Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
Women’s Advance Coaching Programme launched with CWI Women’s Academy at CCG
Four West Indies Women’s players – Merissa Aguilleira, Charlene Taitt, Britney Cooper and Tremayne Smartt, recently made strategic stride in their cricket coaching careers. They are part of the Cricket West Indies Advance Coaching Programme – an initiative geared towards providing opportunities for aspiring coaches. They joined the players at the first West Indies Women’s Academy which was staged at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
As part of it mandate to grow the game and create a pathway in women’s cricket, CWI launched the programme to also opportunities for aspiring coaches, from online pre-program onboarding calls to shadowing appointed camp coaches during skill development sessions.
“The Academy presented the perfect opportunity to kickstart CWI’s Women’s Advanced Coaching Programme,” said Chris Brabazon, CWI Coaching Education Manager. “The ladies have done a fantastic job in adapting and learning. It’s very satisfying for us, knowing that we can send them back to their territories equipped with experience and knowledge of high-performance coaching methods and stronger relationships with the players.”
Tremayne Smartt, a former Guyana and West Indies allrounder, beamed with optimism about the programme. She said:
“It’s a great initiative in terms of developing women’s cricket in the region and it augurs well for the players and coaches coming up.”
Charlene Taitt, a former Barbados and West indies allrounder said,
“There were three things I learnt from being here. In fielding you never stop learning new techniques, even as a new former player. In batting, as a coach it’s easier to identify the alignment of a batter and assist them in not falling over. In with the bowlers, helping them to identify their line and length in delivery of the ball.’’
CWI’s initiative represents a major step towards a brighter, more competitive future for women’s cricket in the West Indies, promising a well-rounded development for both coaches and players. The excitement and energy in the voices of those involved affirm the importance of this opportunity, making this more than just a coaching programme – it’s a launching pad for the stars of the future. This forms part of CWI’s strategic plan to enhance and develop the level of coaching in the region. Since 2019, there have been over 1100 coaches trained (from Foundation to High Performance Level 3) in eight different territories.
