Photo Credit: ICC
- Over 5,000 online learners have completed the ICC Coaching Foundation Certificate, an entry-level course launched in October 2021
- Coaching networks continue to rise with growth of ICC’s global workforce in the past 12 months
- Regional training initiatives have allowed ICC Members to respond to increasing participation numbers with quality coaches in their local communities
The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) commitment to equipping Members to more effectively grow participation and improve the playing experience has been boosted with the announcement that over 5,000 people have now completed the ICC Coaching Foundation Certificate.
Launched in October 2021 to deliver the aims of the ICC’s Global Growth Strategy, the ICC Training and Education programme seeks to increase the number of participants and improve the playing experience by equipping Members with the programmes and people to train and accredit more – and better quality – coaches, umpires and pitch curators.
Over 14,000 active learners have so far registered to study ICC Training and Education courses through a dedicated online platform, which provides free multi-lingual resources for aspiring coaches, pitch curators and teachers, with more courses set to become available in 2023.
Among the live resources is the ICC Coaching Foundation Certificate, a course delivered entirely online and designed to introduce aspiring coaches to the basic fundamentals of cricket so that they can play a supportive role in assisting qualified coaches in delivering fun-first cricket sessions to new and beginner participants.
Released to coincide with the launch of the ICC Training and Education programme, the course celebrated its 5,000th graduate in February, capping a significant milestone in the project to date.
Similar success has been seen with the ICC Coaching Course Level 1, the next step on the coach education pathway which was launched in March 2022.
Delivered through a blended learning approach incorporating online and face-to-face training, the ICC Coaching Course Level 1 certifies individuals to deliver coaching sessions to beginner participants, and contains more in-depth technical information in areas such as batting, bowling and fielding.
Fundamental to the sustainable growth of the ICC Training and Education programme is the development of a global workforce in operation across ICC Member countries. The workforce comprises ICC Master Educators – responsible for training and accrediting ICC Tutors – while the Tutors themselves deliver courses to accredit prospective coaches, umpires and pitch curators.
Alongside an ongoing initiative to increase the number of Master Educators, the ICC has also driven a significant boost in Tutor numbers across the ICC’s five regions as a result of several courses delivered to a broad range of demographics, designed to provide ICC Members with all the tools necessary to control when, where and how they service local communities with world-class education resources.
Brazil recently played host to an all-female Tutor Training cohort whereby representatives from a number of Members in the Americas region including Peru, Argentina and Chile convened to attain their ICC Tutor status.
With an emphasis on improving the quality of coaching available to female participants, the attendees engaged in technical sessions and knowledge-sharing workshops to gather insights which will be disseminated through their home countries in order to better support the rapid growth and development of female cricket across the region.
In Pakistan, the ICC worked in collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board to deliver Tutor Training and Elite Coach Education workshops at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore.
ICC’s Master Educators joined forces with two Pakistan greats to deliver the Coach Education element – ICC Hall of Famer Javed Miandad, and Rashid Latif – to a group which included no fewer than 16 former Test & International players, plus three former international level captains, now equipped to impart their knowledge to cricket communities around the country.
Bahrain also witnessed the benefits of the workforce development programme at the end of 2022, when female coaches from eight Asian countries completed their ICC Tutor certification.
Europe has seen several cohorts of Tutor Training take place in recent months, with courses in Finland, Romania and Gibraltar being attended by a diverse cohort spanning multiple regional Members at various stages of development. The three-day course provided opportunities for cross-collaboration and learning, strengthening the network of ICC Tutors as a result, and opening up avenues for knowledge and skills-exchange within the region.
Strong development initiatives in Nigeria have led to a steep rise in playing numbers. In late 2022, the ICC held a Tutor Training course in Abuja to share expertise and upskill community coaches, better preparing them to support the significant growth in participation evident across the country.
Meanwhile in Fiji, national team players competing in the upcoming Pacific Island Cricket Challenge 2023 will undertake the ICC Coaching Course Level 1 fronted by Tutors from across the ICC East Asia Pacific region including ICC Hall of Famer and Master Educator, Cathryn Fitzpatrick.
The gender-balanced cohort from island nations including Fiji, PNG, Samoa, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and New Caledonia will aim to complete the accreditation together with other capacity building initiatives to gather additional skills vital for their post-playing careers, and in turn, enable communities across the region to benefit from qualified coaches with international playing experience.
Speaking on the growth of the ICC Training and Education Programme, ICC General Manager – Development, William Glenwright commented, “We are delighted with how the ICC Training and Education program is contributing to our growth agenda. Given the steep rise in participation numbers worldwide as we emerge from the pandemic, it is vital that ICC Members are equipped with all the tools they require to respond to this demand.
“Increasing access to coach and umpire education resources eliminates a significant barrier to future growth – particularly in our Associate Members – and we are determined to ensure that all Members have the autonomy to deliver world-class education opportunities to their cricket communities.
“We are particularly mindful of the need to increase the number of female coaches and umpires in order to drive the transformative growth in the number of women and girls enjoying cricket that we aspire to. This requires a focused approach that begins with training and accrediting more female Master Educators and Tutors which is why we are placing an emphasis on female-only cohorts.
“This has been made possible with the assistance of the International Olympic Committee and is something that we are very grateful for and want to acknowledge.”
The ICC is planning to release further courses in 2023 to provide more educational opportunities for prospective coaches and umpires.
To access ICC Training and Education courses, learners can register at https://edapp.com/icc
More information about ICC Training and Education courses can be found at https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/development/training-and-education
