UTT & ASC - PARTNERING FOR CRICKET
TTASPE's Role
On 26 November 2005 the Australian Prime Minister announced the $10 million Australian Sports Outreach Programme (ASOP) aimed predominantly at Commonwealth Countries. The ASOP runs from 2006 to 2011 and supersedes previous Australian Government sport development programmes in the Pacific, Southern Africa and the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, the ASOP is managed by the Trinidad and Tobago Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (TTASPE).
Caribbean Cricket Coaching Program
In addition to the overall regional programme, grants of up to AUD20 000.00 are available for projects within each region. The Academy of Sports and Leisure at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) has been awarded one such grant for a Cricket Coaching Programme.
In May of this year, the Cricket coaching programme supported by ASOP and UTT, was officially launched at the Australian High Commissioner’s residence in Trinidad.
The UTT/ASOP Caribbean Cricket Coaching Programme is intended to support a core group of budding West Indian cricketers who have been selected on athletic scholarship at the UTT. All of the young cricketers have represented their respective islands at the regional level and some have already represented the West Indies at youth level competitions.
The cricketers were coached by former West Indian cricketers, Tony Gray, Mervyn Dillon and Larry Gomes, with Brian Lara and Dinanath Ramnarine as Advisors. The proposed ASOP Cricket Coaching Programme is intended to benefit both the players and the coaches involved in the programme. Darren Holder has been selected as the Lead Instructor and would be supported by Mike Young, a fielding specialist with over 30 years experience, for the first phase of the programme with special focus on fielding.
The West Indies Under 19 players, along with selected coaches from the region also participated in the programme that ran from June 4 th to 13 th 2008.
The players benefited from the expertise and experience of Darren Holder and Mike Young for an intense ten-day fielding clinic which was followed by similar clinics in batting and bowling.
The participating coaches would have had an opportunity to enhance their coaching skills and share experiences while working alongside Darren Holder and Mike Young.
In addition to the coaching programme, the visiting and local coaches were also scheduled to conduct of two (2) community coaching clinics for young cricketers at the primary and secondary school level.
