Cricket: Bay of Plenty season begins with Northern Districts coaching clinics

Bay of Plenty Cricket manager Tai Bridgman-Raison says cricket as a whole will benefit from a coaching clinic being held at Mount Maunganui.

Upskilling the Bay of Plenty's cricket coaches will not only mean enhancing the skills of the players, it will also improve the game as a whole in the region.

That's what Bay of Plenty Cricket manager Tai Bridgman-Raison hopes will ultimately be achieved through coaching clinics being held in the region, starting today.

The 2018/19 Bay of Plenty cricket season gets under way today with the Northern Districts Road Show visiting the Western Bay of Plenty this evening, which will involve Northern Districts High Performance staff helping to upskill coaches and umpires.

The ND Cricket Roadshow will see the ND High Performance team facilitate coach education sessions, leading into the 2018/19 cricket season.

Bridgman-Raison said ND spin bowling expert Cliff Dickenson would be on hand to share his knowledge this evening, describing him as someone with a lot of experience and knowledge that would only benefit Bay of Plenty coaches, which would, in turn, benefit players and the game.

Bay of Plenty Cricket manager Tai Bridgman-Raison. Photo / George Novak

"He's played a lot of first-class cricket.

"All players will receive the benefits"

The first ND Roadshow visit will be held at the Bay Indoor Centre and will be aimed at parents who coach age-group teams. In a new practical session initiative, parents who are coaching or who hope to coach in the future are invited to bring their cricket-playing children aged between 8 and 15 to be part of it.

The parent coach session will focus on an interactive practical coaching session with both textbook learning and hands-on components.

The workshop is free to attend and all equipment will be provided.

Bridgman-Raison said although it was the high performance teams running the sessions, they could tailor them to suit the needs of those attending.