Welcome to Coaching

Junior Cricket upper Hutt cordially welcomes you to the club and thanks you for your time and effort in the important role as coach. Coaches are the most vital part of any active club, to put it simply, “no coach - no team”. JCUH wants its coaches to be the best they can be, so we have written this introductory guide to Coaching at JCUH to help get you started.

WIIFM (What’s in it for me?):

- You get to spend some active time with your own child.
- You get some physical exercise.
- You make a valuable contribution to a vital club offering sporting and life skills to children.
- You make a valuable contribution to your community.
- You get to learn how to coach – a skill with applications at work and home.
- You develop friendships with fellow parents.
- You become a leader.
- Check out you philosophy to coaching by clicking here

I’m a ‘first-time’ Coach:

It is often an apprehensive time for first-time coaches. Often they are not sure if they have the cricket skills and confidence to take on the role. These feelings are quite normal and it is not until after several games and practices that new coaches start to feel at ease with their role. To assist coaches JCUH has a variety of resources, which are detailed below. However the grade convenor is the first line of support for the first-time coach. It is the convenor’s role to ensure that coaches feel confident enough for their first practice in mid October.

Coaches usually start out in the soft-ball grades. Here the actual cricket skills required are minimal. Many coaches start their coaching “career” in the Have-A-Go and Midget grades. As the children get older then skills and tactics become more prominent.

Getting Help at Practices and at the Game:

Coaching shouldn’t be a lonely job. There are always parents on the sideline waiting to be asked to help out. Coaches are empowered by the club to seek the help of parents. In fact the club implores parents to get involved and has adopted a standard where 2 parents or helpers are required to assist the coach and manager at each practice. This is to ensure:


- The coach is not left completely unsupported in his or her role.
- Teams can be supervised while individual children are given one-on-one coaching.
- Inappropriate behaviour can be more easily controlled without other players having their practise affected.
- Health and safety best practices can be observed.

It is also common to seek a co-coach to help out. This spreads the load and allows coaches to rotate the role or have a ‘Saturday off’. Coaches should foster relationships with other parents who have the time and the willingness to help. It is through this mechanism that co-coaches are developed.

Coaching Soft-Ball Grades (Have-A-Go & Midget):

Have-A-Go grade especially is more about games and fun that real cricket. The main object with children this age is to keep them occupied and having fun. Cricket skills are very basic for first time or very young players. If by the end of the season you have them holding the bat correctly and standing properly, bowling overarm (even if standing still) and throwing reasonably straight from the field you will have been successful as a coach. This year the club will issue goals for coaches, which will help them focus on what is important to teach.

Midget grade introduces more skills. Here the bowling becomes more accurate, a run up is normal and ideally few ‘wide’ balls are bowled. Batters should be starting to move to the ball and place their front foot correctly. Emphasis is given to batting with a straight bat and not ‘slogging’. Basic wicket-keeping skills are introduced along with accurate throwing and backing-up in the field.

Coaching Hard-Ball Grades (U10 to Premier):
As children progress through these grades most coaches have already had some experience and they learn with the children. Junior introduces the hardball, pads, helmets and a box! Wides and no-balls are introduced and now shot-selection is taught. Specialist bowlers also start to emerge and should be fostered.

The other grades introduce all the normal cricket rules and the subtleties of tactics and specialists really emerge. Most coaches at this level have several years experience and/or a Level 1 or 2 coaching certificate.

Coach-the-Coaches sessions at Upper Hutt:

Through a variety of skilled providers your club along with the Trentham Sports Centre Trust provides several coach-the-coaches courses for all grades before the season starts. You have the choice of attending an Upper Hutt session or one in Lower Hutt.

For the more serious coach (Level 1,2 & 3)

For those coaches who wish to learn the finer points of the game Wellington cricket offers cricket coaching courses which are held in Wellington. Details are available from your convenor or a committee member.

“Club Assist”

This is a programme run by the HV Junior Cricket Coordinator and funded by Milo and NZ Cricket. It is a series of club visits where specific skills for specific grades or squads will be taught.

New Training facility Our brand new indoor training facility will be available to all coaches and their teams to use via a booking system.

Resources for coaching (books, videos):

Coaches of Have-A-Go and Midget grades will get the excellent coaching books published by NZ Cricket and funded by Milo. They will also get a 1hour coaching video. Both of these resources outline skills but more importantly tell you how to run a practice, supervise and motivated children and have some fun. Coaching tips and exercises are also provided.

Hardball grades also get access to videos if required and this year will receive an excellent new coaching textbook funded by the Hillary commission.

To check out your "Coaching Philosophy" click here
For Cricket Wellington’s Junior Coaching Philosophy click here


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