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..