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Behind the Stumps with Charles Williams

Behind the Stumps with Charles Williams

Posted: Monday, 23 November 2015

We chat with Bay of Plenty Development Men's Coach, Senior Selector and Senior Men's Assistant Coach, Charles Williams

Welcome to the second Behind the Stumps of the current season. In the edition we chat with Charles Williams who is the Bay of Plenty Development Coach, a Bay of Plenty senior selector and assistant coach of the Bay Fergus Hickey team. Known to most as Potsy, he is regularly seen in Baywide cricket in his role as joint player/coach of the Tauranga Boys College first XI.

Tell us a little about how you started cricket and your junior cricket experiences
I started playing for Welcome Bay primary school down at Ferguson Park and it was fair to say our team was not known for text book cricket. I remember playing against teams like Cadets who had guys like Matthew Drake in them. They had all the gear and were very competitive. Our team would rock up with no gear, different coloured clothing, some with no shoes and a pretty funny attitude towards cricket. I can vividly remember beating Cadets and my future 1st Xl captain Matthew Drake. Great times.

You are one of the many successful players over the years that have progressed through the Tauranga Boys College cricket pathway - tell us about your TBC pathway journey
I had never been taught the textbook skills of cricket and when I came to TBC I was put in a Year 9 participation side. We played on Wednesday afternoons and I absolutely loved it.  By this stage in my life cricket and rugby were everything. I eventually got a few opportunities but never set the world on fire. 

It wasn’t until Neil Howard who was the 1st Xl coach at the time gave me a shot and took me away to Super 8 in Year 12. I think my old mate Matthew Drake had some input into selections and threw my name in the hat. That tournament gave me the opportunity to bowl for the first time and I did pretty well. From then on I was an off spin bowler (although most people would say dart thrower). I would bowl off spin and bat 11. 

We never really achieved our potential especially when you looked at the players we had, Matthew Drake, Daniel Flynn and about five other Bay of Plenty Secondary School players.  I was definitely a battler in the team and just loved playing for the school.

Who did you play alongside in the TBC first XI
The well known guys were Daniel Flynn and Matthew Drake but some of the other players from around the Bay are Scott Steward, Dan Hill, and  Tevita Levao, 

What clubs have you played for leading to your role of player/coach of the TBC first XI this season?
I get a bit of stick for this. I first played for Greerton out of school. We had guys like Murray Jarvis, Cameron Burns, Marcus Niles and it was a very enjoyable time in my cricketing life. We didn’t win much but man we had some funny times. I had a few years playing in Brisbane before coming back and playing for the TBC 2nd Xl for a couple of years. From there I went to Te Puke and was lucky enough to win the Williams Cup, before returning to Greerton last season as coach. Things have been moving pretty quickly and an opportunity to coach the TBC 1st Xl came up and I took it. It has always been a goal of mine to coach the boys and I am very excited to be involved. Some people like to even think that I had a couple of games for Cadets but my memory is a bit hazy when asked about that.

Why did you decide to return to play and coach at TBC
It has always been a goal of  mine to coach my old school. That and being able to coach with Tim Clarke and Neil Howard.

Tell us about the current crop of promising youngsters in the TBC pathway
We have some very talented youngsters coming through and over the next few seasons we hope to be very competitive in Baywide and secondary school cricket. The thing that is very exciting is the depth we have in our junior teams.

When and how did your coaching career start?
I started coaching the TBC 2nd Xl when I was completing my teaching certificate. From then I have really enjoyed the challenge of coaching. I love everything about the game and continue to learn and develop my coaching skills. I have been lucky to coach some very talented players which makes my job relatively easy.

You attended an Australian coaching course in the last twelve months - what qualifications did you earn and tell us a little about the course activities
I need to complete my manual, but after this I will have gained my Australian level 2 coaching certificate. It was an amazing week located at the Australian High Performance Centre in Brisbane. It is easy to see why the Aussies do so well with the facilities they have available to them.

Who were some of the other participants on the course?
I was lucky enough to work with the Brisbane Heat High performance coaches but also a privilege to have guys like Chaminda Vass helping out with seam bowling. Wellington Firebirds opening bowler Dane Hutchinson was also an attendee.

What are your long-term coaching aspirations?
At the moment the 1st Xl job keeps me very busy, add to that the BOP Development role and the Senior Men’s assistant role, I don’t have much time left over. I am looking forward to learning as much as possible under Graeme Aldridge and working with the best players in Bay of Plenty cricket. I would love the opportunity to work in a professional set up, but if that doesn’t happen, I can feel pretty lucky to have been involved with these current teams.

Who are some of the characters that you have encountered in cricket
Obviously guys like Cameron Burns and Murray Jarvis were and still are characters of Bay cricket. Those guys have told me some of the funniest stories I have ever heard. Graeme Aldridge, Grant Manners, Neil Howard and Mark Jasper all taught me how to play hard cricket. Those guys were always good to me and taught me a lot.

I think in today’s game guys like Nick Smith, Richie Earl, Murray Jarvis and myself are the last of the Baywide 90s brigade, we always have a good laugh about old times when we play against each other. Neil Howard has always been a mentor to me and it’s fitting that I am now coaching his son.


Tell us a little more about Charles Williams
What is the background to your nickname of Potsy
I wasn’t the athletic specimen I am today,  at school I was pretty chubby. My best mate’s dad was called Pots because he was a bigger man. Well that pretty much became my name and that’s where it came from, I think. I’m pretty laid back and love a good laugh. I don’t like to take things too seriously.

What music do you listen to - John Denver and Jimmy Barnes.

What was the last book that you read - Reading?

Favourite movie - Star Wars

Favourite TV program - Game of Thrones

Favourite meal - Boil up

Favourite drink - Cool Aide

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