Responsibility Of Coaches - cricket for india
COACHING

Responsibility Of Coaches

Where does one consistently find players who have it in them to succeed at the international level? It is very easy to comment on players who prove themselves at the highest level. Talent at the top is not something one will have to search with a torch. It is visible for everyone to watch and enjoy. Every team is as good as its players. But to be able to perform on a consistent basis, a team does require a consistent supply of quality players. If you want the team to have a good bench-strength and consequently future, it is critical to identify and nurture talent at a more basic level is important.

There are cricketers at all levels - school, college, club, first-class and finally international. A coach has a major role to play at the so-called 'grassroot' level, for it is here that cricketers are shaped and in some cases, created. Coaching assignments at the international level are primarily tactical in their nature, as cricketers who reach that stage level are more or less in control of their respective cricketing skills. But a coach's job is vital at the junior levels.

A child's mind is like clay. It can be moulded into beautiful earthenware. On the other hand, it can be ruined through indifference. Similarly some cricketers can be moulded into prospective international players even at the school level, if they get proper guidance. India is a vast cricket-crazy nation that is bustling with raw cricketing talent. Every nook and corner, every lane and 'maidan' is home to groups of youngsters who aspire to represent the country at cricket. However, not everyone has the talent to play for India. Most of the boys in fact do not have luck, or for that matter the right mentors, on their side.

Faulty guidance can ruin a talented youngster just as proper training can enhance his skills. Loads and loads of talented cricketers have lost their way in this land only because there were no coaches or administrators to guide and motivate them. Talent amounts to nothing unless one gets the right kind of opportunities to exploit it. If deserving players do not get the opportunity and exposure at the right time, they may lose confidence in their abilities. The coaches should understand and appreciate their role in identifying talent.

We say that cricket is popularised by its players, but the players are identified and nurtured by the coaches. Hence, the coaches' responsibility is not confined to coaching or making decisions, but also popularising the game itself.

The more competitive the players are, the more popular the game is. The more popular the game is, the more influential the players are. The more influential the players are, the more powerful the game is. Thus, the power of the game also depends on the coaches, albeit indirectly.

To be continued..