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PESSCL - School Club Links
It is the latest initiative to develop links between schools and cricket clubs.
Illingworth CC which is in Halifax West Yorkshire, has signed Club / School Partnership Agreements with local Whitehill Primary School and 3 local secondary schools - Holy Trinity, St.Catherine’s HS and North Halifax Grammar school. Throughout the year club coaches visit the junior schools and the secondary schools use the club for net practice, matches as well as for holding PSHCE seminars and workshops in the Pavilion.
The Illingworth CC which, incidentally, has just been presented ECB / Sport England “Clubmark” status by former Test Umpire Dickie Bird, was one of 36 clubs to pilot an ECB, DfES and DCMS PESSCL Initiative as part of the Government’s strategy to raise the provision of high quality Physical Education and School Sport (PESS). As part of the Club’s own Action Plan, they hosted two cricket development days (1 for girls and 1 for boys) and these took place during the summer holidays.
Avoiding the heavy showers that were all around Yorkshire that day, the 34 boys and 16 girls had an intensive day of Inter-Cricket match play and coaching in batting, bowling and fielding.
Four squads of under 14 cricketers from Illingworth, Queensbury, Copley and Southowram Clubs made up the players.
Splitting them up into their respective teams, they played an “Inter-Cricket“ tournament using lightweight blue pads and incorporating double scoring zones and ‘free hits’ in the rules. Hitting across the line or slogging into certain target areas could also reduce the team’s score.
The 2 teams not actually playing then received expert coaching in various disciplines of the game from ECB qualified Coaches who were well supported by the Club’s recently qualified junior squad of Young Cricket Leaders. They were also supported by the Illingworth overseas player, Mark O’Donnell from Australia, who is a nephew of former Aussie Test all rounder, Simon O ‘Donnell.
Course organiser, Dorian Brooksby, then led another set of youngsters through a variety of “ladder work” drills and skills to improve their quick footwork co ordination, stamina within fielding scenarios. The final group were coached on the finer points of driving straight and through extra cover by David Cooper, the designer of the Cricket Coaching mats
Using a variety of resources, such as the Crazy catch rebound net, various “missile type” throwing resources imported from America and the more conventional slip cradle were used for fielding practices. Both Mark and club coach Peter Colgan led their groups through a series of catching drills and competitions
After a short break for rain and lunch the afternoon continued with the finals of the “inter cricket competition” which was eventually won by Copley CC.
The other players then took part in straight six hitting competition using the versatile cricket coaching mat, a catching competition using a bowling machine to fire balls into the lower atmosphere, a long distance cricket ball throwing competition and a speed bowling competition in the nets.
The bad weather that was forecast that day resulted in a 7.00 am phone call to Flicx Pitches to cancel their plans to travel up from Northampton to demonstrate their new Home Academy package of a mat, net and bowling machine.
At the end of the day Tony Bowry, the Cricket Development Officer for West Yorkshire presented the certificates and thanked everybody who had been involved, especially the Young Cricket Leaders who, having just emerged from the junior set up were there to immediately put something back into the game.
Illingworth CC`s PESSCL Action Plan provided 2460 hours of cricket within and beyond the School curriculum
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The Players who took part in this initiative.
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PESSCL (PE-School-Sport-Club-Links)
The PESSCL Programme is a joint DCMS and DfES with the target of enhancing the take up of sporting opportunities by 5-16 year olds. The aim is to increase the percentage of school children in England who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within an beyond the curriculum to 85% by 2008. The ECB is one of 7 main NGB’s chosen by Sport England to deliver the Club School Links strain of PESSCL. The ECB has chosen to invest a large sum of money into Focus Clubs’ Development Plans via the County Boards. The programme is completely outcome based and many different approaches can be used.
However, Focus Clubs must reach the following criteria
Clubs identified as a Focus Club in the County Board Plan
Focus Clubs to be active members of a Cricket Development Group
Focus Club must have a development plan approved by the CDM
Core elements of the Focus Club Plan submitted onto the CBMS Site
Focus Clubs must have achieved Club Mark accreditation
Coaches delivering in schools must also adhere to the following
ECB Qualified Coach
Completed a satisfactory CRB Check
Member of ECBCA
Attended the Sport Coach UK Child Protection Course within last 3 years
Coaches must have attended the Coaching in Schools Module
Focus Clubs’ Plans will be subject to a minimum 10 years monitoring and evaluation.
18 Focus clubs have accessed this fund amounting to £26,968. Focus Clubs can apply for school coaching visits, after school clubs at either the school or club, Kwik/Inter-Cricket Festivals, Coach Education, funding towards a Community Sports Coach.
The YCB have recently received from ECB a second allocation of PESSCL money for 2006-7.
Andrew Watson
Director of Development
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