human Movement faculty) to extensively develop our program for 2010.
Game-based training encourages the players to think and to develop their mental skills in real time. Skill development is an important part of our program but the game-based training develops the whole athlete as we attempt to accelerate their development along the elite pathway.
To have a good program we need good participants and we’ve got a great cross-section of Australian cricket this year, with players straight out of the Under-19 program along with some more experienced state cricketers.
One of the better stories in the group is that of quick Luke Feldman. It’s not often you come across a cricketer that works full-time, especially as a police officer, and I’m sure that will provide a lot of perspective for the rest of the group.
Luke hails from regional Queensland and it was only this time a year ago that he was doing his own thing, upholding the law and playing country cricket up near Townsville. A year later and he’s played quite a few games for the Bulls and will do a full preseason as an AIS scholar, while also continuing his work as a policeman in Brisbane.
That balance of work and cricket is sure to surprise quite a few of the other scholars who generally balance cricket with golf or Playstation! Career and welfare is an important part of the AIS program and Luke’s experience will no doubt be drawn on by the other players.
We also have a couple of products out of the ACT this year with Jason Floros (who is now a Queensland contracted player) and Ryan Carters (playing cricket in Victoria) both full-time scholars.
It shows that, although small in size, the ACT cricket pathway is solid and some good talent is being found. Jason was a member of the Under-19 World Cup winning squad in January while Ryan represented Victoria in the Futures League and Futures League T20 last season. . Both are very exciting prospects that will benefit greatly from their time at the COE.
The program gets underway on 20 April and it will be great to finally watch all the planning come together as we follow the development of another batch of exciting young cricketers come to hone their skills at the COE.
Bye for now,
GC
PS – Although this maybe my first ‘official’ blog for the COE, it’s nice to know that my skills haven’t been overlooked as cricket.com.au regular blogger and Australian Team Coach Tim Nielsen has been in contact with me recently to help with his blog.
I’ve been a regular follower of Tim’s literature (which I’m sure he receives plenty of help with from the team’s media man as it is very well written!) and was honoured that he came to me for advice. Happy to help, Tim. Keep an eye out for Tim’s next blog where we discuss Twenty20 cricket and what an ‘80s Australian Twenty20 squad may look like.