Pre Season Training

There are a number of elements that anyone intending to play grade cricket should be addressing in the pre-season period. Some are specific to the roles you fulfil in a team (batsman, spinner, seamer, quick…) while while others need to be addressed by everyone. I will discuss them under a number of particular headings:

Fitness·
 
Strength: Strength aids in the production of energy that translates to power in motion. Strength also allows the player to remain stable and in control of their movements. Core strength is particularly important in this regard. The stronger you are coming into competition, the more capable you are of performing at your best. All players should be on a structured weights program specific to their individual needs.

Endurance: It goes without saying that if you can outlast your opponent physically and mentally on the cricket field you will go a long way towards defeating them on the scoreboard! Endurance also allows you to spend longer training and developing or improving technique. To develop greater endurance one must WORK – hard and often! Of course, overwork can lead to injury. As with all aspects of developing your game, PLANNING IS CRUCIAL!

Flexibility: To perform any powerful repetitive movement in cricket, a player must be flexible! Flexibility allows momentum to be generated and converted into power without injury. Players must continually work at improving their flexibility by performing a regular daily stretching routine. The value of this stretching routine can be greatly enhanced if the player uses the time they are stretching in a meditative and reflective manner!

If the player takes 20 minutes a day to stretch and – while stretching – they reflect on such questions as “What should I be working on today/this week?”; “Did I achieve what I wanted to yesterday/last week?”; “What are my short/medium/long term goals?”; “How am I going to achieve my short/medium/long term goals?” the players focus and organisation must improve and this will have a positive impact on their performance!

Speed
Across the ground: Speed is an asset to all players. Unfortunately, it is a physical gift that is very difficult to greatly improve. Technique and strength are major components and once these have been developed, most athletes are looking at very small incremental improvements, if any. However, if a maintenance program is not followed, speed can be lost quite quickly. Through the pre-season period, all players should be focussing on correct running technique as often as possible and attempting to develop as much speed across the ground as possible. The "Step Up" exercises we focus on at Activate can strengthen the "Posterior Chain" and strength in this area has been shown to produce poser and control in the sprinter.

Agility: Agility is the ability to change direction and pace quickly. This is another skill that is a pre-requisite for successful cricket and – unlike speed across the ground – this skill can be developed and enhanced quite significantly through drills and activities. Players should be performing such activities as skipping to develop their agility in the pre-season period. This site is full of agility drills that can add variety to your programs and keep your sessions fresh.

Everyone will be revisiting specific technical skills relating to their individual roles within a team. With any technical skill, players must focus on the movements they are making and ACTIVELY try to “feel the movement” until the movement is thoroughly learned!

Catching

Short catching: All players should be constantly attempting to improve the quality of their fielding! In the pre-season period, players must focus on the basic elements of catching in a very thoughtful and deliberate manner. This means they must be ACTIVELY thinking about the following:
a. Initial stance – hands low, feet shoulder width apart, weight on the inside of the feet and coming forward with neck and shoulders relaxed.
b. Movement to the ball – not just hands! Feet and head must also get into the best position so that the ball can be caught in the most comfortable position.
c. Catching with soft hands – self-explanatory! But using the wrists and elbows as shock absorbers can assist in developing soft hands.

Long Catching: In the pre-season period, players should once again be concentrating on the elements of successful long catching. These include:
a. Movement to the ball - This is where speed across the ground is a great asset! Players should work at developing speed in an attempt to take each long catch in a comfortable and stable position.
b. Soft hands - Players should experiment with comfortable and effective hand positions so that they can catch with soft hands. Wrists and elbows are important shock absorbers for all long catching.
It must be stressed that all players in the pre-season period need to actively think about each of the elements on every catch until the movements become automatic!

Throwing: In the pre-season period, players must revisit their throwing technique. They must make sure they are warmed up properly before they attempt to throw with any power. The movements should be gradually energised with distance thrown gradually increased. Technique must be the focus! As with catching, think hard about your movements when throwing – this is the only way to develop good technique.

Batsmen: The pre-season period must be used to practice correct technique with an emphasis on footwork and body position. Movements are much more important than shots at this early stage of the season! Stance, backlift and initial movements have got to be rock solid if you are going to spend any time in the middle as the season progresses so let’s get them right now! The other major element of batting that should be addressed in the pre-season period is WATCHING THE BALL. Work at picking up the ball and the seam as early as possible – practice it actively and you will develop better fine focus.

Try and acquire all of your equipment before the season starts so you can get used to its weight and feel.

Bowlers: All bowlers - regardless of their style or role within a team - should spend the next few weeks building rhythm, stamina and CONTROL. The bulk of your time in the nets should be spent bowling your stock delivery. Away from the nets, you should be working on flexibility and endurance.
Players who have grown taller during the off-season will have to get used to different delivery points and changing run ups. Be patient and accept the challenge of finding the best approach and action for the “new you”!

As far as impressing the selectors go – the thing that will impress them the most is a good attitude and an apparent willingness to work to get better! If you have these and a degree of ability we will persevere with you. On the other hand, if you have a degree of ability but you don’t appear to be working hard and listening to advice, don’t expect to graded. In fact, don’t even expect to be asked back next week!

Remember - most coaches are approachable and willing to work with you. If they think you are progressing satisfactorily, they may not be saying much to you. They are likely to be spending time helping players who they see are making mistakes. DON'T THINK THAT YOU ARE BEING IGNORED! If they are not “coaching” you it’s probably because they don’t think you need it!

So there it is guys – nothing new or revolutionary. As with many things related to sport, success is based on solid preparation and performing the basics correctly every time. Get used to working at them now and have a great season!

"The Map" Part 1 - A Checklist for Playing Successful Cricket

Listening to ex-International bowler Damien Fleming recently, I was interested to hear him refer to some players as 'Having a good map' with respect to how they prepared for each game. I have always said “You have to have a plan!” and it seemed to me that Fleming was making the same sort of statement.

What is 'The Map'?

Everyone has a set of processes they follow prior to playing a game.

• Many players go through these processes in a very erratic manner. These players often find it difficult to produce consistently solid performances on game days.
• The good players identify the processes they go through and attempt to follow them in a deliberate way each time they prepare for a game.
• The very good players identify what works for them within these processes and apply themselves to working through these processes throughout the week leading up to and including game day.

These players are following their own 'map' in an effort to reach their destination: Success in the middle!
I would suggest all cricketers draw up their own map to cricketing success. The higher the level of cricket you play or aspire to play, the more detailed your map should be.
Over the course of the next few weeks I will deal specifically with various specific elements that make up a Players Map. I hope you will work through this process with me and develop your own map as you go. Please remember these maps once developed will be living documents that you constantly modify as your game develops.

The Basics

 

Regardless of age or standard, every cricketer can employ a map of some sort, each containing the same basic elements. These are:

• Practice Routines
• Non Practice Training Routines
• Organization of Diet
• Game Eve Routines
• Game Day Routines
• Recovery Routines
• Game Evaluation and Planning Routine

The very young cricketer will have the majority of these elements determined for them by parents and/or coaches. For those parents and coaches reading this: I would urge you to make your young players aware of the fact that a map exists and encourage them to identify a routine. This is so you can start them along the way to developing their own map. It must make things easier for everyone in the long run!

Practice Routines

All players, regardless of age, should learn a comprehensive warm-up routine. This should include dynamic as well as static stretches. As with all these elements, by turning these activities into a routine they can be learned and remembered more easily. They can also be completed rapidly, making your efforts more efficient and less time-consuming.

After the warm up, some mental rehearsal should take place before any cricket-specific physical activities. For younger players, this might take the form of a reminder from the coach about what specific batting, bowling and fielding skills they should be working at during the session. For older players, each individual should remind themselves what technical aspects of their game they want to focus on that day.

Following this mental rehearsal, players should move into physical skill work. For young players this should wherever possible involve some individual batting, bowling and fielding skills as well as some group activities that put the skills under scrutiny in a game situation.

As players mature and individual skill sets develop, each player will need to undertake diverse activities aimed at addressing weaknesses as well as further developing strengths. Net batting and bowling are only two of a number of activities that might be undertaken at a practice session.
Remember when you are part of a team, you must factor in other players practice needs. As your awareness of the needs of your team mates increases (this should happen with age), you can plan activities that satisfy the needs of a number of players. So you will need to develop a 'pre-training' routine to make sure you get to work at your game as well as helping your team mates and developing team spirit.

One activity common to most team practice sessions is net training. Young players should be reminded what they are trying to do when batting in the nets on a particular day. Should they focus on defence when batting or maybe hitting the loose ball? Should they be trying to bowl some variations or work at their stock ball?

Older players should develop a routine to employ when called upon to pad up for a batting net that will get them to the net with clear objectives and an uncluttered mind. This will vary from player to player.

Similarly, each bowler must develop an individualized routine that focuses their efforts on specific objectives when bowling in the nets.

More experienced players should develop 'mini-routines' that they work through between deliveries. These sets of thoughts and actions will be similar but not identical to the mini-routines players employ between deliveries on game day. (Game day routines must obviously have a strategic element while net practice routines may have a more technical focus.)

Once all the physical activities have been completed, a warm down routine should be performed. Again, this should be easily learned so that the player can perform their stretches while reflecting on how many of their training objectives they achieved during the current session and what objectives they will try and achieve next session. For younger players, the coach can provide this input by summarizing 'What we did today?' and 'What we are going to try and do next practice session?'. This provides some continuity from one practice session to the next.

So if like Damien Fleming and me, you think “You gotta have a plan!”, get a note book and start plotting your own course towards consistent cricketing success.
After all, how can you possible reach the desired destination without a map?

Some Rules for Young Cricketers!

What are the main things a junior player should be trying to do every time he or she plays a game?
Here is a list of the rules I have come up with from my experience as a coach. Every team will have its own set of rules. This list is just a start. Remember rules require discipline. Playing with discipline will contribute to success at any level.

1. Do everything with no wasted time or effort. This can be applied to every task associated with playing the game. From packing your kit prior to leaving home to unpacking your kit once you have returned home. Some specific things that should be done efficiently are:

1. Moving between overs – directly, at a jog and without pausing for chats.

2. Getting the ball back to the bowler – through the field, underarm where possible, concentrate on the throw and the catch. Leave the shining of the ball to the bowler.

3. Padding up and Un-Padding – make sure you can put your hands on all your batting kit easily and always pad up when you are 2^nd man to come (i.e. if you are number six in the order you pad up when the second wicket falls). When you are out or the innings is closed, pack your batting kit away as you take it off. Then you always know where it is and no-one can pick your gear up thinking it is their own.

4. Drinks, Lunch and Tea Breaks – always know who is providing what and what you have to supply yourself. Make sure all this is organized before the warm-up starts so that you are not distracted, and you don’t distract others, once the game is underway. Always have your own food and drink ready and accessible. Do not leave it with a parent. This slows down the process of getting a drink and once again can be distracting. You should be able to access a drink at any time during the day easily and without having to rely upon anyone else.

5. Warming Up– have a routine that you can move through with little or no supervision. The captain and coach will have things they need to do prior to play commencing and so if you can warm up without their direction, everyone is a winner.

2. Identify the “One-Percenters”. The one percenters are those little things that when added together can make a real difference between success and failure. Things like always running the first run as hard as you can; always walking in in the field; always backing up in the field and always stretching before and after training and games. Most people do these thing some of the time and some people do these things most of the time. The only way not to get caught out is to do these things every time!

3. Learn from every game. Make a point of reviewing what has taken place during a days play. Involve your coach and parents where possible and write down the things you learnt that day. Constantly add to this list and regularly go back through your list to make sure lessons learnt are not forgotten!

4. Make things easy for your Coach and Captain. Pay attention when they are talking. Don’t distract others and try to do as you are asked in every situation – regardless of how you might feel about their instructions. They have the responsibility of leading your team. They are doing their best to make you successful. Respect them and do as you are asked. You will be surprised at how often things work out well when everyone is heading in the same direction!

5. Enjoy the experience. Remember that no matter how you are performing, you are having an experience that lots of other players your age would love to be having. Enjoy the opportunity to learn more about yourself, your talents and your friends. Enjoy the opportunity to be active and outside playing. Enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate your skills and enjoy the contest.

Try and think of some other rules that might help your team be a happier and more successful one!
And when you have a good idea: Share it!

New Store Opens at Activate Cricket Centre - The Members Stand

Visitors to Activate will notice a change as they drive into the car park - A new Cricket Store has openned Between The Cricket Centre Nets and Active Health and Fitness.

The Members Stand 

Cricket Equipment Specialists

They are suppliers of quality handcrafted UK cricket bats, pads, gloves and all protective equipment. They also supply cricket clothing for clubs and individuals.

The brands they stock - Hawk,Chase, Millichamp and Hall, John L Newbery, Bellingham and Smith, Albion, Masuri, Salix and Asics.

Everyone who has been into the so far have commented on the quality of the gear and the helpfulness of the staff who are fully trained and experienced in selecting and preparing bats for all players from club and school cricketers through to professionals.

The most heard phrase at Activate these days (apart from Ash saying "Keep your base!") is "You've gotta have a look at the gear next door!"

So have a look!

And - for the time being - 10% Discount on all items purchased by Activate Centre customers!

Ph 87573528      Mob. 0430440204