ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) has this week launched its first virtual Coach Foundation courses as part of the long-term ‘Cricket First’ strategic plan in building coaching skills around the region through the new Coach and Player Development Pathway.

Four consecutive Foundation coaching courses, updated and modernised to align with CWI’s development pathway, are taking place virtually for over 70 contracted players across the region from September 14 to 17.

Players such as West Indies white-ball captain, Kieron Pollard, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase, will be taking their first coaching steps, developing their understanding of technical and tactical coaching whilst also learning about nutrition, mental wellbeing and physical development.

Players participating in this Foundation level will get the opportunity to test their coaching prowess and receive the coaching skills and confidence to increase their impact with planned community cricket activities such as Kiddy Cricket and club and school programmes.

This also gives CWI the opportunity to identify those players showing an affinity for coaching which can deliver a potential career beyond playing.

CWI’s Coaching Development Manager, Chris Brabazon, highlighted how these Foundation Courses will significantly benefit the professionalisation of coaching across the region eventually for the benefit of teams at every level:

CWI is currently developing a world-class, West Indian, Coach & Player Development Pathway to formally support coaches from Foundation to the High-Performance realms of cricket.

This initiative is part of a wider CWI strategy to improve and strengthen cricket across the region at all levels. A full suite of CWI coaching accreditation courses from Foundation to Level 3 (High Performance) will be delivered locally for the first time in 2021.”

The Foundation Course is being delivered to players across the region as follows:

Following completion of the Foundation level, participating players will then complete the online UNICEF Child Protection Course.